Stopping Heathrow Airport expansion (for now): Lessons from a victory for the politics of sufficiency

Posted on: 22 October 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

A politics of sufficiency challenges the relentless expansion of production and consumption. It faces daunting obstacles in contemporary societies where macro-economic growth has come to be seen as imperative. However, when defined more narrowly, as a challenge to the growth of particular forms of economic activity, ideas of sufficiency have made some limited inroads. One significant example is the Conservative-led government’s cancellation of the planned third runway at Heathrow airport in Britain. This represented a major victory for environmentalists and others who argued that aviation growth conflicted with Britain’s carbon-reduction targets. The case sheds light on the conditions in which sufficiency-based policies can prevail today, notably through linkages with core political imperatives faced by states and political actors. In this case, a sufficiency approach became linked to the legitimacy needs of the Conservative Party at a key moment, while campaigners succeeded in casting doubt on claims that Heathrow expansion was economically imperative. This article appears in the latest issue of the Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning (Vol.16 Issue 4, 2014).

Read more online

The role of universities in the regional creative economies of the UK: Hidden protagonists and the challenge of knowledge transfer

Posted on: 22 October 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

Since the 1970s policies have been developed across Europe to evolve this institutional landscape. Since the late 1990s, regional and urban development strategies have also sought to harness the growth potential of the cultural and creative industries to regional and urban economic development. However, whilst the regional and urban planning literature has examined the growth-promoting potential of universities very closely, their possible role in relation to regional and urban creative economic development has received less attention. This paper aims to begin addressing this gap by interrogating the relationship between universities and the regional creative economy using, as a starting point, a model of analysis suggested by the Triple-Helix theoretical framework. The paper finds that whilst universities possess often long and hidden associations with regional and urban creative activities—as hidden protagonists—there are important institutional and professional challenges in the possibility of their developing an explicit and sustainable role as new actors in the regional and urban creative economies. The paper identifies the nature of these challenges with a view to developing a clearer understanding of the system, policy and institutional realities that underpin the often complex dynamics of knowledge creation−practice relationships found in arts and humanities disciplines. This article can be found in the latest issue of European Planning Studies (Vol.22, Issue 12, 2014)

Read more online

Fragility and recovery: housing, localities and uneven spatial development in the UK

Posted on: 22 October 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

Uneven spatial development has long been a characteristic feature of the economic and social fabric of the UK. The north–south divide has become something of a hegemonic narrative in the UK and this has served to mask an ‘archipelago’ of variegated spatial development in housing and locality conditions at sub-national and sub-regional scales. This paper explores the changing nature of sub-regional housing and locality conditions across the UK and evidence is found of significant spatial variation in the way that places responded to the effects of the most recent economic recession. It is available in the latest issue of Regional Studies (Vol.48 Issue 11, 2014).

Read more online

Research into the Green Deal and ECO Programme Supply Chain

Posted on: 21 October 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

The purpose of this study was to explore the operation of the supply side of the Green Deal and Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) programme and understand the views of Green Deal certified installers, assessor organisations and advisors.

Read more online

The role of planning in preventing major-accident hazards involving hazardous substances

Posted on: 21 October 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

The Government has published a consultation document which seeks views on its proposals to transpose the requirements of the Seveso III directive. These affect the way hazardous substances consents operate, and the way in which the planning system reduces the likelihood and impact of major accidents. The government is also seeking views on proposals to improve the regulatory framework on planning for hazardous substances. Comments are requested by 11 December 2014.

Read more online

Connective tissue matters in the nature of cities

Posted on: 21 October 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

The author of this post considers issues raised at a green corridor roundtable discussion. Issued considered are enabling connection, building and exchanging natural capital, exploring how linear spaces and corridors can encourage biotic movement, dispersal, addressing the challenges of predators and invasive species, and encouraging ‘biotic connectivity’.

Read more online

Tall buildings: Advice on plan-making, submitting, assessing and deciding planning proposals

Posted on: 21 October 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

English Heritage and Design Council have published a revised version of their 2007 guidance on tall buildings for consultation. Comments are requested by 30 November 2014 with the final version scheduled to be issued in early 2015.

Read more online

Compact, walkable, diverse neighborhoods: Assessing effects on residents

Posted on: 21 October 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

This article from the journal “Housing Policy Debate” (Vo.24 Issue 4, 2014) argues that research supports the view that compact, walkable, diverse (CWD) neighborhoods are beneficial for urban residents.  The authors searched the literature to try to understand the current status of evidence regarding claims about the CWD neighborhood, and found that research linking CWD neighborhoods to effects on residents coalesces around three main topics: social relations, health, and safety. They conclude that on the basis of the literature reviewed, most of the intended benefits of the CWD neighborhood have been researched and found to have significant, positive effects for urban dwellers. While physical factors are but one element affecting behavior and outcomes, and the issues of self-selection and causality remain, overall, key dimensions of the CWD neighborhood have been found to positively affect social interaction, health, and safety.

Read more online

Shaping new age urban systems: Energy, connectivity and climate resilience

Posted on: 21 October 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

An Indian business think tank has developed a Smart Cities Maturity Model (SCMM) to establish the metrics to be applied to a Future City for gauging resilience. It argues that current investment in India for its 100 Smart Cities programme must apply these to be successful, and is dangerously narrow-focused at present.

Read more online

Shaping up for retrofit

Posted on: 21 October 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

Pure retrofit is a response to the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the biggest challenge of our generation. This article argues that despite barriers, the retrofit market is growing and likely to offer architects significant work opportunities as the effects of anthropogenic climate change unfold.

Read more online