Review
“Building for People shows professionals involved in regulating, planning, or designing our communities that high-quality, low-carbon living is within reach. Of special interest to readers concerned with environmentally sustainable architectural and community design issues, as well as urban land use planning, codes/standards.”
― Midwest Book Review
"Building for People is a vital guide for creating urban spaces where people can truly thrive. Michael Eliason's insights into low-carbon eco-districts align with the principles of happy urban proximity, fostering communities that are both sustainable and deeply connected. Through real-world examples, he demonstrates how we can build neighborhoods that prioritize human well-being and environmental resilience, making cities more livable for all." -- Professor Carlos Moreno, Paris1 Sorbonne University – IAE, creator of the 15-Minute Concept
"Building for People began life as a guest post in my newsletter. I knew from how fascinating it was there -- and how intensely the audience reacted to it -- that it would make for a fantastic book. Nobody is smarter than Mike about the built sector and how we can do it better." -- David Roberts, proprietor of "Volts," a newsletter & podcast about tackling climate change
"This book offers an invitation to imagining the powerful possibilities to be found between the denial and inertia of contemporary planning and the dreary insubstantiality of utopian urban dreams. Districts are very likely to be where the future gets built." -- Alex Steffen, award- winning writer and one of the world’s leading practitioners of climate foresight
About the Author
Michael Eliason is an architect and founder of Larch Lab-part architecture and urbanism studio, part "think and do" tank focusing on research and policy, decarbonized low-energy buildings, and climate adaptive urbanism. Michael is also a writer, and an award-winning architect specializing in mass timber, social housing, baugruppen (urban cohousing), and ecodistricts. His career has been dedicated to advancing innovation and broadening the discourse on sustainable development, passivhaus, non-market housing, and decarbonized construction. He serves on the board of Seattle's new Passivhaus Social Housing Developer PDA. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech and became a Passivhaus consultant in 2010. His professional experience includes work in both the Pacific Northwest, and Germany. He has been a guest critic and lecturer at several institutions and has presented internationally.
