The Interdisciplinary Researcher: Paradigms, Practices and Possibilities for Sustainability

Posted on: 13 July 2011
By: mackene
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This paper provides a summary of the a conference held in Cheltenham on 19-20 May 2011. This international conference brought together researchers, research students and their supervisors to explore practice and possibilities for sustainability research. It was hosted by the ‘Postgraduate Researchers Interested in Sustainability Matters’ (PRISM) network which forms part of the Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship (IIF) Programme, based at the University of Gloucestershire. The primary aim of the conference was to support the professional and academic development of future inter-disciplinary sustainability researchers, through an exploration of changing paradigms, innovative practices and emerging possibilities in this field. Its core objectives were to: gain an overview of international developments and trends in interdisciplinary research in sustainability; explore conceptual debates on research paradigms for an interdisciplinary approach to sustainability; to share practice on and opportunities for interdisciplinary research in sustainability.

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Sustainable Edinburgh 2020: Engaging with our city’s future

Posted on: 5 July 2011
By: mackene
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Sustainable Edinburgh 2020 sets out Edinburgh Council’s vision for the sustainable development of the City to 2020. It details a framework for action which will be embedded into all Council policies, programmes and services, but recognises that for the city to develop sustainably, a wider range of actions involving all individuals, organisations and sectors of the city working together is required.

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Case studies on sustainable development

Posted on: 1 July 2011
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ICLEI Case Studies profile locally-based projects that support sustainability. Eleven new ICLEI Case Studies, numbers 127-137, demonstrate the ability of local governments to involve stakeholders in improving local biodiversity. The 11 practical examples were collected by ICLEI Japan and ICLEI Southeast Asia in preparation of the local government input to the UN Conference of the Parties on Biological Diversity (COP 10) in Nagoya in October 2010.  The new case studies showcase urban biodiversity projects in Indonesia, Japan, Philippines and Thailand. They cover themes such as the creation of botanical gardens on spoilt lands, mangrove conversation, soil and water conversation, the greening of urban spaces, green tax incentives and coastal management.

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Urban sustainability: learning from the best

Posted on: 1 July 2011
By: mackene
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This report presents a catalogue of best practices of the eight finalists for the European Green Capital Award 2010 and 2011. These eight cities have shown that they can lead the way in environmentally friendly urban living and act as role-models to inspire other cities within the field of sustainable urban development. The eight shortlisted finalists were: Amsterdam, Bristol, Copenhagen, Freiburg, Hamburg, Münster, Oslo and Stockholm. In this catalogue, best practice examples are given within the 10 environmental indicator areas on which the cities were evaluated. The indicator areas are: Local contribution to global climate change; Local mobility and passenger transportation; Availability of local public open areas; Quality of local ambient air; Noise pollution; Waste production and management; Water consumption; Waste water management; Environmental management of the local authority;  Sustainable land use. The aim of this best practice catalogue is to share experiences and visions as well as inspire European cities to introduce measures within these 10 areas to the benefit of their citizens at the same time reducing their impact to local and global environmental problems.

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Sustainable Urban Environments (SUE) Research Dialogues

Posted on: 1 July 2011
By: mackene
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The long-awaited SUE Research Dialogues report is now available. The report take a close look at the EPSRC’s multi-million pound SUE Programme, examining its achievements, wider impact, and future.  The SUE Research Dialogues Workshop was designed to bring together the academics funded under the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Sustainable Urban Environment (SUE) Programme. These academics came from a wide range of disciplines that had been brought together by EPSRC to collaborate on research into sustainable urban environments with the overarching purposes of: improving the quality of life of UK citizens; supporting the sustainable development of the UK economy; and meeting the needs of users of EPSRC funded research in industry, commerce and the service sector. The Workshop sought to determine what the future of the research capacity developed by the SUE Programme might be.

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