research

Category for research areas

10 March 2010 – 11:19 am
Also posted in news & events, urban design

Sustainable Development – The key to tackling health inequalities

Sustainability Report

5 March 2010 – 1:50 pm
Also posted in housing & building

Statistics NZ, Apartment Dwellers: 2006 Census Report

Apartment Dwellers: 2006 Census reports on the people who live in apartments in the three main cities of New Zealand. It compares and contrasts the characteristics of inner city and non-inner city apartment dwellers within each city and analyses particular aspects of the apartments themselves. Read More »

24 February 2010 – 12:33 pm
Also posted in housing & building, media, news & events, transport, urban design, urban governance

For whom the city? Housing and locational preferences in New Zealand

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 »

22 February 2010 – 7:50 am
Also posted in climate change, news & events

Climate change & human health:Impact & adaptation issues for New Zealand

This paper briefly summarises the likely impacts of climate change on health, globally, but focuses on adaptive measures that might be undertaken in New Zealand.

Climate change & human health PDF

1 February 2010 – 10:12 am
Also posted in behaviour change, urban design

Low Impact Urban Development good for the wallet and environment

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 »

30 September 2009 – 11:29 am
Also posted in climate change, news & events

Another incentive to focus on adaptation as well as mitigation

The latest report from the UN Environment Program, argues that even if the international community enacts every climate policy proposed at this point – an optimistic scenario that includes “U.S. cuts that would reduce domestic emissions 73 percent from 2005 levels by 2050, along with the European Union’s pledge to reduce its emissions 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050″ – global temperatures will rise 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of this century. That’s nearly twice the temperature increase that scientists predict will spell irreversible climate chaos.

11 September 2009 – 10:04 am
Also posted in news & events, transport

CPI – Commuter Pain Index

IBM last week published their second report measuring CPI in the US. It’s a quick but interesting 12 page read, reporting the results of a survey of 4,000 US commuters.

9 September 2009 – 2:26 pm
Also posted in Uncategorized, news & events, urban design

Density – in video and report form

Here are some links to recent research and an interesting video lecture:

The National Research Council’s Transportation Research Board calculated the greenhouse gas savings if new housing was more compact and put homes close to jobs and other amenities. A report requested by Congress and published last week, determined that 57 million US homes will be needed by 2030 to accommodate population growth and replacement housing.

“Removing the Roadblocks: How to Make Sustainable Development Happen Now” out last month from the UC Berkeley School of Law and UCLA School of Law.

Yesterday the Victorian Transport Policy Institute released ” Where We Want To Be: Home Location Preferences and their Implications for Smart Growth” by Todd Litman

And finally, thanks to the Ministry for the Environment Urban Leader newsletter I found this very interesting lecture by Bill Hillier on the links between density and crime.

26 August 2009 – 2:41 pm
Also posted in behaviour change

Psychology and Global Climate Change

A draft report by the American Pyschological Association’s Task Force on the Interface between Pyschology and Global Climate Change, provides useful psychological insights for addressing the drivers of climate change, as well as considering how to mobilise people for change, and identifies many areas for further research.

26 June 2009 – 9:59 am
Also posted in news & events

Vacancy – Postdoctoral Fellow

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Fellow to join our organisation.

The Centre for Sustainable Cities is an exciting collaboration funded by the Tertiary Education Commission to provide a research base for sustainable urban development. Researchers from New Zealand universities, Crown Research Institutes and government agencies are working together to contribute to:
* Sustainable, safe and healthy housing design;
* Better integrated land use and transport system planning;
* Energy efficiency design to reduce energy use and carbon emissions and improve air
 quality; and

* Meaningful participation in local governance

Position Information