Interlocking Stabilised Soil Block (ISSB) technology has been gaining recognition, particularly in East Africa. This material and method of construction has the advantages of low cost and minimal environmental impact, while providing comparable quality to conventional fired brick construction. With a growing number of organisations using the technology there is a need to improve communication and knowledge-sharing, to quantify and verify the benefits, and to develop efficient approaches for its promotion and adoption.

The purpose of this publication is to promote the use of ISSB by sharing some case studies of successful adoption and adaptation to local contexts. It also highlights some of the challenges faced in developing and promoting the technology with some key lessons learned from projects in northern Uganda. This document provides stakeholders interested in the sustainable development of human settlements with a reference tool for an innovative construction method in practice.

For cities to confront the challenges of fossil fuel depletion, increasing energy costs and rapid climate change, it is inevitable to develop and implement urban energy management solutions for their sustainable future. This publication is a training companion developed originally for training courses at the International Urban Training Centre in the Republic of Korea.

This Source-book addresses sustainable urban energy solutions from a system’s perspective, as a three-step process - energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Energy conservation asks the question, “do we need to consume a given good/service?” Energy efficiency asks, “what would be the best possible way to consume the same good/service”, while renewable energy asks, “could there be sustainable renewable energy alternatives for fossil fuels”.

The concept of housing requires a new understanding to effectively address the pressing issues of slums, the urban divide, economic and human development, and climate change. No longer regarded as simply a roof over one's head, housing today plays a crucial role in achieving sustainable development. Sustainable Housing for Sustainable Cities outlines key concepts and considerations underpinning the idea of sustainable housing and provides a comprehensive framework for designing sustainable housing policies and practical actions.

Although sustainable housing is often considered from a predominantly green perspective this book advocates a more holistic approach, which recognizes the multiple functions of housing  as both a physical and socio-cultural system  and which seeks to enhance and harmonize the environmental, social, cultural, and economic dimensions of housing sustainability to ensure prosperous residential neighbourhoods and equitable cities.