Built Environment

Towns need to be planned to minimise energy and enhance community growth.

From the School of Architecture and the Built Environment of the University of Newcastle,  Professor Steffen Lehmann has published widely on sustainable cities, with dense buildings, mixed zones and walkable/cyclable features similar to European cities, eg. Ecocity2008 - Sustainability and Energy-Efficiency on the Urban Scale - Case Study, which uses Newcastle as the Case Study. He is also the UNESCO Chair for Sustainable Urban Development for the Asia Pacific.

Recently, Peter Head from Arup (global engineering consultants) gave an impressive talk and examples of resilence in the built environment (Entering an Ecological Age), and how the rich, middle and poor income countries can plan for the future. Peter gave examples of strategies to refurbish cities to improve the efficient use of resources, whilst preserving our quality of life.

Current thought leaders feel we only have less than 10 years to make our infrastructure ultra-sustainable, and the International Initiative for the Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE) suggests that the Suburbs require too much oil to be sustainable (eg. 3-5 car families). So we should only renovate those buildings for energy-efficiency that are close to the CBD (eg. walking distance 5km) but only if they are on public transport routes.

The Australian Men's Sheds Association would be a great asset to not just assist with creating Community food gardens, but also in assisting with a Sustainable Renovation Cooperative, where members with buildings close to the CBD obtain help to get their place sustainably renovated.

Other resources are Australia's Your Home, the US's Dallas Home Builders etc.

Groups or individuals may wish to add a comment (Just register first) about how we can conserve energy in our built environment eg. better town planning to encourage working near home; living near public transport; higher density living; climate sensitive and passive building design principles; reducing reliance on lots of energy-hungry appliances; employing renewable energy; using low embodied energy materials.

Please supply some details of what you would like to see and how it would work.

Comments

Town (lack of) Planning

Submitted by purplepear on August 20, 2009 - 1:37pm.

In opening land up to expansion for business parks and residential development, the local council has increased the value and therefore the rates on our organic farm supplying twenty famlies a week and expanding fast. If we can not afford the rates we will be forced to move and food supply close to town will again be desirable but not a reality. You can registeryour support via our web site http://www.purplepear.net.au or talk with your local councillor

Lets keep land in and around our towns and cities especially for growing food and support our farmers who make bugger all while producing the food we need.