VUW SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
THURSDAY MAY 6TH 2010, 18:30
LT1
Jody Beck
Lecturer in Landscape Architecture
Lincoln University Read More
The report, ‘Healthy Places, Healthy Lives: Urban environments and wellbeing’ provides detailed evidence about the strong links between urban design and aspects of poor health that place a large burden on our communities and health services.
Pauline Barnett, PHAC Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health and General Practice at Otago University, said, “86% of New Zealanders now live in urban areas. But in these areas, people are walking less, there are more cycle crashes on our roads, and urban air pollutants are contributing to the increasing burden of respiratory illness.”
(Quicktime movie, 131 MB)
(Quicktime movie, 39 MB)
Two lectures were held one in Wellington (March 30) and one in Auckland. Guest speakers were Dr Eric Martinot and Zach Rissel from the Wellington City Council. These lectures were well received. Links to podcasts from those lectures are attached above. Copies of the PDF’s are attached below.
Dr. Martinot is the lead author of the widely-used REN21 Renewables Global Status Report and a prominent international expert on renewable energy. He is senior research director at the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies in Tokyo, teaching and research associate of Tsinghua University in Beijing, and teaching and research fellow at Victoria University of Wellington.
Wellington Flyer
Auckland Flyer
Zach Rissel: Influencing the transition to renewable energy.
Dr E Martinot: Local renewable energy policies and actions.
When it comes to causing health inequalities, environmental considerations play a significant role. Food, transport, green space and the built environment are all factors which can narrow or widen the health gap between rich and poor communities. But the Sustainable Development Commission believes that the environmental causes of health inequalities are still being under-appreciated. And that means policy makers are missing the co-benefits available from a holistic approach that can create a better environment and healthier people at the same time.
Sustainability Report (PDF, 2.1MB)
On the 16th February 2010, the Centrefor Sustainable Cities held the Summer School day. This was a well received day with contributions from the following presenters: Read More
Nick Preval, Ralph Chapman & Philippa Howden-Chapman
‘Sizing up the City’ covers a range of issues. This chapter reports on a survey which found that most people (54%) think that urban limits are necessary so that cities develop more sustainably (15% disagree). By 2 to 1, New Zealanders thought councils (rather than market forces) should have the key role in defining the limits of the city. Read More
Many New Zealanders want more and better inner-city housing, even if those with kids generally want a bigger house, further out. And Kiwis don’t want urban expansion to continue unchecked. There is strong support for councils limiting urban development, promoting the quality of urban centres, and providing better conditions for the walker and the cyclist.
These are some of the findings in a book on sustainable urban form and transport to be released on Tuesday February 16th.
‘Sizing Up the City: Urban form and transport in New Zealand’ is published by the New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities in Wellington.
Read More
Strongly related to one of members, Landcare, on Low Impact Urban Development here’s a post by the
The Daily Score :
For years, environmentalists have touted “low-impact development” – letting soil and vegetation soak up heavy rains, rather than channeling storm runoff into gutters and sewers – as the best solution for stormwater. But as it turns out, LID has picked up a whole host of new fans: smart economists, developers, builders, and government regulators are now singing the praises of LIDs as well.
Read More
Here’s the programme you’ve all been waiting for:
Agenda for day
Tuesday 16 February, 23 A mein St Newtown, Wellington.
There will be a host of speakers, a variety of perspectives and still plenty of time for discussion.
Link to register
The Environmental Studies Programme of the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences is pleased to announce an intensive five- week block course, ENVI 529 Sustainable Energy. Read More
Email received from Chris Cameron, Wellington City Council.
The recommendations contained within the report of the Climate Change office were passed unanimously by Wellington city council committee on the 3rd of Dec. Read More
NEW BOOK REVEALS ONGOING HEALTH & SOCIAL COSTS OF LEAKY HOMES
The long-term social costs of leaky buildings constructed following deregulation of the building industry by the National Government in the early 1990s are not just the result of failures in construction.
This first book on the broad effects of the leaky buildings saga in New Zealand, “Do Damp and Mould Matter? Health Impacts of Leaky Homes” is edited by Professor Howden-Chapman, Dr Julie Bennett and Dr Rob Siebers from the Public Health Department at the University of Otago, Wellington.
Professor Howden-Chapman says: “This book examines not only the fundamental reasons for the failure of the building industry in the 1990s, but also the long-term health costs of living in damp and mouldy homes, which are a consequence of this industry failure”.
Public Comment
The following draft Standard is available for you to comment on. The closing date for comment on this draft Standard is 5 February 2010.
DZ 4404, Land development and subdivision Read More
Health in context: Place, food and physical activity 11 Feb
Introduces present research projects in these related areas and draws on a mix of methodologies and frameworks.
Growth misconduct? (Can we do better on urban intensification? ) 16 Feb
Speakers and interactive sessions will explore the environmental and social challenges of urban intensification.
Housing quality assessment for health and sustainability 17 Feb
Provides an understanding of the core concepts of housing quality (health, safety, and sustainability) and practical methods for measuring these attributes.
See attached flyer for more details and enrolment instructions.
Tuesday 8th December, 5-7pm
Film Archives, 84 Taranaki Street
Ian Athfield and a selection of archival films on a topic of Sustainable Urban Design.
