Authenticity seems impossible today, with places and buildings that look like they could be anywhere, lacking harmony with nature and local culture. But designers can achieve authenticity through effective principles, and a dozen of them are listed here.

Sustainability takes many forms on the building and community scale in the Caribbean. Here are keys to places that stand the test of time.

The scale and form of communities—and avoiding sprawl—will play critical roles in their long-term resilience.