From the Ground Up

“This clearly written book is the outcome of very thorough research by the author on actions by communities elaborating solutions for their neighborhoods to make them more livable, adaptable, and to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change.” – “Urban Design Journal”“From the Ground Up is an exciting contribution to action and debate about how cities can be transformed to adapt to changing climates, restore degraded environments and address social and racial injustice. The case study stories are presented in rich detail, demonstrating the power and promise of small interventions, without shying away from the struggles and persistence required to achieve progress. It is a useful casebook to share knowledge and inspire impactful action to create towards more resilient, just cities.” – “Journal of Housing and the Built Environment”“The book is intended as a ‘call for action’ by showcasing exemplars of progressive urban change, demonstrating how neighborhoods and cities can be transformed to improve resilience and equality. It is beautifully written and illustrated, reflecting a care for detail and clarity that is a feature of the patient, humble nature of much of the work of the citizens, activists, public servants and professionals that it reports.” – “Journal of Housing and the Built Environment”“The contribution of the book lies in its practicality and applicability, showing us how this knowledge is operationalized in real-life cases and communities. As such, this book can be best read by fellow city-makers, urban planners, as well as researchers interested in the bottom-up approach for inspiration and to find applicable ideas for setting up community initiatives that last.” – “Journal of Urban Affairs”“If you are like me and hope sometimes fails you, I have good news: Alison Sant has come to help. From the Ground Up surveys American cities not for their failings, but for the means of their future remaking. Her solution: Listen. Watch. Inquire. Communities, most especially communities of color, are developing solutions that do work. Show; don’t preach. If people like your idea, they will start doing it too. It’s ecological democracy. It’s not giving in. In this book are examples from sea to shining sea.”–Eric W. Sanderson, Senior Conservation Ecologist for the Wildlife Conservation Society and author of “Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City”“Especially and unreservedly recommended reading for environmental activists and governmental policy makers, From the Ground Up: Local Efforts to Create Resilient Cities is a clarion and illustrated call to action regarding the necessity for communities to become climate resilient in the face of inexorable climate change driven impacts while acknowledging and addressing the unfortunate social and racial injustice of past urban developments.” – “Midwest Book Review”“Alison Sant’s adoration of urban ecosystems is palpable in From the Ground Up. Starting from the soil, she walks with leaders in cities’ natural resources and follows the interconnectedness of the streams below our sidewalks and the branches that brush our skyscrapers, the waters that lap our coastlines, and the people in neighborhoods who make it all possible. For those of us planning amidst multiple interconnected crises, Sant’s From the Ground Up is a critical reminder that the best solutions are led by communities first.”–Erin Barnes, Founder and CEO of ioby

Alison Sant is a partner and co-founder of the Studio for Urban Projects, an interdisciplinary design collaborative based in San Francisco that works at the intersection of architecture, urbanism, art, and social activism. For more than 15 years, the Studio has focused on public programming, urban prototyping, and civic dialog - aiming to bring social justice and sustainability to the design of cities. Sant is the author of From the Ground Up: Local Efforts to Create Resilient Cities (Island Press, 2022) a book that examines how American cities are mitigating and adapting to climate change while creating greater equity and livability. She has taught at the College of Environmental Design, University of California Berkeley, the California College of the Arts, Mills College, and the San Francisco Art Institute.