Towards a green investment policy framework

Posted on: 19 November 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

This report aims to advise governments on how to create and improve domestic enabling conditions to shift and scale-up private sector investments in green infrastructure, to finance a transition to a low-carbon, climate resilient (LCR) economy and greener growth. This report advances a “green investment policy framework” taking infrastructure investment as a starting point and looking only at climate change mitigation and adaptation. It highlights the significant opportunities and many challenges that exist today in both developed and developing countries to transition to LCR development through investment in both renovated and in new infrastructure. The report suggests it is possible to generate multiple local development benefits from LCR infrastructure investment. It presents a five-point policy framework to guide domestic reforms that can steer use of limited public funds while also enabling and incentivising private investment to support a transition across relevant infrastructure sectors to simultaneously deliver climate change and local development goals.

Read more online

Resilient Cities webinars

Posted on: 8 November 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

ICLEI Resilient Cities has added some new webinars on the following:

Stakeholders in risk assessments and adaptation. 30 October 2012

This webinar focuses on inclusion of local stakeholders in the community specifically the urban poor and the most vulnerable, into climate change adaptation and more specifically, risk assessment methods.

Urban agriculture and food security.  18 October 2012

This webinar focuses on urban agriculture and food security first looking at multi-stakeholder approaches for cities and how to include urban agriculture in laws and planning. Then the role it has for a city’s resilience and the importance for climate change adaptation.

City to City cooperation on Disaster Risk Reduction.  12 October 2012

This webinar focuses on  the importance of co-operating between cities in order to share knowledge and resources on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

Find out more online

Berlin park wins award for its soundscape design

Posted on: 8 November 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

A German consortium led by the Technical University of Berlin won the European Soundscape Award 2012 for the remodelling of Nauener Platz, a city park in Berlin. The winning project had a highly participatory approach, involving residents and people working in the area. Ideas for creating a new attractive park were collected through public discussions and workshops. The people behind the project also organised ’sound walks’ so local people could identify the noisy areas to be considered in the reconstruction of the park’s soundscape. Although traffic can still be heard in Nauener Platz, users feel that the park has a much more pleasant atmosphere. This was achieved by installing devices in sculptures and benches playing recorded sounds of birds and water. The consortium also built a 1.5 m sound barrier made of stone and plants at one side of the park close to playground. Benches for parents were situated directly behind the wall to increase the noise reduction effect. The redesign of the park also included more attractive playgrounds, sports areas and green spaces which increased the lively sounds from human activities.

Read more online

Green networks: From policy to reality. Stirling, 23-24 October 2012

Posted on: 8 November 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: Events presentations

Green Networks are firmly set in Scottish Planning Policy and are starting to be delivered within the Central Scotland Green Network area and in several other local authority areas in Scotland.  The vision is to create a connected network of well-designed green spaces and green corridors that transcend the boundaries between urban communities and rural environments. This conference set the policy context for Green Networks in Scotland, and explored the challenges and solutions, current initiatives and examples of best practice. Presentations are available online.

Find out more online

Financing green urban infrastructure

Posted on: 22 October 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

This paper, published by the OECD, presents an overview of practices and challenges related to financing green sustainable cities.

Read more online

Land value capture and infrastructure delivery through SLICs

Posted on: 27 September 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

In this Town and Country Planning Association ‘Tomorrow Series’ paper, John Walker sets out how SLICs, a type of Strategic Land and Infrastructure Contract, hold the key to unlocking garden cities and suburbs, as well as many other locally planned large developments. This type of contractual arrangement enables timely and predictable provision of essential infrastructure to be committed at an early stage, enhancing both investor and community confidence in the quality and deliverability of new garden cities and suburbs. The paper takes the Association’s Garden Cities campaign a step further, by making an important contribution to the debate about how we deliver sustainable new communities through capturing land value and creating certainty by focusing on de-risking the development process.

Read more online

Growing greener cities in Africa

Posted on: 20 September 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

The Food and Agriculture Organization on the United Nations has published the first status report on Africa’s urban and peri-urban horticulture, which includes the home, school, community and market gardens that produce fruits and vegetables in and around African cities. The report is based on surveys and case studies from 31 countries across the African continent, and makes recommendations on how cities can better prepare to face the rapidly increasing demand for food and other basic amenities. The report includes profiles of urban and peri-urban horticulture in 22 African countries and makes recommendations for the development of market gardens to serve Africa’s rapidly growing urban population. The report identifies 5 key major benefits of urban and peri-urban faming which include: food and nutrition security; sustainable livelihoods; a safe, clean environment; healthy communities; and good governance.

Read more online

Space for food growing: Guide

Posted on: 22 August 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

This guide is aimed both at community groups that might be looking for land to start their food growing project or trying to find new ways to encourage people to get involved in their existing scheme and at individuals who might be interested in growing their own food but are not sure whether to wait for a local authority allotment or continue their search elsewhere. The guidance can also be used by voluntary groups trying to decide what activities might suit their client base or by individuals who have yet to be convinced that food growing is really for them. The guide provides links to sources of further advice and guidance and also to more detailed information on where to go to get funding or to learn from established projects. The Department for Communities and Local Government has also published the following related reports:

 

Potential funding for community green spaces

This document sets out the potential funding available to community and voluntary organisations to start either a food growing or community orchards project. It identifies the different grant schemes open to local groups, green spaces, allotment organisations or trusts, and also where to go to get help when looking for funding.

 

Food growing: Case studies

The projects included in this document showcase best practice and the varied approaches that community groups have taken to getting land to use for their food growing projects. From space on housing estates now being run as a mini social enterprise, to derelict allotment land, every project shows that where community groups work together with their local authorities or other local landowners, great achievements can follow.

Read more online

Urban Nature Forum 2012. Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 12-14 June 2012

Posted on: 18 July 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: Events presentations

The Urban Nature Forum was a conference series bringing together scientists, town planners, policy-makers, conservationists and other stakeholders to explore innovative approaches to urban biodiversity management, exchange knowledge, and advance collaborative activities. Good practices, new management tools, ground-breaking research and advocacy developments were showcased and discussed, as was the broader role of cities in paving a greener, more prosperous future. Presentations are available online.

Find out more online

Planning for a healthy environment: Good practice guidance for green infrastructure and biodiversity

Posted on: 12 July 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

This guidance is designed to offer advice to planning practitioners on how green  infrastructure and biodiversity can be enhanced and protected through the planning system. It summarises the latest policy drivers and distils the best of our current policy responses. It also sets out practical examples of successful projects and sources of further detailed information.

Read more online