By Debby Preiser

Meet architect, planner and author Douglas Farr from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 13, at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St., in Oak Park. Discuss ideas from his new book, "Sustainable Nation: Urban Design Patterns for the Future." His first book, "Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature" helped shift the focus of urban sustainability from the stand-alone building to the high-performance neighborhood.

Given the urgency of the many challenges that society now faces, "Sustainable Nation" hopes to accomplish an even more dramatic shift to focus on how long change takes and the many ways to drive change faster than ever before. The book suggests that society can overcome its major challenges and de-carbonize within four generations: the lifetime of a child born today. The Book Table will have books for sale and signing.