Sustainable cities
12th November 2007, PAST EVENT, Newcastle Civic Centre, Council Chamber
Read review of event
How can the North East develop neighbourhoods that contain zero carbon buildings, use energy-efficient systems, relate to their wider environment and provide affordable housing? Who should be involved and what process should cities follow when delivering sustainable masterplans?
Review by Victoria Eynon, November 07.
A sell out event in Newcastle Civic Centre’s Council Chamber brought together architects, politicians, developers, planners, regeneration consultants and a host of other people who make their living from trying to make the spaces that we live in more appealing. Some folk were even there just because they have an interest in making our neighbourhoods, cities and region better places to live.
Three speakers introduced the evening by giving presentations on the regeneration of Scotswood in the West End of Newcastle, the process of masterplanning (with a case study from Dongtan Eco-City in Shanghai, China) and the role that people can play in the regeneration and reclamation of their own neighbourhoods, with a particular focus on non-vehicular transport. (Details of these projects can be found by clicking on the links below in the speakers’ biographies.)
Time for questions and comments at the end of the presentations enabled the audience to share and challenge each other and the panellists. Questions ranging from technical details to global philosophies were raised. This shows that the solutions, and those involved in finding the solutions, must possess a variety of skills and pay attention to strategy and the detail of delivery.
There was also a desire to understand the current technical and governance landscape while an obvious energy also exists to move forward in a positive and dare we say it, radical manner.
The discussions posed a selection of fundamental challenges:
- • Can we really have sustainability and affordability?
• How do we reach a long term goal like sustainable development within the short term framework of the political system?
• Lots of people talk about sustainability, but what is the true weighting of the economy, the environment and social wellbeing?
• Deliverability and desire: is sustainability a realistic concept?
• Sustainability “has to come from national policy” but also it “has to come from the bottom up.” Where should the leadership be and how should we organise our governance arrangements?
The (perceived?) gap between the policies and rhetoric of sustainability, and the lacklustre developments we sometimes see, perhaps suggests an uncomfortable question: do we really want sustainable developments or are we chasing this goal more to win votes and ease our consciences?
What is clear, is that quality developments and long term aspirations are, at least in theory, on the agenda of many organisations. Budgetary constraints, profits, risk and elections are perhaps constraints we must accept and either learn to work within or highlight and lobby for change.
It is in this spirit of driving for the delivery of success that Northern Architecture’s series of events will continue. No doubt, philosophical questions will be raised and are welcome, indeed are inspired by such discussions. But we also want to find solutions. And we want to influence those who hold the political and financial power to realise those solutions. To help the North East achieve this, join us for some or all of our future events.
If you were at the event and want to add a comment about the session, please email Northern Architecture on info@northernarchitecture.com
After gaining an MSc in sustainable regeneration, Victoria Eynon worked delivering environmentally sound housing led regeneration and in regional economic development policy. She currently works for National Energy Action, the leading fuel poverty charity campaigning for warm homes. Underlying her work and play is a desire for us to live in the functional, equitable and inspirational world we deserve and can achieve. She is collaborating with Northern Architecture on this project in a personal capacity.
Details of the chair and three panellists invited to lead this debate are below.
Chair: Councillor David Faulkner, Deputy Leader, Newcastle City Council
David Faulkner is Deputy Leader of Newcastle City Council and Executive Member esponsible for Policy Development and Co-ordination. In his council role he chairs the City Centre Partnership, is a non-executive director of the Newcastle NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust and a Governor of Newcastle College.
In his private capacity he is a board member of Culture North East, a trustee of the Northern Rock Foundation, a lay member of Court at Newcastle University and chairs the North East Cultural Diversity Arts Forum.
Panel members:
Andy Mace, Associate, Arup
Andy Mace is a mechanical building services engineer with a particular interest in turning the concepts of sustainability into practice. He joined Arup as the project manager for the innovative and award winning Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED). He now works as an Associate in the Newcastle office and retains strong links with the offices in London, working at a strategic level in sustainability planning. This has included producing the environmental sustainability strategy for Stratford City with Arup Associates and managing the sustainability strategy work for Dongtan Eco-City in Shanghai and other Eco-City projects in China with Arup Urban Design.
Andy continues to work at a detailed level on local projects in the North East, ranging from swimming pools to a new RSPB visitor centre and he strives to integrate a broad sustainable design approach into these buildings, including the inclusion of renewable technology and other resource efficiency measures where appropriate. In addition to his own projects he advises on sustainability issues for others within the firm and lectures to engineering and architectural students at local and UK universities.
Dan Hill, Associate Director, Urban Initiatives
Dan is an urban planner and designer with degrees and qualifications in engineering, planning and urban design. He has particular expertise in housing estate regeneration, best practice guidance, green space planning and design, urban planning research and pedestrian movement modelling and analysis.
He is project managing the design development of the Scotswood Expo Masterplan for the West End of Newcastle. This seeks to tackle entrenched social problems and physical decline with a range of innovative design and cultural programmes. He will be using the development of the ideas for this masterplan as the basis for a holistic approach to developing places that last.
Daniel Black, Design Officer, Liveable Neighbourhoods, Sustrans
Having studied economics and Spanish at university, Daniel spent three years teaching English in South America and Japan. Having co-directed a small voluntary environmental organisation in Japan he decided, on returning to the UK, to pursue a career in ethical banking. In a change of direction, he joined the UK’s leading sustainable transport charity Sustrans and its international team.
Four years later and a dissertation away from a Masters in urban design, Daniel is leading the design process for Sustrans’s DIY Streets programme, a pilot programme that aims to show that existing streets can be made safe, attractive and, crucially, for little cost when driven by the community. When not working on DIY Streets, Daniel takes part in lively debates on design publications like the Government's Manual for Streets.
From left to right: Dan Hill, Daniel Black and Andy Mace.
