Benchmarking, BIM and beyond

Posted on: 24 April 2013
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Joe Martin, Executive Director of the Building Cost Information Service gave this presentation at a seminar marking the 30th Anniversary of the Association of Construction Economists in Finland (RAKI), held in Helsinki on 20 March 2013. He predicts that the emergence of cost-led procurement would make the role of the cost consultant even more important to the client. He adds that making the initial benchmark estimate central to the contract will require independent cost advice to all participants.

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Competing for urban land: Synthesis report

Posted on: 24 April 2013
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This is the third in a series of synthesis reports produced by URBAN-NEXUS. These Reports are intended mainly for municipalities, policy-makers and businesses engaged in urban issues. They may also be of interest to organisations, institutions and networks involved in decision-making and developing partnerships to tackle problems encountered in urban sustainable development and management. This includes public sector agencies, utilities, the private sector, civil society organisations and community groups. The synthesis reports will help inform debate and discussion as part of an on-going “structured dialogue” across a network of urban researchers, professionals and actors on developing integrated approaches to the challenges and opportunities of sustainable urban development. The theme for this report is competing for urban land, and was intended to stimulate discussions at the third URBAN-NEXUS dialogue café, held on 10-11 April 2013 in Göteborg, Sweden.

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Learning from the city: British Red Cross Urban Learning Project Scoping Study

Posted on: 23 April 2013
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This study looks at the evolving nature of risk and vulnerability in urban settings and assesses the operational implications of these trends and challenges for the British Red Cross, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the wider humanitarian sector. It highlights five ways forward for the British Red Cross and others. While drawing lessons from humanitarian programmes across the globe, the study focuses principally on evidence from five British Red Cross operational contexts: Haiti (Port-au-Prince), Uganda (Kampala and other cities), Djibouti (Djibouti-ville), Mongolia (Ulaanbataar) and Nepal (Kathmandu).

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Synthesis report on consultations on the post-2015 framework on disaster risk reduction

Posted on: 23 April 2013
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This synthesis report provides countries and all stakeholders with an overview of the issues emerging to date on the consultations and development of a post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction (HFA2). The key purpose of this report is to provide the basis for continued consultations, and to inform a draft HFA2 following the Fourth Session of the Global Platform in May 2013.

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Noise Road-Map: A blueprint for managing noise from aviation sources to 2050

Posted on: 23 April 2013
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Sustainable Aviation has launched the industry’s first Noise Road-Map, demonstrating how noise from UK aviation will not increase despite a near doubling in flights over the next 40 years. This is achieved through the development and introduction of quieter aircraft alongside the implementation of better operating procedures and improved land-use planning. Going forwards, signatories to Sustainable Aviation will use this Road-Map as a toolkit in refining their own plans to manage noise.

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Consultation on night flying restrictions

Posted on: 23 April 2013
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The Confederation of British Industry has published its response to the Department of Transport’s consultation on night flying restrictions at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.

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Panorama Magazine: Spring 2013

Posted on: 23 April 2013
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This issue of the quarterly magazine highlights the role of Cohesion policy in returning growth to Europe. Cohesion policy is the investment arm of the EU budget, aiming to boost growth and competitiveness through capitalising on regional strengths. The policy will, in the future, reinforce even more the achievement of the ‘Europe 2020’ objectives and will focus on sustainable investment with a more effective use of EU, national and regional investment.

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Minimum standards for embedding disaster resilience

Posted on: 23 April 2013
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The Department for International Development (DFID) Business Plan for 2012-2015 commits DFID to embed disaster resilience in all DFID Country Offices by 2015. This document sets out the minimum standards a country office should reach. The Department for International Development has also published a series of briefings highlighting recommendations for building resilience in Nepal, Kenya, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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Traditional knowledge and climate science

Posted on: 22 April 2013
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This toolkit provides access to articles, videos and various other resources that will assist indigenous peoples, local communities, policy makers and other stakeholders in accessing research on climate change adapta­tion and mitigation.

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Budget 2013

Posted on: 22 April 2013
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The House of Commons Treasury Select Committee has published a report on the 2013 Budget. The Committee argues that the Help to buy scheme, hailed by George Osborne in last month’s Budget as a way to help first-time buyers and prop up house prices, ‘may have a number of unintended consequences’.

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