Resource

Guiding Principles of Sustainable Design Handbook (online)

Guiding Principles of Sustainable Design was published in 1993 by the U.S. National Park Service and is intended to direct park management philosophy. Its goal is to provide a basis for achieving sustainability in facility planning and design, emphasize the importance of biodiversity, and encourage responsible decisions. Sustainable development in this document refers only to park and ecotourism areas. When sustainable development and ecotourism are merged, they offer an opportunity for affecting visitor perceptions of the natural and cultural world. Ecotourism offers an unparalleled opportunity for more conversation-oriented values. A merger of ecotourism and sustainability would clearly distinguish sustainable development from traditional tourist development. This guidebook articulates principles to be used in the design and management of tourist facilities that emphasize environmental sensitivity in construction, use of nontoxic materials, resource conservation, recycling, and integration of visitors with natural and cultural settings. Sustainability principles have been developed for nine topics: interpretation, natural resources, cultural resources, site design, building design, energy management, water supply, waste prevention, and facility maintenance and operations. Although material is presented in separate sections, the application of these principles must be interdisciplinary and reflect the interconnection of all systems and resources.