June to Aug 2014 - Global to Local

eg magazine
June to August 2014
ISSUE 19 VOLUME 6
www.egemagazine.com
GREENER URBANISM – BRISTOL GREEN CAPITAL OF EUROPE
eg magazine– examples of ideas and opinion on sustainability
Published by Global to Local Foundation
ISSN 2042-1990
CONTENTS - CLICK ON THE LINKS
The
Academy of Urbanism 2014 Congress
Towards a Greener Urbanism
Stephen Bee, Chair of The Academy of Urbanism
Towards a Greener Lifestyle
Sue Riddlestone, OBE, Chief Executive, BioRegional
Learning from Freiburg
Professor Wulf Daseking, former Chief Planning Officer, City of Freiburg
This Place is Killing Me!
Marcus Grant, Deputy Director World Health Organisation Collaborating
Centre for Healthy Urban Environments
Creating Regenerative Cities
Professor Herbert Girardet, Co-founder, World Future Council
Reflections on the 2014 Academy of Urbanism conference
- Andrew Dakin, Deputy Chief Executive, CREW Regeneration Excellence Wales
- Louise Dredge, Outreach and Impact Manager, The Glass-House Community
Led Design
- Charles Campion, Partner, John Thompson & Partners
- Torben Brandi Nielsen, Torbenbrandi, projektudvikling for
byggebranchen (Project development), Aarhus, Denmark
In Other News
Award-winning zero carbon guesthouse in Wales
Efficiency development in dishwashers
Financial incentives for cyclists in France
Tesla shares technology secrets to stimulate electric car market
Cover Image: http://www.debatingeurope.eu/2013/09/18/can-makeeuropes-cities-greener/#.U6P4ZJRdVYA
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CONTENTS
The City of Bristol, awarded
European Green Capital 2015 status
was the befitting host to The Academy of
Urbanism (AoU) 2014 Congress, held
from 22-24 May. Bristol City Mayor,
George Ferguson, CBE, a founding
director of the Academy, as ever, was
inspiring and challenging in his
words. The congress offered an
enthralling forward-looking series of
keynotes from international speakers,
with fabulous workshops and walking
tours taking in some of the enterprising
happening projects in Bristol, including
the now established Aardman Animations,
the film and TV animation company that
created our well-loved Wallace and
Gromit.
Fay Blair deputy editor attended and we
are proud to present this feature edition
in partnership with the Chair, Steven Bee
and his staff. In particular special thanks
to Steven Gallagher and to Academician,
Sarah Jackson, for her wonderful range of
photos and of course all the editorial
contributors.
Anne Finnane
Editor
Twitter: @AnneFinnane
Towards a Greener
Urbanism
By Stephen Bee, Chair of
The Academy of Urbanism
Green Capital of Europe and the vision of Bristol
160 participants, mainly but not exclusively
Academicians, came to Bristol this year to help
celebrate the City’s designation as Green Capital of
Europe 2015. The City’s Mayor, George Ferguson, a
founding Director of the Academy, helped establish
our ethos of Space Place Life. Since his election in
2012 he has been pursuing this in his vision for
Bristol, which he introduced at the start of our second
day.
The theme of The
Academy of Urbanism’s
Ninth Annual Congress
was green urbanism.
From 22-24 May, three days
of talks, tours, visits;
discussion and debate,
explored what green
urbanism is at this year’s
Academy of Urbanism’s Ninth
congress hosted by Bristol.
Examples and ideas of how
to lead more sustainable
lifestyles, and how
enlightened urban living can
be rich and fulfilling without
using ever-increasing
resources were pursued with
critical reflection led by
international speakers.
THE ACADEMY OF URBANISM CONGRESS 22-24 MAY 2014
SPONSORS
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Many thanks to fellow Academician Sarah Jackson, for all her superb photographs.
[email protected] Any reproductions to be credited SARAH JACKSON.
Presentations and video recordings from the Congress
http://www.academyofurbanism.org.uk/
Bristol’s ‘Places Team’
The Mayor’s Places team introduced us, on the first day, to the history of the
City and its defining characteristics. We were introduced to the consequences of
the City’s maritime history aboard boats on its principal feature, the Floating
Harbour. Walking tours led by Council officers and local Academicians then
focussed our attention on recent developments and their ‘green’ aspirations.
Watch the video of Barra Mac Ruairi, Strategic Director of Place at
Bristol City Council, welcoming delegates to The Academy of Urbanism
Congress: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT5QrrhC1lE
Later, at the Civic reception in the City’s Art Gallery and Museum, we learned
more of the diverse communities that make modern Bristol, and how the City is
encouraging the unique cultural wealth they provide.
The Congress boat tour along the floating harbour to explore some of the city’s
recent waterside
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Visit to Temple Quays Enterprise Zone as part of the ‘Place Making for Profit’
workshop facilitated by: Nick Childs childs+sulzmann architects, Architect, Urban
Designer & Academician; Andy Gibbins – Leader of the City Design Group.
Planner, Urbanist and Academician; David Warburton – Homes and Community
Agency HCA Head of Area; Shankari Raj Edgar – Nudge Group, Urban Designers,
Architect and Digital Media Consultant and Academician.
"'Place Making
for Profit':
delegates
explore the
place-making
plans for
Bristol's
Temple Quay
Enterprise
Zone"
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CONTENTS
‘Mayor to Mayor’ – Bristol to Curitiba
Our keynote speaker at the end of the second day had come all the way from
Brazil to reinforce George Ferguson’s message and explain how greener ways of
living are achieved in much different circumstances. Jaime Lerner served three
terms as Mayor of Curitiba, a city of two million, as well as two as Regional
Governor. He too was a politician by personal drive and commitment to his
adopted city, and leads an Institute promoting greater understanding of how
cities can work better. His message of “urban acupuncture” as a means of
overcoming immediate problems while establishing long term strategies for
urban improvement encapsulated perfectly the scope of the Congress.
Mayor of Bristol,
George Ferguson,
CBE and Founding
Director of The
Academy of
Urbanism (Centre)
with Jaime Lerner,
former Mayor,
Curitiba, Brazil
(right) and Professor
Wulf Daseking,
former Chief
Planning Officer,
City of Freiburg and
Honorary
Academician,
displaying the
‘Walk with the Mayor - call to action’ from Celia Wade-Brown, Mayor of
Wellington, New Zealand, for the June World Cities Summit Mayor’s Forum.
SS Great
Britain, Bristol,
venue for The
Academy of
Urbanism
Congress
Dinner 23 May
2014
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The 2014 Academy of Urbanism Congress, Friday 24th May evening reception
hosted by Aardman Animations,
in Bristol
Live model set showcase on display
in the reception foyer of Aardman
Animations, Bristol
The Academy of
Urbanism 2014
Congress
Venue:
The Watershed,
Bristol
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Looking forward - Congress in Birmingham 2015
The final day was an opportunity to reflect on what we had heard and seen, to
draw together topics for further exploration and ideas for future Academy events
and activities. This Congress was the largest yet for the Academy, and the
immediate feedback was that it had been the most successful. Discussions in
the margins were enthusiastic and full of ideas. The Academy has a wealth of
inspiration from which to draw over the next year, and we are already planning
an even better event in Birmingham next year.
Core congress messages
I went home with three main messages resounding.

The importance of leadership – from wherever it
comes - requires a long-term commitment with
the energy to see it through.

Making sustainable living more attractive and
achievable requires us to make doing the right
thing easy, and the wrong thing difficult as Sue
Riddlestone said in her excellent presentation on the
work of BioRegional.

‘ Just do it’ - obstacles to ideas and action can
evaporate in the face of the commitment and
energy of groups and individuals seizing the
initiative. Both George and Jaime emphasised this
through demonstrably successful examples. Peter Lord
later reinforced this with his explanation of how his
remarkably successful creative business had located and
grown in the city, contributing to the growth of similar
businesses locally. The success of Aardman Animations
is a by-product of people doing what they enjoy, and
that might just summarise a successful city too.
Stephen Bee is Chairman of The Academy of Urbanism and Principal of Steven
Bee Urban Counsel. In a career spanning three decades, he has established a
broad and particular perspective on the processes and participants involved in
managing and making changes to places. He is a Chartered Town Planner, an
Executive Board member of the Historic Towns Forum, and a member of the
New London Architecture Sounding Board.
Contact: [email protected]
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Towards a Greener Lifestyle
By Sue Riddlestone, OBE, Chief Executive, BioRegional
Although the lives
we lead today are
really great on so
many levels, there
are a lot of things
which are not so
great which stem
from our
unsustainable
lifestyles; air
pollution and
dominance of
traffic, obesity and
rising energy bills to
name but a few.
We are polluting and consuming at such a rate, that if everyone lived like we do
in Europe, we would need three planets to support us. And yet in so many parts
of the world, people don’t have enough.
That’s why we talk about aiming for “one planet living” where people everywhere
can lead happy, healthy lives within the natural limits of the planet. You might
think this is a pipe dream, but what we have started to see, as we work with
developers, local authorities and business to implement sustainable
communities, products and services, is that it can be done. We can make our
businesses and communities more cost efficient and resilient as we face the
challenge of a resource constrained world. And what’s more, people report that
they have a better quality of life and better health.
BedZED eco-village in south London, a 100 home and workspace project built in
2002, was our first attempt at designing for greener lifestyles. When we outgrew
our rented office space in 1997 we wanted to build an eco-office. Then when we
found a large site locally we thought great, we can live there too! Housing
Association Peabody backed it because
they wanted to tackle their resident’s fuel
poverty. Bill Dunster Architects designed
My energy bills are about £400
per year compared to £1300
an almost passivhaus building and it
in a typical similar sized home.
works, my energy bills are about £400
per year compared to £1300 in a typical
similar sized home.
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We had strategies for
all of these aspects of
people’s lives at
BedZED which we later
formalised into the ten
principles of one planet
living which are now
being used all around
the world.
But of course, designing for sustainable
lifestyles is much broader than this. The energy
we use in the home is 18% of our ecofootprint. But then we need to consider the
impact of our travel, which is 15%, Food, which
is a whopping 23% and the consumer goods we
buy account for 14% of our eco-footprint. We
had strategies for all of these aspects of
people’s lives at BedZED which we later
formalised into the ten principles of one planet
living which are now being used all around the
world.
An important and simple approach is to design our new and existing
communities to make it easy for people to do the right thing - that is, the more
sustainable behaviour - and difficult to do the wrong thing - or more
unsustainable behaviour. So for example, at BedZED we had a green transport
plan. The location was good in that we had reasonably good public transport in
place already, with a bus stop outside, a train station in to London a 7 minute
walk away. But then we also made a space in the hallway near the front door for
everyone to put their bicycles so that it is easy for them to get the bike and go.
Car parking was positioned a bit further away and there was a small annual
charge for a designated parking space. But we do all sometimes need to use a
car and so we have a car club.
There are all sorts of advantages to these more sustainable travel modes for
people and that is why I think it has been successful. I never have to wash or
hoover the car or take it to the garage to be fixed. There is a new car just sitting
outside which I can hire when I need it. I use my bike more which means my
body mass index is below average and I am fitter and healthier. As I walk or
cycle in my community I meet my neighbours and talk to them, which an NHS
study showed is good for mental health and well-being.
At BedZED people drive 50% less and
know, on average 20 of their neighbours,
compared to residents across the road, who
know only 6 neighbours. This approach also
has benefits for developers and local
authorities as as one car club car takes 6-8
cars off the road, so we can reduce space
for car parking and roads and build out
more homes or create community spaces.
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One car club car takes 6-8
cars off the road, so we can
reduce space for car parking
and roads and build out more
homes or create community
spaces.
This has been a key incentive for developers as it
helps the financial viability of projects and we have
gone on to build car free developments such as the
172 home Crest, BioRegional Quintain development
One Brighton.
Local authorities including Sutton, where BedZED is
based, Middlesbrough and Brighton and Hove have
committed to enable their residents to achieve one
planet living with an action plan setting out how
they plan to achieve it.
One Brighton Development
It was fantastic to see, hear and feel the enthusiasm and level of activity locally
in Bristol at the Greener Urbanism Congress. Every community and city can and
should be going for this and we all of us have our role to play through our daily
work, but also in the lives we lead and the daily choices we make. The happy
thing is, this is going to be a better life for all of us.
Work out your footprint and make a one planet living plan at
www.bioregional.com
Ten One Planet Living Principles
Sue Riddlestone – CEO of BioRegional, an
award winning international social enterprise
and sustainability charity which she cofounded with the husband Pooran Desai in
1994. Sue is a London Sustainable
Development Commissioner, a CORE fellow
and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Awarded an OBE in 2013 for services to
sustainable business and the London 2012
Olympic and Paralympic Games
Website www.bioregional.com e-mail [email protected] twitter @bioregional
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CONTENTS
Learning from Freiburg –
Towards a Greener Urbanism
By Professor Wulf Daseking,
former Chief Planning Officer, City of Freiburg
Wulf is former Chief
Planning Officer for
the City of Freiburg
and is an honorary
member of The
Academy of
Urbanism.
He offers a thoughtprovoking and
challenging review
of how he perceives
European cities and
what it takes to be
among tomorrow’s
‘winners’.
Europe is changing rapidly. You only have to look at a current map of Europe to
appreciate this. When you compare European cities now and how they are
evolving it is clear we will have ‘winners and losers’. Many are forward-looking
and are proactively planning for the future. However others are doing nothing;
perhaps some are in denial with the misguided hope that they will ‘win the race’
to become a top European city.
It’s not just about ‘fitting’ into the future, but seizing opportunities to ‘create’ the
future. It’s about people, especially the political leaders who can bring about and
catalyse change. In order to achieve this,
It’s about people, especially
you have to work hard and you have to
the political leaders who can
have a vision which sets out how your city
bring about and catalyse
should be developed.
change.
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CONTENTS
Why is change necessary?
Remember these milestone markers: 1972 Club of Rome wrote ’Limits to
Growth’. Then in 1973 we experienced the oil crash in Europe, when the price of
oil went up from $4 to $23 a barrel. In 1978 we had the 2nd Oil crisis. In 1992
had the first Sustainable Development ‘Rio’ Conference, and five years later, in
1997, the Kyoto Protocol was signed by the ‘all important’ countries, each
committing to reduce their Co2 emissions by 20% by 2012 (20 years after the
Rio). This was the big turning point, and to achieve this kind of demanding
target, the cities must lead. Disasters such as Chernobyl in1986 fuelled further
concern and wider environmental debate, later reinforced by the Fukushima
catastrophe in 2011.
Reducing natural resource consumption
Many European cities have found ways to reduce their consumption of natural
Resources. Freiburg was one them along with Tübingen. Bordeaux, Marseille,
Barcelona, Copenhagen , Malmö , Helsinki and Rotterdam, are among others
that can be named. But, Copenhagen, in my view, has done the best job in
Europe in working its way to becoming a sustainable city; a city for the future.
A compelling city vision
and characteristics of
‘the future city’
Cities must have a
compelling vision to work
towards with strong,
committed people who will
‘fight’ for this vision.
Continuity, quality and
sensitivity are important
factors. The famous 16th
century English
statesman, Thomas More,
who wrote the book
‘Utopia’ – his vision for
living in future – but was
hanged for it. The German
chancellor Helmut
Schmidt is reported to
have said, “Those who
have visions, should go
straight to hospital!” But
what I say is we need to
have visions; they
become ever more
essential, as do bold and
progressive leaders.
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
The city of the future is dense and
compact.

It is a city where the suburbs play an
important role. Where most of the
population lives you have to create the
city with short nodes/routes’ where all
people’s daily requirements can be
reached within easy walking distance.

It is a city of social mixture, not a city
of separated communities

It is a city of culture, education and
jobs; a city of creativity, innovation
and science.

Participation – especially the integration
and engagement of young people – is
important.

Everything must be closely connected
and located combined with lots of open
space and an efficient public
transportation system.
My messages for Bristol
Now some words on Bristol from me as a person who has visited the city several
times over the last few years. First of all, the Mayor, George Ferguson, is the
leader of a fantastic city! Bristol has so many opportunities. With around
430,000 inhabitants it’s a city of a good size with a growing population. It has a
University with lots of young people who are an asset; your biggest asset as
future citizens! It has a river which runs through middle that brings variety and
distinctiveness with working and living places close together, and the sea not far
away. The journey from Bristol to London is 1h45 by train (110 miles). It has
almost everything going for it to be a forward-looking sustainable city…
Enhancing Bristol’s ‘first impression’
The entrance to the city arriving at Bristol Temple Meads Station, could be
more welcoming, and a better quality experience. Currently when you arrive
it could be anywhere!
The other key thing I noticed is the high amount of traffic – particularly
private cars - which congest, ‘stifle’ and ‘kill’ the city, and constrains the
flexibility of how you use public open
space. The character and combination of
I noticed the high amount of
houses form the unique face of every
traffic – particularly private
city. The quality and quantity of open
cars - which congest, ‘stifle’
space can only come as a result of
and ‘kill’ the city.
reducing private car use, and altering
routes for access only to the city, and
not for through traffic. Space for
pedestrians and for bicycles is key.
New ideas for living areas should be explored
Do the buildings and developments being constructed now really offer the
answer? We need housing to be safe, low energy houses that are ‘Passiv’ or
‘Energy plus’ houses to reduce the Co2 emissions.
Bristol - and the UK generally - would
Bristol - and the UK generally
benefit from a policy instrument to freeze
- would benefit from a policy
the land prices to reduce developer
instrument to freeze the land
speculation. Many European countries
prices to reduce developer
have such an instrument. This is to
speculation.
ensure that more affordable and social
housing is included that gives young
families a chance. Co-housing and schemes where the ground floor can be
adapted through a life time are also important; where people can easily alter
their home according to their ‘time of life’ and where young and old to can
live together.
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CONTENTS
Engaging young people and the city’s image
And how often do we properly engage the
younger generations in decision-making
How often do we properly
about the future, determining how we (or
engage the younger
rather ‘they’) will live? Bristol could be the
generations in decisionleader, and exemplar of such ideas
making about the future?
delivered through its planning.
How are young people persuaded by
Bristol’s offer through its current internet/web presence? They can see and
decide within seconds how suitable a city is for them. My advice is that
Bristol should create a fantastic website, one that conveys an exciting offer
to young people.
In terms of governance, the centralized political system in the UK is not a
flexible resilient system fit for the future. Greater adaptability for the future
means giving more power to the cities. (This could be the title of a future
Academy Congress!)
Cities are always the result of their political culture, of the power and
knowledge of the staff in the local authorities (Town Hall), of their
organisations (such as the University and Chamber of Commerce) and of the
population; especially the younger inhabitants who are engaged in it.
Bristol the ‘Greenest City’ or ‘City of sustainability, innovation and
creativity’? - So to conclude I put to you two perspectives:
Is this about Bristol’s achievements as ‘The Greenest City in the UK, where
the future has already arrived’?
Or is it about Bristol’s progression as a
‘City of Sustainability, Innovation and
Creativity’? As I’ve already mentioned,
Bristol has so many opportunities, the city
has just to embrace them.
Bristol has so many
opportunities; the city has
just to embrace them.
Wulf Daseking - Professor Dipl. Ing. Architect, Former Chief Planning
Officer for the City of Freiburg (1984 – 2012). His offices currently include:
Professor at the University of Freiburg / Faculty of Philosophy – Institute of
Sociology Assistant Professor of UCL / University London – Bartlett School
Associate Professor at the Academy of Administration and Economy in
Freiburg (VWA/DIA)
website: www.wulf-daseking.de |
email: [email protected] | [email protected]
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CONTENTS
‘This Place is Killing Me!’
By Marcus Grant, Deputy Director World Health Organisation
Collaborating Centre for Healthy Urban Environments
The theme for this year’s
Academy of Urbanism
congress ‘Towards a Greener
Urbanism’ was deliberately
chosen to stimulate the
widest of debates. Green has
become a totem for what is
good. And what can be better
than a turn toward greener
urbanism?
‘Green’ of course has resonance at many scales. At the global scale, Thomas
Berry, an eco-theologian, is noted as saying ‘You cannot have well humans on a
sick planet. And that is what we are trying to do, with all our technologies: we
are trying to have well humans on a sick planet’ (Berry, 2006). But to what
extent are we bothered about sick people in the modern urban environments we
create?
This question glares out at us from ‘Hidden Cities’; an important UN Habitat and
World Health Organisation (WHO) report from 2010. It was published at that
pivotal point when world population numbers were balanced at 50% for both the
rising urban, and the declining rural, populations. The prognosis in the report
was not good for urban health, with a triple threat to health in cities.
The focus of my work through the WHO European ‘Healthy Cities’ programme is
on mortality and morbidity from non-communicable disease and road traffic
impact. Across Europe not only are the numbers of lives lost, or living with
disabilities stark, but growing inequity means that the burden does not fall
evenly across the population. Young people, old people, the unemployed and
those already vulnerable account for a higher proportion of ill health.
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CONTENTS
Has population health, as an objective for
mainstream urbanism, been pushed off the agenda?
Perversely mopping-up ill health is good for the economy, it is good for GDP.
More ill people, means more demand for services and products of the health
sector. This leads to more income for big pharma, stimulated by the need for hitech clinical equipment, expensive drugs and ever more clinical research. We
need to confront these issues and prove that building healthier urban
environments today will save public health spend future years. This is not a
message the growing privatised ‘illness’ sector wants to hear.
Largely hidden from view also, is that the impact of ill-health associated with the
form and function of our built environments is not felt by everyone. There is a
strong social gradient. In many cities there can be a difference of some 10 years
in life expectancy between people living in wealthy areas against the most
deprived. The outcome is most shaming when reviewing the statistics for
disability-free life expectancy; with people in the most deprived communities,
not expected to spend any of their post-retirement free from disability. This has
profound quality of life implications in those communities.
To help urbanists
better understand
the role they can
play in creating
healthier
communities,
I recommend an
approach called the
wider determinants
of health
(see the health
map diagram).
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CONTENTS
Good planning has succeeded in ridding cities in developed countries from many
communicable diseases. However, non-communicable disease and other
mortality and morbidities are on the rise and seem intractable.
Spatial planning and design are contributory determinants for cardio-vascular
disease, respiratory problems, type 2 diabetes, strokes, some cancers and
mental health issues. Many of these are on the rise and the inequality gap is
widening. These are sometimes trivialised as ‘are lifestyle diseases’ - but we
continue to embed our towns and cities with the very forms and features that
frustrate healthier lifestyles.
Alarm bells are ringing,
and have been for over a
decade. We simply will
not be able to afford to
cure the avoidable
diseases we are creating
in cities.
For example, noise
impacts on health
through cardiovascular
diseases, sleep
disturbances, annoyance,
mental health, hearing
impairment and cognitive
impairment. Across
Europe excessive or
persistent noise exposure
from urban sources
(mainly road traffic)
causes 26.7m disability
adjusted life years.
Linked to the private motor vehicle as
a dominant city mode of transport and
resultant sedentary lifestyles; it has
been calculated that across Europe
there are 400,000 early deaths related
to physical inactivity. In the UK this
equates to some 29,000 early deaths
each year.
I have picked noise and inactivity as
just two routes to ill-health; though
urban design also impacts on many
other determinants of health such as
food access, contact with nature, air
quality, perceptions of safety, access
to local employment and even
community cohesion.
Unfortunately, we can’t just leave it to ‘public health policy’ to pick up the
pieces. This is all too often narrowly focussed on the individual and not on the
population. Campaigns aimed at 5 a day eating, 5 by 20 minutes exercising and
alcohol units pitch individual ‘choice’ at loggerheads with the ‘obesogenic’,
‘depressogenic’ and even ‘pathogenic’ local environments where many must live
their lives. In England, we have an NHS budget of £95b pa but this will never be
enough; we need to stop creating places that are killing us.
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CONTENTS
In Bristol, a crude estimate of the saving to the NHS for 1000 healthy homes in
a healthy neighbourhood is £2.4m over 30 years. This is accountable through
5% less mental ill health, circulatory disease, respiratory illness, musculoskeletal
and diabetes and 2% lower rates of injury, the many other health benefits of a
quality neighbourhood have yet to be calculated.
In Bristol, we have created a health partnership called SHINE.
This stands for supporting healthy inclusive neighbourhood
environments. Uniquely, it bridges health professionals, built
environment professionals and local communities.
Through SHINE, we will be hosting a unique ‘Cities of Health’
conference in October 2015 to explore this agenda further.
But fellow urbanists, be assured, the health care providers don’t want healthy
cities! Through launching SHINE, I have talked to some of them. They ask me
‘Where is the profit in a healthy population?’
Also be warned, this must not be seen as an agenda for a new era of physical
determinism, but for taking better notice of the impact of development on
health. Remember, that a significant number of the diseased associated with
built environments are preventable. We know we need the knowledge,
understanding and the will to stop ‘building- in’ ill health into our towns and
cities.
Marcus Grant is Deputy Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO)
Collaborating Centre for Healthy Urban Environments and Associate Professor of
Healthy Urban Environments at the University of West England. He is a
Landscape Architect and urban designer and is involved in research that brings
together health and sustainable development objectives at local, national and
European level. Marcus’ work at WHO focuses on developing better city and
neighbourhood planning through healthy urban design. He is co-author of
‘Shaping Neighbourhoods’ (Routledge, 2010)
WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Urban Environments
Tel: 0117 32 83363 @MarcusxGrant [email protected]
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CONTENTS
Creating Regenerative Cities
By Professor Herbert Girardet, Co-founder, World Future Council
Urban growth is a
seemingly
unstoppable
worldwide process.
In recent years much
has been written
about this historic
trend and how it is
likely to further
accelerate in the
coming decades.
A key fact is that urban areas are the world’s economic powerhouses, in which
80 per cent of global GDP is being produced: Urban development and the global
quest for economic growth are intimately linked. Urban economies in developing
cities have also helped reduce the poverty suffered by hundreds of millions of
people.
But there is a downside: the aggregated environmental impacts of an urbanising
humanity are a great cause for concern and they are largely ignored by urban
planners and decision makers. We need to face up to the systemic problem that
cities take resources from nature, but, at present, give little back to assure the
health of ecosystems on which the long-term viability of cities ultimately
depends. Many people celebrate the ‘triumph’ of the city but it could also be a
tragedy in the making.
The position of urbanists today is similar to that of astronomers before Galileo:
cities are regarded as the centre of the universe, and the world’s ecosystems are
seen as somehow revolving around them. And yet cities are only appendages of
living systems. There needs to be a new understanding of urban impacts on
nature.
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Whilst cities are built on
only 3 to 4 per cent of
the world’s land surface,
their ecological footprints
cover much of the
productive land areas of
the globe. In an
urbanising world, urban
populations collectively
use the bulk of the
world’s resources and are
prime contributors to
pollution, environmental
damage, biodiversity loss
and climate change.
If we want an urban world we need to
assure that cities become
environmentally benign organisms. In
my view that means not just creating
sustainable cities, but regenerative
cities.
Regenerative development is about a
proactive relationship between
humanity and the world’s ecosystems,
and about nurturing nature’s
dynamism and abundance whilst
drawing on its income. Cities need to
help regenerate soils, forests and
watercourses that they depend on,
rather than just accepting that they are
‘sustained’ in a degraded condition.
Across the world, different cities are at very different stages of development,
and invariably they face different challenges. In Europe, North America and
Australia, urban growth is very limited and the primary task is to undertake
‘ecological retrofits’ of urban systems. In rapidly urbanizing countries in Asia,
Africa and South America, urban development needs to be ‘smart from the
start’: defined by high standards of resource efficiency, with renewable
energy as a key component.
In my new book ‘Creating Regenerative Cities’ I have a number of case
studies that illustrate what steps towards regenerative urban development
are being taken across the world. One of these is Adelaide in South Australia
where I worked as a ‘Thinker in Residence’ in 2003. Remarkable thinks have
happened there in the last 11 years and here is a summary of what has been
achieved:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Over 30% of renewable electricity
120,000 PV roofs on 600,000 houses
Solar hot water systems mandated for new buildings
Large scale wind energy development on land near the city
15% reduction of C02 emissions since 2000
Water sensitive urban development
Large scale-building tune-up programmes across the city region
180,000 tonnes of compost made from urban organic waste
20,000 ha of land near Adelaide used for vegetable and fruit crops
Reclaimed waste water and urban compost used to cultivate this land
3 million trees planted on 2000 ha for C02 absorption and biodiversity
CONTENTS
Other cities have
implemented similarly
impressive measures
and I have particularly
highlighted
Copenhagen for its
tremendous
achievements. In
Copenhagen,
liveability,
sustainability and
regenerative
development have
been combined very
effectively.
The transformation of much of the inner city into a pedestrian zone was the
starting point, creating a Mediterranean-style ambience where markets, cafes
and restaurants proliferate. And more
people cycle in Copenhagen than in most
other cities. In addition, initiatives on
waste recycling energy efficiency,
combined heat- and-power and
renewable energy have gone further
than almost anywhere else. Copenhagen
is working to become carbon neutral by
2025!
Examples from across the world show
that the collision course between cities
and the natural world can be avoided
and even reversed. But urban decision
makers and communities have a huge
challenge ahead of them to address the
systemic problems in the relationship
between cities and the natural world. Let
us trust that we are able and willing to deal with it.
Herbert Girardet is an urban ecologist, author and consultant who has
worked across the world. He has authored and co-authored many books and
documentaries. His new book, ‘Creating Regenerative Cities’ is publis hed by
Routledge in September 2014.
Photos of Copenhagen: http://www.bigfoto.com/
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CONTENTS
VIEWPOINTS
Reflections on the 2014 Academy of Urbanism conference
Viewpoint 1
By Andrew Dakin, Deputy Chief Executive,
CREW Regeneration Excellence Wales
Congress
delegates
Andrew Dakin &
Jemma Bere from
CREW
Regeneration
Wales with
Rosemary Bradley,
APG Architecture
Bristol, showing
the local currency,
the Bristol Pound.
Was it a ‘good conference’ ? is a reflective question we in CREW (see note
below) frequently ask as we attend as many conferences as we arrange
conferences. The 2014 Academy of Urbanism conference in Bristol was a good
one. Why?...
The conference took an international view on much needed initiatives to facilitate
the long term management of change from an economic, environmental and
social perspective, and linked these to local pro-growth and regeneration
initiatives. It did this addressing the ‘macro’ in plenary sessions and the ‘micro’
via a scrutiny of individual projects and initiatives within workshops, walking
tours, and boat trips.
So a conference programme which was able to consider the importance of
climate change, public health, governance, the value of creativity etc and
effectively link these issues to bespoke traffic management initiatives, a
proposed new garden suburb, local food resilience etc implicitly recognised that
a ‘continuum’ does exist, which takes us from a vision to project delivery via
strategy, policies, and programmes.
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This continuum must be recognised and embraced, in order to negate or reduce
fragmentation or a lack of joined up thinking, which is surely the biggest threat
to the delivery of global change management initiatives at a local scale.
The words of Patrick Geddes, ‘Think globally,
act locally’, which were coined circa 100 years
ago, loom large here. But then so do the words
of the poet Steve Turner, who has said,
‘History repeats itself. Has to. No-one listens’.
So… timely reminders of what may be eternal
truths are always important.
The words of Patrick Geddes,
‘Think globally, act locally’
which were coined circa 100
years ago, loom large here.
The Academy of Urbanism conference speakers and workshop leaders implicitly
recognised the importance of linking the macro to the micro… a timely
reminder…and took me on a journey through this continuum from vision to
project delivery. That in my view is the essence of a good conference. But there
is a cautionary note to this applause, as some conference delegates prefer a
more explicit approach… so may be an even more direct connection from the
macro to the micro ie from vision to projects is needed. Now there’s a challenge
to us as conference organisers.
Andrew Dakin is Deputy Chief Executive-CREW. Centre Regeneration
Excellence Wales (CREW) is a not for profit company set up by Welsh
Government in 2010 designed to promote best practice in regeneration.
the CREW web site at www.regenwales.org
Visit
Viewpoint 2
By Louise Dredge, Outreach and Impact Manager,
The Glass-House Community Led Design
The Academy of Urbanism’s annual Congress provides a unique opportunity to
meet people from a wealth of disciplines, sectors, backgrounds and experiences
from across the UK, Ireland and beyond, united by a desire to share knowledge
and advance the understanding and practice of urbanism. As someone working
for an organisation committed to promoting and supporting participation and
collaboration in the design of our places, I especially value the space the
Congress provides for learning, exploration, engagement and discourse.
Bristol, as the setting for this year’s Congress, was a fascinating live case study
to explore a whole range of issues related to place and its potential, and one
which left me more inspired and enriched than I had expected. ‘Learning from
Place’, is not only a core approach of The Academy of Urbanism, but is also a
key element of the work of The Glass-House; we believe that taking groups we
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support out of their immediate place to learn from other’s experiences of
placemaking, to inspire and help raise their aspirations for their places, is an
invaluable tool.
There were three key messages that really struck a chord with me:
 ‘The people are the smart bit’
A breakout session on day two of the Congress, ‘Digital Urbanism – Smart City’
sought to unpick these emerging terms in urban discourse, the movements
behind them and how they can contribute to better places and lives. Amid this
technological oasis, a reminder that people are the drivers of place was fitting.
 ‘Co-exist’
During a walking tour of Stokes Croft, we visited Hamilton House, a hive of
activity and exemplar of collaboration and co-existence. Jamie Pike, Co-Founder
& Co-Director of the initiative, shared his personal journey in community
development, urban regeneration and enterprise, and his organisation’s
approach to and relationship with their community. Their ‘co-exist’ philosophy
was an informed and encouraging one.
 ‘We value cost over value’
Over the past few years, The Glass-House has been exploring the themes of
value and a long-term view of place with our audiences, most notably through
our annual Debate Series, including the 2012/13 Series ‘Putting People in their
Place’, in partnership with The Academy of Urbanism. In his ‘Towards a Green
Capital’ presentation, it was heartening to hear Mayor of Bristol (and Founding
Director of The Academy of Urbanism) George Ferguson CBE, supporting the
argument for the need to lead with an emphasis on the long-term value of place
transformation, rather than on its short term cost.
Louise Dredge: As Outreach and Impact Manager at The Glass-House, Louise
leads on capturing and sharing the work of the organisation in supporting and
promoting public participation in the design of places, creatively engaging with
diverse audiences and playing an active role in Glass-House delivery. Louise
oversees policy and outreach initiatives and supports the development, delivery
and dissemination of The Glass-House collaborative research programme and, as
a Visiting Fellow of the Open University, of the emerging partnership with the
university’s Design Group. Current research projects include Scaling up codesign research and practice and Unearth Hidden Assets through Community CoDesign and Co-Production, both funded under the AHRC Connected Communities
programme. In Autumn 2014, The Glass-House will launch To a More Ambitious
Place, its 2014/15 national Debate Series. www.theglasshouse.org.uk
Louise is also a member of the Academy of Urbanism's Young Urbanist network.
[email protected] @GlassHouseCLD on Twitter
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CONTENTS
Viewpoint 3
By Charles Campion, Partner, John Thompson & Partners
Bristol is a great city - with a great past, present and future! Coming to Bristol
is always a joy - the atmosphere, the people, and the prospects. I must declare
an interest - I was a student here arriving in the late 70s shortly after the
Arnolfini moved to its current dockside location at Narrow Quay. Back then I
had never heard of culturally led regeneration - I just enjoyed the edgy culture.
It was with delight that I found myself in the Anolfini's 'fifth floor' with its
panoramic views of Bristol, for the introduction to the Congress.
The afternoon orientation boat trip highlighted the enormous regeneration
potential at the heart of Bristol and in the evening I revisited my old student
haunt of Clifton - this stunning and truly sustainable 200 year old urban village
still delights and serves its community in the modern age.
A key strength of the Congress is the bringing
together of practitioners with politicians. The
Bristol Congress promised world class
speakers from both backgrounds, in the
exciting urban laboratory that is Bristol under
the Mayorship of George Ferguson, the very
embodiment of the practitioner/politician.
A key strength of the Congress
is the bringing together of
practitioners with politicians.
The morning of day two promised an array of speakers delivering a range of
fascinating insights around the theme - "Towards a Greener Urbanism". As
always, Wulf Daseking inspired with "Lessons from Freiburg", where political will
and commitment to sustainable urbanism has created Europe's greenest city - all
new buildings must now be 'passive' buildings. I was also struck by the talk
‘This Place is Killing Me!’ by Marcus Grant, from the WHO, which demonstrated,
quantified and monetarised the positive health impacts of creating green,
walkable neighbourhoods.
In the afternoon, I participated in Ben Hamilton-Baillie's workshop ‘Let’s Abolish
Speed Limits’. Bristol has introduced 20 mph speeds limits and I noticed the
calm street feel as I walked around the city centre. Ben's provocative thesis is
that speed limits are unnecessary - it is how we design and use streets and
spaces that makes safe and useable places. From the discussion we agreed that
nominally lower speed designations can be useful, however, as a 'brief' for street
designers.
26
CONTENTS
Jaimie Lerner, former Mayor of
Curitiba, “The higher you build walls
around communities the more
people there will be waiting for you
outside”
Jaime Lerner, former Mayor of Curitiba,
Brazil gave the key note address and
summed up two themes that had
emerged through the Congress - the
importance of planning for ‘fun’ in the
city and the political courage needed to
deal with the traffic problem.
Many times I heard delegates refer to
cars as the cigarettes of the future – in
25 years’ time it will be inconceivable that we allow private cars to dominate and
pollute our cities as we do today.
Charles Campion, RIBA AoU, John Thompson & Partners [email protected]
Charles is JTP partner in charge of participatory planning processes with
communities and stakeholders from all backgrounds and sectors. He has worked
on master planning and urban design projects in the UK, Europe, Indonesia and
India. Charles travelled to San Diego to accept the International Association of
Public Participation Project of the Year Award 2009 for Scarborough Renaissance.
He was invited by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
(CABE) to become one of their Built Environment Experts (BEE). ). Current
projects include leading a charrette process with Gotland Municiplaity, Sweden to
develop a new Vision and strategy for Visby Harbour and running the community
planning process to deliver a concept masterplan for a new neighbourhood with
up to 2500 homes and other uses on Land at Chesterton, Cirencester.
Viewpoint 4
By Torben Brandi Nielsen, Torbenbrandi, projektudvikling for byggebranchen
(Project development), Aarhus, Denmark
The first impression is something you will always remember. This year’s
congress in AoU in Bristol was first time I saw a lot of AoU-members together.
It was very good. We met in a city – Bristol - that both has something to offer
and has a determination to succeed. The people I met were both open-minded –
purposeful – at the same time.
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CONTENTS
I found it very useful that the members had the ability and willingness to
express their visions. At the same time, they were ready to listen to others.
Even to new members, like me. I also found the themes very interesting. Good
local people joined the groups and we had good discussions.
It was also interesting to visit Bristol , as my first visit there, to see what they
have done, closing down roads (Queens Square), increasing bicycle traffic, and
creating spaces for cultural events, ,space for living etc.
I am (among other things) former Alderman for leisure and culture in Aarhus. I
see several parallels to my city. We are also trying to create space for culture,
bicycle traffic, light railway etc. What I saw confirms to me that we are moving
in the right direction.
However, during the congress I saw so many active people who contributed to
the debate, and a high quality and level of debate; I wish this could happen in
my city. In all cities, we have to seek ways to tackle the challenges. We have to
say that everything is open to discussion.
We also have to talk about sustainability.
We have to say that we will create
We have to create even bigger
solutions for the future. We have to create
change than we have seen
until now. An important word
even bigger change than we have seen
in this process will be
until now. An important word in this
‘Rethink’.
process will be ‘Rethink’. We must be able
to think about our cities in a new way with dialogue and a willingness to act.
As cultural capital in EU 2017, our city has the key-word: Rethink.
I am looking forward with high expectations to continued membership of this
fine organization.
Torben Brandi Nielsen: Torben is Former alderman. Currently he is helping
buyers with ideas to fulfil possibilities/ proposal relating to: housing, shops,
office buildings, factories, education, public buildings, hotels etc. Not as an
investor, but as a catalyst. Earlier (as alderman / from a firm of architects) he
was involved with projects such as: the Main library, Aros (art museum),
Moesgaard Museum (Viking- and ethnographic museum), Concert Hall
(symphony orchestra), Godsbanen (Art production center), Filmby, Schools,
Nursing homes, Hospice, Bus terminal, Harbor Master plan etc.
[email protected] +45 20786029 www.torbenbrandi.dk
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In Other News
Zero carbon Snowdonia guesthouse wins top UK eco award
Bryn Elltyd Eco
Guesthouse , 700ft
up in Snowdonia has
beaten much larger
properties to
celebrate victory at
the UK Considerate
Hotelier Awards which
examines the
sustainability and
green ethos of hotels
and guesthouses.
John and Ceilia Whitehead’s three star, six bedroom guesthouse, has set a zero
target for energy inputs and has reached it. Bryn Elltyd has Wi fi, a sauna and
three electric car charge points, for example. The property is carbon neutral, as
all energy comes from renewable sources. Having had solar panels since 1983,
the Whiteheads like to think they tread lightly on the land. Heating uses a local
wood bi-product that is turned to gas and burnt at 900c. The house has
computer integrated solar panels that work to make hot water. Other solar
arrays make 240v of electricity and all the work has been done by Mr Whitehead
himself or by employing local engineers.
Rain is also a welcome resource at Bryn Elltyd. It is harvested to flush loos and
to water the garden and there are also two commercial hydro plants within 200
metres. Sewerage goes through three natural biological chambers, then a small
reed bed and into a duck pond, which is home to ducks and brown trout.
Wood has been harvested to make a dining table, coffee tables, window sill,
flower beds, structural timber and seasoned firewood. A very efficient log
burner, which can be integrated into room thermostats, uses about a third of the
wood of a normal burner.
For more information please contact John and Celia Whitehead on Tel: 01766
831356 Mob: 07905568127 or Email: [email protected]
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Dishwashers: innovative capacity should not be underestimated
Efficiency development revived by new Label classes
Before the last revision of the dishwasher Energy Label in 2010 nearly all
dishwashers were in class A. For almost ten years the efficiency development
stopped. After 2011 the added ‘+’-classes induced new market dynamics:
already in 2012, the first year of the new classes, these accounted for the
majority of the EU sales.
A+++ threshold exceeded after two years
Topten.eu product lists show the best Dishwashers: A+++ (built-in) and A++
(freestanding) models with low water consumption and hot fill capability. The
figure below shows the Energy Efficiency Indices (EEI) of the Topten models.
Thanks to an integrated heat pump the most energy efficient dishwasher model
reaches an efficiency which is 40% better than the A+++ threshold. The model
is available in Switzerland and will enter the international market in autumn
2014.
Don’t underestimate the Label’s effect and industry’s capacity for
innovation
Several models are clearly exceeding the threshold of the top class two years
after the new Label’s introduction. The Label has a great effect on the market,
and the innovative capacity of manufacturers is high. Both has been
underestimated when the new Label classes were designed. This mistake should
be avoided in the current revision: the future Energy Label should be designed
to be effective for many years.
Key policy recommendations
The Dishwasher Labelling and Ecodesign regulations are currently being
reviewed. Topten key policy recommendations for the review are:





A long-lasting Energy Label with ambitious classes based on the
original A-G scale.
Future, more demanding energy efficiency requirements, additional
requirements regarding water consumption, durability and recyclability.
The test programme must be the most often used programme.
The EEI calculation formula should be left as it is – continuity is needed
to allow monitoring the market development, and there are no major
faults in the formula.
Hot fill has large saving potentials wherever water is heated efficiently or
with renewables. It should be promoted, e.g. with an icon on the Label.
More information:




30
Best dishwashers of Europe: www.topten.eu/dishwashers
Policy recommendations for Dishwashers
Download this Topten Focus as pdf
Contact: [email protected]
CONTENTS
French cyclists paid £1,400 per year to commute
French cyclists can now claim a 20-cents-per-kilometre incentive for every
kilometre they pedal to and from work under a pilot scheme launched this
month. A rider with a 10-mile commute into work will be entitled to £128 every
month. The initiative aims to encourage more people to cycle to work. A total of
10,000 employees are involved in the trial, which could be expanded next year if
successful.
France is not the only country to offer its citizens financial encouragements to
switch to bicycles. In Belgium, employers are entitled pay staff a tax-free
allowance equivalent to 28 pence for every mile they commute to and from
work.
By comparison, the British government appears a little mean. Britain’s Cycle to
Work Scheme offers workers a tax-free loan with which to buy a new bike, but
business travel by bicycle can be reclaimed at only 20 pence per mile. More
Tesla shares technology secrets to stimulate electric car market
Electric carmaker Tesla Motors is
opening up its technology patents for
others to use in a bid to accelerate
the development of zero-emissions
vehicles across the globe. The firm's
founder and CEO Elon Musk
announced that Tesla 'will not initiate
patent lawsuits against anyone who,
in good faith, wants to use our
technology'.'
"Tesla Motors was created to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport,"
Musk wrote in a blog post. "If we clear a path to the creation of compelling
electric vehicles, but then lay intellectual property landmines behind us to inhibit
others, we are acting in a manner contrary to that goal.
"Given that annual new vehicle production is approaching 100 million per year
and the global fleet is approximately two billion cars, it is impossible for Tesla to
build electric cars fast enough to address the carbon crisis. By the same token, it
means the market is enormous. Our true competition is not the small trickle of
non-Tesla electric cars being produced, but rather the enormous flood of
gasoline cars pouring out of the world's factories every day.
"We believe that Tesla, other companies making electric cars, and the world
would all benefit from a common, rapidly-evolving technology platform."
(EdieEnergy News)
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