Book excerpt: EcoResponsive Environments integrates our current knowledge of designing for human needs, with a deeper understanding of natural systems. The book offers both a call to action and a comprehensive yet pragmatic framework for practising the art and science of settlement design, called EcoResponsive Design. Bridging the gap between theory and generic policy on the one hand, and design for specific places and sites on the other, the book is aimed not only at the professionals involved in planning, designing and developing these places, but also the wider range of communities interested in creating better spaces for our everyday lives. EcoResponsive Design encompasses all scales, ranging from the overall form of settlements and the landscapes in which they sit, to buildings and the detailed design of public spaces. Drawing from projects, places and best practices in many different countries and contexts across the world, it demonstrates how positive changes at the local scale can be achieved for every single site, large or small. The book urges a shift in focus from individual specialisms to collaborative actions, enabling development stakeholders to negotiate a balance between short-term financial viability and longer-term environmental and social values.