Shaping Neighbourhoods: Children and Young People’s Play and Informal Recreation: Draft Supplementary Planning Guidance SPG

Posted on: 9 February 2012
By: mackene
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This draft consultation paper presents a review of the Mayor’s Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) on Providing for Children and Young People’s Play and Informal Recreation published in 2008 and builds on its implementation. The draft document also provides new inspiring case studies of well-designed play spaces in dense urban environments and puts forward a series of implementation points and policy signposts to make the document more user-friendly. Comments are requested by 27 April 2012.

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Protecting the wider countryside: Mapping the potential impact of the National Planning Policy Framework

Posted on: 9 February 2012
By: mackene
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This report, by campaign group the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), concludes that, if the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is unamended, only 49 per cent of the countryside in England – that is, land covered by a nationally recognised designation – will receive some level of protection from inappropriate development.

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A field guide to renewable energy technologies

Posted on: 9 February 2012
By: mackene
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The Land Art Generator Initiative has issued this guide in order to provide a source of inspiration to all designers, homeowners, urban planners, students, artists, and anyone else interested in a clean energy future. The Land Art Generator Initiative brings together artists, architects, scientists, landscape architects, engineers, and others in a first of its kind collaboration. The goal of the Land Art Generator Initiative is to see to the design and construction of public art installations that uniquely combine aesthetics with utility-scale clean energy generation. This is the first edition. The second edition will include pros and cons, lifecycle carbon costs, and more detailed diagrams of the technologies.  [loaded 9 February 2012]

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Regional Workshop on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in urban settings: from theory to practice

Posted on: 9 February 2012
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These proceedings outline the outcomes and conclusions of the regional workshop, held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on 18-20 October 2011, addressing disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, including: panel discussions on: Governability and development planning; Risk reduction measures and climate change adaptation; Post-disaster recovery; a field visit to the landslide risk areas in Tegucigalpa City; round-tables on experiences and lessons corresponding to the three discussion panels that were carried out in the City of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. An annex to the report contains a listing of participants with e-mail contact details.  [loaded 9 February 2012]

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Caricom countries: Meeting the challenge of climate change

Posted on: 7 February 2012
By: isadm
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This short video was produced by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre for viewing at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP) in Durban, South Africa. It underscores the gravity of the threat of climate change to the Caribbean region and the role that the CARICOM Climate Change Centre plays in preparing the region for these threats. More specifically, it outlines the impending threats to tourism, agriculture, public health and other sectors while also explaining, through interviews with senior staff, the extensive achievements of past and current regional projects and initiatives. The video ends on a cautionary note, pointing to the urgency of policy to commit to a reduction in emissions in order to stem the tide of climate related impacts.

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12th International Conference on Durability of Building Materials and Components

Posted on: 3 February 2012
By: isadm
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12th International Conference on Building Materials and Components was held in Porto, Portugal on 12-15 April 2011. This conference, which take place every three years, aims to bring together those concerned about durability of building materials and components and thus provide a forum for discussion of the most recent research and practice in this domain. The conference proceedings of over 2,000 pages are available online.

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28th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction

Posted on: 3 February 2012
By: isadm
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The annual symposium of the International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction (IAARC) has been held since 1984 with the aim of gathering world renowned researchers, academics and industrial practitioners in automation and robots in construction. Specific topics of the symposium include the construction industry, civil and building engineering design and project execution, advanced construction machinery and robotic applications in construction, information technologies for planning, design, logistics, computer-aided project management, environmental protection issues, building systems monitoring and control, safety and recovery operations, and temporary/rapid construction technologies. Proceedings of the latest Symposium, held in Soeul on 29 June -2 July 2011, are available online.

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Changing climate, changing disasters: Pathways to integration

Posted on: 3 February 2012
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This guide is designed to assist policy makers and those involved in the planning and implementation of disaster management strategies and mechanisms. It takes a flexible approach to the incorporation of climate change and disaster risk management into all steps of project development and execution. It also encourages innovation and collaboration with other organisations with similar objectives.

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Flood-resilient building

Posted on: 3 February 2012
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ISBN 978-1-84806-244-3   £25

This BRE Digest sets out an overall approach to building in flood-risk areas and the design of flood-resilient buildings, using a range of measures, including elements of resistance, resilience and avoidance. The approach is based on that which has been developed in all parts of the UK in recent years. It will be of relevance to developers, designers, planners, regulators and others who need to take into account managing flood risk to new development. The Digest is in two parts. This first part gives the background to building in flood-risk areas, and covers legislation, the principles of flood-risk assessment and the issues that define flood performance of buildings. It draws on the growing literature in this field to promote good practice and encourages responsible development that considers flood risk and addresses appropriate design and construction solutions. The second part covers designing flood-resilient buildings, and sustainable development and flood risk, and describes features and measures that can be used to protect buildings.

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Resilient people, resilient planet: A future worth choosing

Posted on: 3 February 2012
By: isadm
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This is the report of the High-level Panel on Global Sustainability which calls for this new approach to the political economy of sustainable development so as to address the sustainable development challenge in a fresh and operational way. It contains the following six sections: The Panel’s vision; Progress towards sustainable development; Empowering people to make sustainable choices; Working towards a sustainable economy; Strengthening institutions; Conclusion: A call for action.

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