Publications

Available Now!

Cover of book Toward Sustainable Communities: Solutions for Citizens and Their Governments, 5th edition, by Mark Roseland, Margaret Stout, and Maria Spiliotopoulou, Foreword by Julian Agyeman.  The cover image is of a Sustainability Compass superimposed over a stylized globe.

The go-to guide for those seeking a comprehensive approach to sustainable community development, from the neighborhood to the regional level.

Toward Sustainable Communities is the definitive guide to the what, the why, and most importantly, the how of creating vibrant, healthy, equitable, and prosperous places.

This fully revised 5th edition introduces the innovative Community Capital Compass as a powerful tool for maximizing the environmental, economic and social benefits of complex community and regional decisions.

Essential reading for current and aspiring professionals, practitioners, policymakers, educators, purpose-driven organizations, engaged citizens, and anyone concerned about their communities and a sustainable future.

Order your copy here.

Got 3 minutes? 

In this short video my co-authors and I introduce the new 5th Edition of Toward Sustainable Communities: Solutions for Citizens and Their Governments.

Praise for Toward Sustainable Communities, Fifth Edition


A comprehensive collection of concepts with clear illustrations and community-based examples…

an essential text for all practitioners and students of sustainability planning.

— KARLA A. EBENBACH, Chair, American Planning Association Sustainable Communities Division;

AICP, LEED Green Associate; President, Ebenbach Consulting LLC

An elegant and actionable playbook for city builders to rethink our time-tested and often misguided

approaches to urban planning, design and development... exhaustive and approachable –

providing new thinking, powerful solutions, and an elegant framework…

— ROB BENNETT, founder, EcoDistricts | Senior Advisor, Partnership for Southern Equity


Groundbreaking… A must-read for academics, practitioners, and everyone concerned about the

economic, environmental, and social future of our planet.

— DAVID MILLER, Managing Director, C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy


Essential reading for those new to the space, and should be on the shelf of every practitioner

as their go-to reference.

— HILARI VARNADORE, Vice President for Cities, U.S. Green Building Council


The fifth edition of TSC stands out as truly transformational... Packed with more ideas and information, it appears at a time of tremendous upheaval, when the need for it is greatest... The book is almost everything I could ask for. A good buy.

EMILIE K. ADIN, RPP, MCIP, LEED AP, MLAI, President, Planning Institute of British Columbia

Acclaim for earlier editions of Toward Sustainable Communities

Cover of 4th edition of Toward Sustainable Communities: Solutions for Citizens and Their Governments, by Mark Roseland.  The main photo is a rendering of a retrofitted street that now includes pedestrian and bicycle improvements, urban greenery, and renewable energy.  The book title is white lettering on a blue sky background.

"...the single most significant book of its kind. It demonstrates that the future we need can be achieved, and that the future we need can be a future we want. Toward Sustainable Communities is essential reading for everyone who wants a sustainable world, now and in the future.”


Konrad Otto-Zimmerman, Secretary General,

ICLEI — Local Governments for Sustainability



"...the battle for sustainability will be won — or lost — in cities. There is no better guide than Mark Roseland for showing us what’s possible so we can win this battle. Please give this book to every local official you know."


Mathis Wackernagel, Ph.D., President

Global Footprint Network


"...a tour de force.... every community, arrondissement, county, province, state and national leader — worldwide — should read and absorb this book."


Thomas F. Pedersen, PhD, FRSC, FAGU

Executive Director, Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions

"...the best kind of resource in this time of rapidly evolving approaches to making our cities and towns resilient, healthy and just."


Tom Osdoba, Chair,

Portland Sustainability Institute

"The path toward sustainable

communities just got much clearer."


Julian Agyeman, Chair

Department of Urban + Environmental Policy + Planning (UEP)

Tufts University

"A must-read for researchers, policy-makers and practitioners alike."


Professor Simon Joss, FRSA

International Eco-Cities Initiative

University of Westminster

"...an invaluable resource for practitioners

and policymakers alike."


James Goldstein, Director

Sustainable Communities Program

Tellus Institute

"...a must read for anyone working to help communities thrive in these uncertain times."


John Purkis, Senior Advisor and Senior Manager, Sustainable Communities The Natural Step Canada

Other SELECT Publications

Some of Dr. Roseland's other publications:

Chapters in Books

"Making the SDGs Relevant for Cities: Using the Community Capital Tool in British Columbia"

"Achieving Community Happiness and Well-being through Community Productivity"

"Theories and Concepts Influencing Sustainable Community Development"

"Strengthening Local Economies"

"The Eco-City Approach to Sustainable Development in Urban Areas"

"Building Community Capacity for Strategic Sustainability"

"Land Tenure Innovations for Sustainable Communities"

Journal Articles

"Bridging sustainability and the social economy: Achieving community transformation through local food initiatives"

"Back of the Envelope:  Confronting the Complexity of Sustainable Rural Development"

"Mobilising collaboration with Pando | Sustainable Communities"

“'We see a real opportunity around food waste': exploring the relationship between on-farm food waste and farm characteristics"

"Culture and Community: Sustainable Community Planning with the Rolling River First Nation"

"Seeking Urban Sustainability on the World Stage"

"Sustainable Community Development: Integrating Environmental, Economic, and Social Objectives"

"Supporting Global Sustainability by Rethinking the City"

"Dimensions of the Eco-City"