Come and meet us
Opening times
Visit the School
Energy performance of office buildings
Posted on: 21 November 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News
Unlike Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), which provide a theoretical rating of the building’s energy consumption, Display Energy Certificates (DECs) provide information on the actual operational energy consumption. It’s claimed that in the public sector, where they are mandatory, DECs have helped achieve substantial year-on-year reductions in energy costs. The UK government ultimately withdrew plans to make DECs compulsory in the private sector, and while this might have caused dismay for many, it hasn’t stopped others from pushing ahead with their own ideas. The Voluntary Display Energy Certificate (VolDECs) is an operational energy rating scheme designed for commercial office buildings that has been developed by a partnership between the National Energy Foundation (NEF) and Phil Jones of Building Energy Solutions. The not-for-profit scheme has been piloted by Legal & General and tested on 16 of its major, multi-tenanted office properties. This blog contains the outcomes of a discussion with Debbie Hobbs, head of sustainability at Legal & General Property, and Malcolm Hanna, technical director of the NEF, to find out more about the initiative.
Public realm
Posted on: 21 November 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News
This briefing digs deeper into the conventional wisdom that underpins public realm interventions and provides a more complete picture of the likely effects of public realm interventions on the local economy. It draws on available empirical evidence and urban economic theory.
The age and construction of English homes: A guide to ageing the English housing stock
Posted on: 21 November 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News
This new report, on sale at the BRE Bookshop, provides detailed information on typical designs and features of houses built at different periods, using statistics from the 2010 English Housing Survey. Experienced surveyors and housing professionals will have developed an intuitive feel for when a house was constructed and the date of any modifications which have been undertaken, particularly in their own local area, where they are familiar with local materials and designs. As such, this book is intended for less experienced professionals, students of housing, or individuals with a personal interest, to be taken onto the streets and used as a reference book.
Building a brighter future for the north. Leeds, 6 November 2014
Posted on: 20 November 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: Events presentations, News
The Centre for Cities and the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office hosted the Northern Futures Summit, marking the end of a period of public consultation to gather ideas on how best to stimulate economic growth in the north of England. The event brought together over 300 delegates and a broad range of speakers, from local and national politicians and policy-makers, to local students, business representatives and leading academics. Above the line-up of speakers, however, it was the deliberative and inclusive format of the event that really made the day unique. The proposers of the most bold and innovative initiatives put forward during the consultation process were invited to deliver their pitches to a series of panels, which then debated and discussed each idea on its merits. All delegates were then able to vote for their favourite suggestions, with results shown in real-time in the room. A video of the event is available online.
State of the World 2014: Governing for sustainability
Posted on: 20 November 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News
The latest volume in the Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World series examines both barriers to responsible political and economic governance as well as gridlock-shattering new ideas. The authors analyze a variety of trends and proposals, including regional and local climate initiatives, the rise of benefit corporations and worker-owned firms, the need for energy democracy, the Internet’s impact on sustainability, and the importance of eco-literacy. A consistent thread throughout the book is that informed and engaged citizens are key to better governance.
Transforming cities for sustainability
Posted on: 20 November 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News
More people now live in urban than rural areas for the first time in human history. This growth challenges areas already struggling to provide services and cope with environmental pressures. How is planning and technology helping cities become more sustainable and reimagine their futures? This resource presents an in-depth analysis including opinions, facts and figures, and key resources. It features views by Ashvin Dayal and Anna Brown of the Rockefeller Foundation, Marcus Moench of ISET International, and Edwin Castellanos of the University of the Valley of Guatemala. It also includes a podcast interview with urban poverty expert David Satterthwaite, and multimedia features that explore urban challenges and solutions in India, Mozambique and Uganda.
The road to growth: Is transport the driver of local economic development?
Posted on: 20 November 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News
This report analyses 474 projects Local Growth Deals. It showed that 63 per cent of the projects involved were transport-related, of which 73 per cent were road-related. The report emphasises that, to be most effective for growth, local enterprise partnerships should focus on both long-term, larger transport projects as well as short-term, minor improvements.
Main streets across the world 2014-2015
Posted on: 20 November 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News
Main Streets Across the World presents a global barometer of the retail sector, tracking rents in the world’s top 334 shopping locations across 64 countries. The main league table is drawn up by taking the most expensive location in each of the countries monitored. In addition, the publication provides overall regional commentary as well as specific luxury retail overviews for each region.
Skills to build: LCCI/KPMG Skills Index (London and the South East) 2014
Posted on: 20 November 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News
This report aims to quantify construction skill shortages across London and the South East, showing how they impact on the delivery of key infrastructure projects and public policy goals. Using a unique methodology developed by the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the report outlines the labour required to deliver the construction projects planned for London and the South East between 2014 and 2017, and the gaps in training provision that must be filled to meet this demand.
London Olympics 2012 photos
Posted on: 20 November 2014
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News
One of the final acts of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is the launch of a new photo gallery to archive 100 of the most memorable images of the construction of London’s Olympic and Paralympic venues and facilities. The images reflect the work of the ODA since it came into existence in 2006, and include iconic aerial photos from 2007 to 2014, showing the development of the Olympic Park, and how it changed as the construction programme progressed. They are being made available on the photo sharing website, Flickr, for non-commercial download and use as the ODA prepares to close.
What’s new
What’s new and Events presentations archive
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011