Also posted in Uncategorized and news & events
Urban Environmental Pollution – UEP 2010
Overcoming Obstacles to Sustainability and Quality of Life
Boston, USA • June 20-23, 2010
View the program and register online now!
Register now to hear from leading experts on the latest developments and information about urban pollution problems and what measures can be taken to overcome obstacles to sustainability and life quality. The role of urban vegetation in storm water retention, pollution and temperature reduction, green roofs, re-surfacing buildings, reducing albedo, reducing asthma and other advances will be presented.
Also posted in Uncategorized and news & events
Environment Institute of Australia and NZ – NZ Conference
26-29 October – WELLINGTON
The title of the conference is “From Discovery to Delivery: Science, Policy, Leadership and Action”. These are the four elements which, together, are essential for sound environmental management.
Because 2010 is the International Year for Biodiversity, we expect that many of the conference papers and workshops will address this particular aspect of environmental management. Read More »
Also posted in Uncategorized
Raising the Bar – A new Decade and New Issues for Town and City Centres.
24-25 August – WELLINGTON
Sessions will cover government leadership, urban design/spatial planning, local government and business partnership, commercial property, the Rugby World Cup, and infrastructure.
To register or for more information contact Karen Remetis: 09 8461015 or karen@towncentredevelopment.co.nz
Also posted in NZ policy issues and health and news & events
This practical one-day workshop aims to introduce planners to health and wellbeing impact assessment (HIA). Planners will be introduced to the methods and practice of HIA. Planning case studies of completed HIAs are presented and critiqued showing how HIA can help achieve planning goals. Read More »
Also posted in media
A discussion about the extent to which Australian cities, as we know them, are sustainable. Australia is a highly urbanised nation and yet when we talk about the potentially severe effects of climate change in Australia we tend not to talk about how our cities will cope, we tend to talk more about the damage to our iconic environmental assets—rivers, reefs and so on—and to our agricultural output. About eight out of ten Australians live and work in cities and the urban fringes, so the conversation about how sustainable our cities really are is long overdue. See: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/latenightlive/stories/2009/2525752.htm
Thanks to CAN for the link.
Also posted in news & events
VUW SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
THURSDAY MAY 6TH 2010, 18:30
LT1
Jody Beck
Lecturer in Landscape Architecture
Lincoln University Read More »
Also posted in health and news & events
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.”
Report for download
Also posted in climate change and news & events and podcasts
Podcast: Local Renewable Energy Policies and Actions: Global Survey and Prospects for New Zealand – Eric Martinot
(Quicktime movie, 131 MB)
Podcast: Local Renewable Energy Policies and Actions: Global Survey and Prospects for New Zealand – Zach Rissel
(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.
Also posted in news & events and research
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)
Also posted in behaviour change and housing & building and news & events and transport and urban governance
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 »
24 February 2010 – 12:33 pm
Also posted in housing & building and media and news & events and research and transport and urban governance
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 »
15 February 2010 – 12:30 pm
Also posted in housing & building and media and news & events and transport
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 »
1 February 2010 – 10:12 am
Also posted in behaviour change and research
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 »
22 January 2010 – 6:46 am
Also posted in NZ policy issues and climate change and housing & building and news & events and transport
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
21 December 2009 – 12:21 pm
Also posted in news & events
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 »
