Cities, health and well-being

Posted on: 11 June 2012
By: mackene
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The 2011 Urban Age Hong Kong conference, organized by the London School of Economics and Political Science and the Alfred Herrhausen Society in partnership with the University of Hong Kong, brought together over 170 planners, architects, sociologists, medical doctors, public health experts and economists from 36 cities and 22 countries to help identify the routes through which new meanings, methods and interventions for health and well-being might be developed for  greater effect in today’s cities. This report provides one entry point into the conference discussions, in addition to the videos, presentations and publications already available online.

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Shaping cities for health: complexity and the planning of urban environments in the 21st century

Posted on: 31 May 2012
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Collaboration between The Lancet and University College London, UK, has resulted in the second UCL Lancet Commission report. The report analyses how health outcomes are part of the complexity of urban processes, drawing attention to the part that urban planning can and should play in delivering health improvements through reshaping the urban fabric of our cities.

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Research for resilience. Birmingham, 19-20 March 2012

Posted on: 30 May 2012
By: mackene
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Presentations are available from the Local Area Research & Intelligence Association (LARIA) Conference which considered the challenges facing local authorities in the current political and economic climate.

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Community rights – A changing picture?

Posted on: 30 May 2012
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Over the course of December 2011 to March 2012, the Urban Forum held a series of 12 events across England on community rights and neighbourhood planning. The aim was to engage community groups on this new policy agenda, and to increase the level of awareness and understanding of community rights. This paper outlines the opinions of around 200 participants at the events.

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Planning camp. Eden Project, Cornwall, 5-7 February 2012

Posted on: 30 May 2012
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Over 100 people attended this first Planning Camp, featuring a combination of plenary sessions,, site visits, hands-on workshops and discussion and debate. Planning experts and people from local groups talked about their experiences of taking part in the neighbourhood planning process. Presentations are available online.

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Community Right to Build

Posted on: 30 May 2012
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Under the Community Right to Build, communities will be able to approve new local developments without the need to go through the normal planning application process. Locality is offering expert advice and information via a new website, providing support for whatever stage of the journey you are at, whether you are getting started, looking for legal advice, information on a business case or have a specific question for a Community Right to Build expert. It also directs you to a free advice service, where Community Rights experts can provide you with tailored support.

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Symposium on Neighbourhood Planning. London, 11 November 2011

Posted on: 25 May 2012
By: mackene
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This event, organised by Action for Market Towns, considers neighbourhood management and the impact of localism proposals. Presentations are available online.

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Cultural placemaking in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Posted on: 23 May 2012
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This document explores the relationship between local ambitions for arts, culture and creativity and economic development through planning in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The council aims to be the first UK local authority to integrate culture into its economic development through planning. Kensington and Chelsea has called on developers to embed culture and the creative industries into their thinking from the start of the development process and to be ‘more imaginative and bold’ in their proposals. The council has also launched a ‘creative district profiler’ which developers can use to identify the potential of a proposed site to become a creative district.

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The neighbourhood plan front-runners: Local council involvement. A review and prospects

Posted on: 18 May 2012
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This research, Presented as part of the requirement for an award in Community Engagement and Governance at the University of Gloucestershire,seeks to inform and guide Local Councils (LCs) in relation to formulating NDPs through the experience of NDP Front Runners who were granted £20,000 each as part of a vanguard bidding process to the Department of Communities and Local Government commencing in the spring of 2011.

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Climate neutral cities: How to make cities less energy and carbon intensive and more resilient to climatic challenges

Posted on: 17 May 2012
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The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe has published a report which outlines a range of systemic interrelated measures for a progressive transformation towards low-energy, low-carbon, highly resilient and ultimately climate neutral cities. Its recommendations fall under four main headings, with coordination through a well-managed city-level framework being perhaps the most essential ingredient for success. The four headings are: waste management; low carbon mobility; urban energy infrastructure; and urban form and green spaces. The report concludes by introducing a city roadmap for climate neutrality with guidelines for setting up an organisational framework and to developing priority actions.

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