Options for cities

[anador]

In the solviva article that you posted, the author continually refers to bio-benign buildings, which appear to be south facing glass greenhouses.

How exactly do walls entirely made of south facing glass provide heating and cooling?

Would it not make more sense to use lower energy materials with natural ventilation?

Is there something I'm missing in how they are supposed to work?

[Narz]

I wonder if you could build Earthship-type apartment buildings.

Frankly, out of all the "sustainable" mofos out there I'd say Mike Reynolds is the most inspiring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ENIhmDskmY

[mos6507]

Earthships are passive solar which means they need a clear path for sunlight to enter the wedge-shape. In an urban environment you're going to have too much shade for that to work. Plus earthships rarely have more than one floor. The passivhaus approach seems more appropriate for denser housing.