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In 2009, Amanda Talbot left her job editing at British ELLE Decoration to research sustainable lifestyle trends unfolding around the world. Her new book, Rethink the Way You Live (Chronicle, $40), illustrates how top design talents are using innovative measures in technology, gardening, and architecture to create a sustainable future.

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A prime example of innovative sustainable design is the work of botanist Patrick Blanc, who brings plant life to city walls. His living walls—featuring more than 12,000 plants—can be seen at the Athenaeum Hotel in London (shown) and the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris.

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To save space and water, designers are increasingly transforming traditional bathrooms into wet rooms, where the shower units are open and often drain off water that can be reused to hydrate plants.

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Bianca Riggio and Ryan Hanrahan of the Sydney-based design firm Page Thirty Three incorporated plants when decorating their home and studio, inside a former warehouse. The indoor garden is on wheels so they can move it around the warehouse, following the sun.

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In a high-density city like Tokyo, homeowners make the most of their space by forgoing full bedrooms for cozy nooks. “Instead of using the word downsizing , the latest catchword is rightsizing ,” says Talbot, “which describes how many view their choice to change to smaller housing.”