Cohesion policy investing in energy efficiency in buildings. Brussels, 29-30 November 2011

Posted on: 30 November 2011
By: isadm
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The aim of this conference and workshop, organised by Directorate General Regional Policy, was to inform participants about developments at EU level which are relevant to the period 2014-2020, and to focus on implementation difficulties encountered and possible solutions for the future. Background papers are available, together with presentations from sessions which examined: social and economic benefits of investing in energy efficiency in buildings; financial instruments for energy efficiency investments; energy efficiency and innovation; Framework conditions relevant to investments; and experience with investing in EE in buildings in the Member States.

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Innovation in transport for sustainable cities and regions. Brussels, 29-30 November 2011

Posted on: 30 November 2011
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This event provided an opportunity to: learn about the innovative transport projects and policies pursued by cities and regions; gain insight to the future direction of urban and regional mobility; discuss European transport policies for urban and regional mobility; gain understanding of the research needs for sustainable mobility in cities and regions.

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Water cities in transition: Inspiring solutions in integrating, urban design and water challenges. Amsterdam, 31 October – 1 November 2011

Posted on: 30 November 2011
By: mackene
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The conference aimed to serve as a platform where urban planners and waer managers could focus on the latest developments in water city transitions, coping with climate change-related challenges, linking them with socio-economic issues and inspiring integrated solutions in urban design and practice. A large number of presentations are available online.

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Eurocities 2011: Planning for people. Genoa, 2-4 November 2011

Posted on: 30 November 2011
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This event aimed to highlight the importance for city planners to explore different ways of achieving inclusion and prosperity. Discussions covered the challenges and opportunities of social cohesion and processes that involve citizens in the changes that affect their cities. Managing flows of migrants was also at the heart of the debate. Videos of the proceedings are available online.

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Localism: Sufficient and fit for purpose? Manchester 3 November 2011

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This Regional Studies Association conference focused on the crucial question of whether localism can deliver effective intervention and outcomes at a time when economic shifts have forced an adjustment to social, political and economic norms to which places must respond. Presentations are available online under the following themes: Localism and the environment; Planning, regeneration and localism; Sub-national economic development and localism.

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Exit, Voice, Loyalty. Metropolises: Development strategies and alliances. Lyons and Grenoble, 6-10 November 2011

Posted on: 30 November 2011
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As part of the International Urban Development Association’s (INTA) on-going discussion on the transformation of urban development processes, the 35^th Congress provided an opportunity to  confront the experiences and practices of regional metropolises in delivering a higher level of welfare to their inhabitants, to better understand the dynamics at work, to reduce the uncertainty to change, and to respond to questions about the future. Click on the speaker’s name to access their presentation.

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Annual Hotel Conference 2011. Manchester, 8 November 2011

Posted on: 30 November 2011
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This event contained thought provoking topics delivered by industry experts to over 300 hospitality professionals. There were presentations on: how hospitality is affecting the economy; a market overview of the UK’s hotel performance; the benefits of mobile marketing; and how to uncover lost profits. Presentations are available online.

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Cities, health and well-being. Hong Kong, 16-17 November 2011

Posted on: 30 November 2011
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This event provided an opportunity to explore the relationships between the built environment and urban health at a regional and global level. Its core objective was to identify and showcase evidence of projects and initiatives that have improved the well-being of urban dwellers as a result of innovative planning and design practices. In particular, the conference focused on the health and well-being implications of urban density and its planning and design. The conference combined a focus on Hong Kong with comparative analysis and policy learning from other cities including Cape Town, Karachi, London, Maputo and Vancouver. Videos of conference presentations and discussions are available online.

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The Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus: Solutions for the green economy. Bonn, 16-18 November 2011

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The primary objective of the conference was to bring together a broad range of stakeholders from the water, energy and food sectors in an effort to improve understanding of the interdependencies and develop a joint perspective on the common challenges. Discussion focused on options and solutions as well as on enabling environments and incentives for change. The event provided a showcase for innovative solutions and help forge a common policy agenda to address the water, food and energy challenges. Its deliberations applied the Nexus perspective. This requires sectoral decisions to reflect the consequences for other objectives and exploit potential productivity and efficiency gains within every sector. Furthermore, unavoidable trade-offs between competing objectives must be entered into consciously on a well-informed basis. The objectives of the conference were to: develop policy recommendations based on multi-stakeholder consultations and adopting a nexus perspective; position the Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus perspective as a key dimension of the Rio+20 process; launch concrete initiatives to address the Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus in a coherent and sustainable way. A large amount of information is available, including presentations (access through the Programme link); and draft policy recommendations; a backgrouind paper; hot topic seminar papers; and daily summaries (access through the Documents link).

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Towards Intelligent Construction Conference. London, 30 November 2011

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The Conference title was chosen to reflect the need for the construction industry to adopt new and more effective ways of working, in order to offer better construction solutions and to deliver much better value for clients and customers. It is not about suppliers making minor modifications at the margins but rather the need for a fundamental reshaping of the technologies, processes and relationships that are applied within the industry. This includes smarter build solutions including the increased use of offsite solutions, the application of the principles of design for manufacture and assembly, the use of lean production techniques to eliminate process waste and the increased and intelligent use of Building Information Modelling. The Conference featured two significant Case Studies, the first being the British Land project at 122 Leadenhall Street in the City of London. Commonly referred to as the Cheese-grater, this stunning and technically challenging development is being constructed by Laing O’Rourke and will be completed 6 months ahead of schedule through the application of intelligent construction techniques, including the use of Building Information Modelling, with the use of offsite manufactured components accounting for 85% of the building. The second Case Study featured the development programme of elective surgery hospitals by Circle Health Properties. This substantial investment programme is characterised by the requirement for excellence in design, excellence in construction, excellence in use and excellence in customer experience. The expert client in collaboration with their supply chain is constantly challenging what it does and why it does it, as well as taking the learning points from each hospital project and applying the lessons to their next projects. This process ensures that tangible benefits in terms of more effective design and construction techniques, reduced cost of ownership, provision for adaptation, and the development of clinical and customer services are being achieved in a way that also ensures that waste in all its forms is being eliminated. The client’s supply chain is deploying Building Information Modelling both to manage the overall design and construction process and to drive efficiency in the building form. Presentations featuring both case studies are available online.

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