Future proofing cities

Posted on: 2 April 2014
By: mackene
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Atkins’ report Future Proofing Cities was produced in partnership with the UK Department for International Development and University College London in 2012. The report assessed 129 major cities across Africa and Asia and was developed to help tackle risks to long term prosperity and growth. Atkins has updated the Future Proofing Cities webpage where you can find our current projects in India, Colombia, China, Nigeria and the United Kingdom. North America and Middle East content will be coming soon and more from South East Asia.

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The 12 rules of sustainable urbanism

Posted on: 2 April 2014
By: mackene
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This blog outlines the 12 rules of sustainable urbanism are enshrined in the Freiburg Charter and provides a link to a further blog on Vauben. A district of Freiburg, considered by some to be the world’s most successful model urban development.

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Finland’s energy efficiency boom good for the climate, but trouble for cities

Posted on: 7 March 2014
By: mackene
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The author of this blog argues that while green buildings are increasing in Finland, their developers seem to be unable to integrate concepts in environmental sustainability and urban livability. To illustrate his concerns, the author  looked up some landmark initiatives for energy-efficient construction in the greater Helsinki area and photographed them.

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PAS 181 Smart city framework

Posted on: 26 February 2014
By: mackene
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This Publicly Available Specification (PAS) establishes a good practice framework for city leaders to develop, agree and deliver smart city strategies that can help transform their city’s ability to meet its future challenges and deliver its future aspirations. The smart city framework (SCF) distils current good practices into a set of consistent and repeatable patterns that city leaders can use to help develop and deliver their own smart city strategies. The PAS does not intend to describe a one-size-fits-all model for the future of UK cities. Instead it focuses on the enabling processes by which the innovative use of technology and data, together with organizational change, can help deliver the diverse visions for future UK cities in more efficient, effective and sustainable ways.

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Sanford Housing Co-op in New Cross

Posted on: 26 February 2014
By: mackene
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The author of this blog aims to explain why she believes that Sanford Housing Co-op offers an example of best practice in sustainable development, and not just in the environmental sense.

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Sustainable food in urban communities

Posted on: 25 February 2014
By: mackene
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The URBACT Thematic Network “Sustainable Food in Urban Communities” is a project involving 10 European cities that wish to grow, deliver and enjoy more sustainable food: they are looking for joint, effective and sustainable solutions to develop low-carbon and resource-efficient urban food systems. New outputs from the project are available online.

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New Towns Act 2015?

Posted on: 25 February 2014
By: mackene
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The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) has published a landmark document into how the UK can deliver the beautiful, inclusive and sustainable communities of the future. The report has taken the successful New Town Development Corporation model, that delivered 32 new towns after the Second World War and which now home over 2 million people, and updated it for the 21st Century.

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Ten reasons why Helsinki needs do-it-yourself urban planning

Posted on: 12 February 2014
By: mackene
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Helsinki’s City Planning Department is in the process of expanding the city into a 5.5 hectare piece of land on the northern edge of a neighborhood called Pikku Huopalahti that now hosts obsolete university buildings and green buffer zones. The author of this blog is a member of a seven-strong team of urbanists who have taken the initiative of illustrating their own interpretation of what the area could look like in the future. More than anything, their aim is to introduce the “urban” back into Helsinki’s urban planning. Their message with this plan is ‘no more sprawl’.

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Built today, treasured tomorrow: A good practice guide to long-term stewardship

Posted on: 29 January 2014
By: mackene
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The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) have launched a good practice guide to long term stewardship models, inspired by the garden city principles of community rights, ownership and asset management to create the beautiful, inclusive and sustainable communities of the future. The guide aims to demonstrate how we can ensure that the new parks, community centres, arts centres and other assets of great value to local people created within new developments are well looked after in perpetuity. It sets out tried-and-tested methods of securing a good long-term future for community assets such as parks, community buildings, health centres, local energy sources, and community transport. It also explains how imaginative approaches to funding and management can empower local communities to take control or have a say in the running of local assets.

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This Big City

Posted on: 16 January 2014
By: mackene
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This Big City is an award winning online publication sharing ideas and encouraging discussion about sustainable cities since 2009. It explores urban trends, ideas and analysis.

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