The RIBA Guide to Sustainability in Practice

Posted on: 22 March 2012
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This guide identifies the strong business case for sustainability, the benefits for clients and 10 steps architects can take to help build sustainability into their daily practice.

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Green Digital Charter Toolkit

Posted on: 22 March 2012
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To fulfill the objective of implementing the Green Digital Charter, the NiCE project (Networking Intelligent Cities for Energy efficiency) is developing a set of tools to support cities in the implementation and reporting of their green digital activities. The Green Digital Charter toolkit is made of: Action tools; Set of Reporting tools; Action framework. The Green Digital Charter toolkit will be provided in iterative steps (1.0 in February 2012, 2.0 in June 2012, final in June 2013), following consultation, testing and validation of the NiCE Reference City Group and Expert Advisory Board.

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The Covenant of Mayors in Bristol (UK): Green and Digital – Future City

Posted on: 22 March 2012
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Green and digital technologies play a key role in Bristol’s commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% by 2020. By mid-2011, a 15% CO2 emission reduction had already been achieved. This short video outlines Bristol’s energy vision, the overall approach and presents examples of actions that have been implemented and which are now part of the daily lives of its local communities.

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Linkoping and Noorkpoing: Case study

Posted on: 22 March 2012
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As part of the European Metropolitan network Institute’s Knowledge and Research Agenda on Polycentric metropolitan areas, EMI has published a new case study on the polycentric development in the region of Linköping-Norrköping in Sweden. Both cities were selected for an EMI case study, because the collaboration between the cities Linköping-Norrköping is exemplary for the processes at play when relatively equally sized cities are becoming increasingly integrated. This article gives you a preview of several challenges the EMI research team analysed.

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Planning and localism: Choices & choosing

Posted on: 22 March 2012
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This guide, published by the Localism Network, is described as not being the usual sort of guide because it is not about how to ‘do’ a Neighbourhood Plan or ‘do’ a Design Statement. This guide tackles the crucial earlier stage. It is about how communities, authorities and others can make the most appropriate choice of approach rather than feeling they must commit to a formal Neighbourhood Plan because that is seen to be the only way to proceed – which is the only message almost everybody is now getting. In many situations the Network has found that a full NDP is not just resource-intensive but also inappropriate. The guide includes and often recommends other more established and well-proven (and less onerous) approaches.

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Catapults in future cities and transport systems

Posted on: 22 March 2012
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The government has revealed plans for two new centres that will demonstrate how technology and innovation can improve services and quality life in cities and develop integrated, efficient and sustainable national transport systems.  The Future Cities and Transport Systems Catapult centres will help stimulate economic growth by focusing on innovations that will give UK businesses a technological edge in global markets that could be worth hundreds of billions per year. The Technology Strategy Board (www.innovateuk.org) will work with UK business to establish the centres in the coming months. Both Catapult centres will bring together UK business and SMEs, (city) governments and academia to encourage businesses to develop exciting new ideas. They will also allow ideas to be demonstrated in a controlled environment and later developed into commercial products and services to be sold all over the world.

 

The Future Cities Catapult centre will look at ways to integrate city functions and services efficiently, putting the citizen at the heart of its operations. This will address a wide number of problems experienced in cities today, such as changes to population, demographics climate, congestion and healthcare. These issues are putting pressure on key resources within cities.

 

The Transport Systems Catapult centre will focus on efficient and sustainable ways to move people and goods (freight) across national transport systems including road, rail, sea and air. Current transport systems are under increasing pressure from the rise in population and transportation needs.

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A map for England: Spatial expression of government policies and programmes

Posted on: 22 March 2012
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This study sets out to map the policies and programmes of  Government Departments,  their agencies  and non-departmental public bodies that have an explicit spatial

expression to inform the discussion of spatial planning issues  and priorities. This study has four key components: To appraise government policies and programmes (including government departments and their agencies and NDPBs) with an explicit spatial expression and/or spatial consequences. To perform thematic mapping, based on the economic, social and environmental priorities set out in NPPF, of government policies and programmes that have an explicit spatial expression and/or consequences. To identify patterns of spatial synergies and conflicts arising from existing government policies and programmes and to present these spatial synergies and conflicts into ‘diagrammatic mapping’. To highlight key issues and further research work required to fully address the need of providing a spatial framework to support the development of NPPF and the delivery of the Localism Act. A compendium of policies in map form is also available here.

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Leveraging the wisdom of crowds through participatory platforms

Posted on: 22 March 2012
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As the Director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech, the author of this article has been investigating the nature of participatory platforms and their relevance, value, and impact on the future of design and planning.

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Whole-life carbon footprint measurement and offices

Posted on: 22 March 2012
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This report, published by the British Council for Offices, is intended to be useful to all those who own, build, let and/or occupy commercial real estate. The report explains what a whole-life carbon footprint is, which is part of a new set of European standards for the sustainability of construction. Using this standard, the report clarifies how a whole- life carbon footprint is calculated, and explains which sources of data may be used. To illustrate the methodology given, the report provides examples of whole-life carbon calculations for four different office types found across the UK: Central London air-conditioned offices; Central Business District Regional City air-conditioned offices; Central Business District Regional City non air-conditioned offices; Out-of-Town Business Park air-conditioned offices. Publications are available on request to students.

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Analysing the new social media and mobile in travel landscape

Posted on: 22 March 2012
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Premiered at EyeforTravel’s Social Media & Mobile Strategies for Travel conference, this video contains insightful statistics gleaned from EyeforTravel’s in-depth Social Media & Mobile in Travel report.  Produced by Digital Visitor, the video highlights the importance of mobile and also where travel brands are seeing traction in the social space.

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