Eurocodes Plus

Posted on: 4 June 2013
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During 2013 the Department of Communities and Local Government will revise Approved Document A of the Building Regulations, and the references to the withdrawn British Standards will be replaced by Eurocodes references. Eurocodes PLUS is a practical, easy-to-use, online tool, designed to save time in sifting and cross-referencing multiple Eurocodes.

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Building London, Building Britain: The economic impact of Central London office construction

Posted on: 4 June 2013
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This report from London First analyses the economic impact of construction activity within central London on the wider UK. It found that construction work in central London generates twice the economic benefits, and supports almost twice as many jobs outside London as it does in the capital. The study, carried out by PwC, measured the national and regional output and employment generated by Central London office developments through construction expenditure, supply chain impacts and employee spending. The study also examined the extent to which development expenditure is lost from the UK, and explored the wider qualitative impacts of London developments on the local community, the construction sector’s supply chain, and as a catalyst to economic regeneration.

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Urbanisation and green growth in China

Posted on: 4 June 2013
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This working paper assesses national policy and governance mechanisms that can influence green growth in Chinese cities. It applies the OECD conceptual framework for urban green growth to examine the potential challenges and opportunities for increasing economic growth through reducing the environmental impact of urban land use, transport and buildings; through improving water and air quality; and through fostering supply and demand of green products and services. The paper first situates the issue of green growth within the nexus of urbanisation and environmental challenges now facing China. This is followed by a review of environmental and quality of life challenges posed by rapid urbanisation. Opportunities for national policies to influence green growth in four key urban policy sectors are then examined. The paper concludes with an assessment of governance challenges and considers potential changes to facilitate economic growth while reducing the environmental impact of cities.

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Building resilience to disasters: Assessing the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (2005-2015)

Posted on: 4 June 2013
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This report presents the first peer review undertaken to assess progress in the implementation at national level of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters (HFA). Under the HFA, Member States of the United Nations have committed to policy action. The United Kingdom volunteered to be the first country to undertake such a peer review, with the overall objectives to: enhance the effective implementation of and reporting on the HFA, contributing to improved policy-making on disaster risk reduction (DRR) through external assessment and mutual learning; increase the consistency between the national disaster risk reduction policies and stimulate transferability of good and innovative practices; contribute to developing and implementing EU policy initiatives that could further advance the implementation of the HFA in EU Member States as well as in neighbouring countries; encourage awareness-raising through broad involvement of stakeholders in the review process and wide dissemination of the results; and foster policy dialogue in Europe and enhance regional cooperation between countries exposed to common hazards and risks. It is the hope of the authors of this review that it could be o f broader relevance. While some of the findings of this review are specific to the UK institutional frameworks, it may help countries in the EU and beyond to reflect and strengthen the implementation of risk management policies, contributing to stronger resilience of nations and communities, and helping to promote better lives. The review can also help to sustain a broader policy dialogue on these issues, engaging with local governments and the private sector.

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Mobilising private investment in sustainable transport: The case of land-based passenger transport infrastructure

Posted on: 4 June 2013
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This report aims to advise governments from developed and developing countries on a broad mix of policy tools and instruments that they can use at the national or sub-national levels, to scale-up private investment in sustainable transport infrastructure and shift investment away from carbon-intensive road transport. These include regulations, pricing instruments, innovative financial tools and risk-sharing mechanisms. The focus of this report is on land-based transport infrastructure for passenger use, including passenger rail, bus rapid transit systems, metros, non-motorised transportation and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

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Railway efficiency: An overview and a look at opportunities for improvement

Posted on: 4 June 2013
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This discussion paper from the International Transport Forum takes a global perspective with regards to the opportunities for improvement in railway efficiency. The paper identifies possible common barriers to efficiency, identifies “traps” that need to be avoided for improving efficiency of railways, and derives major recommendations on how to enhance the railway system from a financial perspective. The study includes findings from selected international benchmarking analyses and examinations of relevant cross-sectional data.

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The potential of private institutional investors for financing transport infrastructure

Posted on: 4 June 2013
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This paper seeks to shed light on the complex nature of institutional investment in the transportation sector. This is achieved by examining the different investment vehicles that have developed in financial markets to provide opportunities for institutional investors.

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Airports in the aviation value chain: Financing, returns, risk and investment

Posted on: 4 June 2013
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This paper addresses the value chain issues in aviation. The paper: describes the aviation value chain and its participants; addresses financial performance and sustainability of the aviation value chain; focuses on the airport sector of the aviation value chain, discussing trends in sources of finance for airports; and 5 discusses a number of policy issues and provides several recommendations.

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Funding urban public transport: Case study compendium

Posted on: 3 June 2013
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This compendium of case studies on urban public transport funding was developed as an input to the 2013 International Transport Forum Summit on Funding Transport (May 22-24, Leipzig). It serves to illustrate a variety of urban contexts, public transport service  services and funding mechanisms in a selection of International Transport Forum countries. The cities covered are: Beijing, Chicago, London, Madrid, Oslo, Paris, Portland, Seoul, Shenzhen and Tokyo.

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Global construction disputes: A longer resolution

Posted on: 3 June 2013
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This is the third annual report on global construction disputes from EC Harris. The key finding of this year’s report into global construction disputes is that disputes are taking longer to resolve.

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