The obesity crisis has affected many nations. It is also one of the factors listed as contributing cause to the COVID-19 fatalities. The common tendency is to blame people's dietary choices and sedentary habits. Yet, it can also be argued that social inequity and poor urban planning practices have largely contributed to a lack of active lifestyles. Low-density suburban sprawl, long commutes, food deserts, and diminishing green areas are some aspects that have led to reduced physical activity, among residents of all ages.

The proposed book illustrates the decline of community planning for healthy living and outlines measures that can be reintroduced to foster active lifestyles. Each chapter stands for another subject that merits intervention and illustrates strategic approaches. Its uniqueness lies in its comprehensiveness. It covers the key principles of residential planning and offers principles of neighborhood design along with sustainable strategies, as well as their applications. The text is not limited to a theoretical aspect but offers contemporary well-designed and illustrated examples of communities and firsthand information about them that was obtained through site visits and interviews with their designers.

Current planning and design modes of dwellings and neighbourhoods are facing challenges of both philosophy and form. Past approaches no longer sustain new demands and require innovative thinking. The need for a new outlook is propelled by fundamental changes that touch upon environmental, economic and social aspects.

The depletion of non-renewable natural resources, elevated levels of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change are a few of the environmental challenges that force designers to reconsider conceptual approaches in favour of ones that promote a better suitability between communities and nature. Consideration of overall planning concepts that minimize the development's carbon footprint, district heating, passive solar gain, net-zero residences and preserving the site's natural assets are some of the contemporary strategies that architects, planners and builders are integrating into their thought process and residential design practice.

Increasing costs of material, labour, land and infrastructure have posed economic challenges with affordability being paramount among them. The need to do with less brings about concepts that include denser places, adaptable and expandable dwellings, and smaller-sized yet quality designed housing. Also, the need to reduce utility costs gave rise to better insulation, which benefits both the environment and the occupant.

Social challenges are also drawing the attention of designers, builders and homeowners. As the "baby-boom" generation plans for retirement, housing an elderly population will take priority. Walkable communities, ageing in place and multigenerational living are some of the concepts considered. In addition, live-work environments have become part of the economic reality for those who wish to work from home – which has become possible through digital advances. 

The need to think innovatively about neighbourhoods led to the idea to write this book. The intention is to offer information on contemporary community design concepts and illustrate them with outstanding international examples.