You can think of this book as your guide. A guide to accompany you as you walk through 'the liveable city', 'the water city', 'the compact city', etcetera. None of these cities pretends to be the solution to an ecological city, yet together they offer a variegated range of visions and proposals.

The impressions in this book are intended as a source of inspiration for all those involved in construction projects, including local authorities, project developers, urban planners, architects, contractors, and future residents. In addition to this publication, The Ecological City will also report on the experience gained with theoretical concepts and on tools used to make cities more sustainable. The Ecological City research programme is implemented by DIOC-DGO (Delft Interfaculty Research Centre - Sustainably Built Environments) of the Delft University of Technology.