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Are the Scandinavians looking to Britain for advice on developing sustainable communities?

The development industry in Norway and Sweden is not as hesitant as we are to try something new. In the UK we talk a lot about sustainable urbanism but developers are slow to act. The expertise exists in the architecture and design profession but there is a reticence from developers to change the way they work. It’s not just about cost, though many are quick to point to viability as the reason why we can’t achieve true sustainable development. In Scandinavia there is real interest in trying out a tool like BREEAM Communities*.

Hammarby Sjostad, Stockholm on a cold evening in November.
Hammarby Sjostad, Stockholm on a cold evening in November.

It would be easy to make unfair comparisons between the UK and Scandinavian countries about sustainability that don’t tell the full story. Yes, the Scandinavians are good at design. And they have the iconic sustainable community projects to prove it, like Hammarby in Stockholm. But they have the same difficulties that we have when it comes to masterplanning; and they are very willing to try a new approach (even though it is from the UK) to overcome these. Continue reading “Are the Scandinavians looking to Britain for advice on developing sustainable communities?”

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What do you want to lead for?

I’ve just finished reading a short book on leadership that I should have whizzed through in a week, but ended up reading over several months. Perhaps it’s the depressingly short winter days that were clouding my thinking, but I felt it incredibly difficult to answer the simplest question in the book, and supposedly the key to effective leadership: ‘What do you want to lead for?’

Continue reading “What do you want to lead for?”

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Inner city high-density may feel safer for two Berkeley Group developments, but can developers learn from that?

Social housing crammed into a corner behind executive homes on ‘The Hamptons’, one of the four developments in The Berkeley Group’s report. Does this lead to social sustainability?

The Berkeley Group recently published Part 1 of a Social Sustainability framework. It provides a list of social sustainability indicators and compares four Berkeley developments with other ‘comparable areas’. This is a great initiative and the efforts should be praised; but the framework does not yet provide enough depth and rigour for others to make use of it. The research finding that first roused my suspicions was in regards to high-density developments.

The report found that residents in two inner city high-density developments reported feeling safer than residents from comparable developments (in England and Wales). And on that basis, Planning Magazine reported that “high-density developments can generate higher feelings of safety … than lower density housing schemes” (link). Continue reading “Inner city high-density may feel safer for two Berkeley Group developments, but can developers learn from that?”

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What you think you know about the Code for Sustainable Homes is probably wrong

When was the last time you read up on the Code for Sustainable Homes? A few years ago? Never? There is a lot of bad information floating around the planning world about how England is going to reduce carbon emissions through the Code for Sustainable Homes. For the uninitiated, the Code (for short) is a sustainable building standard for new homes and most planners (and planning inspectors) hold a lot of misconceptions about it.

Misconceptions abound because reducing carbon emissions from buildings costs money and everybody has something to say about it. But also because it’s a very technical area and not many planners have the background or time to question the information they receive on this topic.

There are a few key facts that you should know and share with your planner friends: Continue reading “What you think you know about the Code for Sustainable Homes is probably wrong”

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In cities, bike storage is a matter of life and death

The recently published Harman Report on local standards for homes criticises bicycle storage standards. They can be “excessively detailed” and they don’t “take account of local circumstances (such as road safety or the availability of public transport options)”.  As a regular cyclist living in London I can say that we desperately need those bicycle standards. The photo of the hallway outside my flat is proof. Standards for home designs are made to protect us from new developments that skip over ‘the fine things in life’… like safe bicycle storage and energy efficient walls.

Continue reading “In cities, bike storage is a matter of life and death”

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When it comes to energy, we don’t know what’s good for us

Credit kmichiels

Most of us in the public don’t have the knowledge to rationally respond to consultations on power stations. For that reason, big energy decisions aren’t made through local planning authorities. So why do we spend lots of time and money asking people whether they want certain kinds of energy plants?

We need nuclear power to meet our energy needs. A mix of renewable energy technologies in the right places could also make a difference. Unfortunately, we don’t want nuclear. Until a better technology comes to market we need to get real about our energy problem. Continue reading “When it comes to energy, we don’t know what’s good for us”

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The politicisation and marketisation of ‘green’ issues

A lot his been said about the Tory party bias for market-led solutions for just about any problem society can come up with.  One recent example is the NHS reforms that Andrew Lansley and David Cameron seem to be prepared to go way out on a limb to push through parliament.  Ed Miliband summed it up succinctly when he claimed that the bill “creates a free market free-for-all and threatens existing NHS services” (Guardian, 2010).  When it comes to climate change, the Coalition government wants to be known as the ‘greenest government ever’. Afterall, green is the new black. Politically, it’s important to be seen to be green. Unfortunately, their admirable claim has become yet another one of this government’s unkept promises. Continue reading “The politicisation and marketisation of ‘green’ issues”

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Sustainable energy – don’t let them stop you

Compare renewables homepage

I’m convinced and really optimistic for a change. Despite the staggering cuts that local authorities face, our biggest conference room was jam-packed with councillors and officers talking about sustainable energy for six hours today. It was the launch event of Compare renewables, a resource that helps local authorities understand their sustainable energy options. Based on the enthusiasm in the room and discussions during workshops, I’m fully convinced that councils still see energy as a priority. Continue reading “Sustainable energy – don’t let them stop you”

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District heating can work in rural areas too

I had been under the impression that district heating is only suitable for urban areas. Today I learned that district heating can also be economically feasible in rural areas, particularly those areas off the main gas network.  This new knowledge is thanks to a Centre for Sustainable Energy event that I attended today. I went to understand more about how councillors and local planning authorities can support community-led energy projects.  Among other things, I ended up learning how to assess whether a particular village has enough local woodland to support a biomass district heating scheme. Continue reading “District heating can work in rural areas too”

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Get out of the grid – the trouble with CHP and the public sector

For the public sector, putting the wheels in motion to use combined heat and power and develop district energy networks is very difficult.  Whose job is it to take on this massive opportunity?  In some councils you’ll find a dedicated district energy officer, while in others there may be a spatial planner struggling to look at this alongside other a long list of other responsibilities.  With energy prices steadily rising, now is the time to develop decentralised energy.  Unfortunately, there seems to be a huge gap between public and private sector skills and knowledge, leaving the public sector way behind the times. Continue reading “Get out of the grid – the trouble with CHP and the public sector”