Susanne Becken, Associate Professor, Lincoln University
Hosted by Victoria University of Wellington, Tourism Management Group
Wednesday 28 July at 12.15 – 13.15- followed by coffee
Board Room, Level 12, Rutherford House
ALL WELCOME Read More
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.
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
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
How innovative technologies and infrastructure planning can support the smart transformation of our cities
28 – 29 June, Rendezvous Hotel, Auckland Read More
7.30pm at Ramsey House, 8 Kelburn Parade, Kelburn.
The next Do Something! seminar will be held on Tuesday 18 May and the topic is Transport, Peak Oil and Climate Change. The issues: Read More
As Minister Brownlee has just announced the NZ government’s intention to join the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) we thought we should update you on our collaboration with Dr. Eric Martinot, the author of the influential REN21 Renewables Global Status Report.
Last year we contributed research towards the current edition of the REN21 Renewables Global Status Report, providing information about the renewable energy initiatives of Christchurch, Dunedin, Waitakere, and Wellington city councils.
Now we’re working with Dr. Martinot to expand the scope of the report by including additional New Zealand cities and by developing a systematic method of analysing the “enabling factors” that make renewable energy initiatives a reality at a local government level and the ways in which the outcomes of such initiatives are measured.
If you’d like to be involved or hear more please contact nicholas.preval@otago.ac.nz
The Wellington City Council is holding a public meeting on Wednesday, 21 April to discuss the Council’s draft 2010 Climate Change Action Plan. The meeting is being held in Committee Room 1 at the Council offices from 12pm-2pm. Come along if you want to ask questions or learn more about the Council’s proposed response to climate change.
Go here for a copy of the plan.
On Tuesday Evening 16th February 2010 we launched “Sizing up the City; Urban Form and Transport”. The book collects and expands on papers presented at the February 2009 Summer School. It includes the latest research and thinking on sustainable transport and our built environment as well as experiences from councils trying to create more sustainable cities.
“Sizing up the City” book order form
5% More Cyclists Save $200m
just one of the messages in the book was spelt out by local cyclists at the launch linking the book to the BikeWise Challenge “On your Bike” month of February.
from left to right: Andy Foster (WCC), Celia Wade-Brown (WCC),Jude Ball (Frocks on Bikes), Annette King (MP, Labour), Kevin Hague (MP, Greens)
Photo Kevin Hague at book Launch.
Photo Cyclists group
Link to Cycling Advocates Network CAN
Courtesy of the Healthy Community Design News newsletter:
Economic growth associated with less VMT, more transit ridership (Victoria Transport Institute, December 2009).
A new study by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute in Canada finds that gross domestic product (GDP) tends to increase with transit ridership and density, and decline with vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and roadway supply. This essentially validates general analysis on the economic benefits of agglomeration (the value of locating economic activities close together, which is why cities exist) and of a more diverse and efficient transport system (indicated by higher transit ridership).
Read More
In the spirit of winding up the last year and considering the new one here are a couple of interesting listy links:
Planetizen releases its ninth annual list of the ten best books in urban planning, design and development published in 2009. This year’s assortment ranges from an impassioned argument for making transit fun to a low-key and practical guide to smart growth.
Looking forward, here’s a link to the Listener article with 20 ideas for a better world by Ruth Laugesen & David Lomas (the full text will be available from 16/01/10). Here imaginative New Zealanders, including our director Philippa Howden-Chapman, share their ideas on how to make the world a better place.
Please feel free to share your top reads or ideas from 2009.
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
NZTA Seminar
The application of Health Impact Assessments in transport planning and funding.
Rob Quigley and MartinWard will present the results of their recent research.
Date: Wednesday 21 October
Time: 12.30 -1.30pm
Venue: PSIS House, 20 Balance Street, Wellington
RSVP by Tuesday 20 October to rachel.evans@nzta.govt.nz
And a reminder that our seminar is on that evening.
Making the Right Turn, How policy, planning, investment, and behaviour will adapt with oil production and the climate
Dr Susan Krumdieck Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Canterbury. Director of Advanced Energy and Material Systems Lab (www.aemslab.org.nz) pioneering R&D in transitional technologies and systems for power, fuels and transport.and Dwayne Fletcher, Senior Policy Advisor (Strategic Development),Hutt City Council
5.30-7pm, Wednesday 21 October,
Old Govt House, Lecture Theatre 1,
Pipitea Campus
VUW Climate Change Research Institute and Wellington City Council
The Next Steps for Living with Climate Change
12 October 2009
1:30 pm – 5:00 pm
The Icon Room, National Museum Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington
This meeting provides four summaries of some of the latest developments in climate change science relevant to New Zealand and covers why this area is becoming increasingly serious. The following discussion, led by Chris Cameron from the Wellington City Council, will discuss the linkages between studies of the physical, environmental and socio-economic effects of climate change and the management of appropriate responses in local government and central government.
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The New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities
Making the Right Turn
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
5.30-7pm
Lecture Theatre 1 Old Government Buildings, Victoria University of
Wellington, Pipitea Campus, Stout Street, Wellington
Dr Susan Krumdieck – Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Canterbury. Director of Advanced Energy and Material Systems Lab (www.aemslab.org.nz) pioneering R&D in transitional technologies and systems for power, fuels and transport.
Paki Maaka, Urban Design Manager, HUTT CITY COUNCIL
How policy, planning, investment, and behaviour will adapt with oil production and the climate
It was interesting to read the Editorial in yesterday’s The New Zealand Herald hoping that the new Super City will put to rest what they percieve to be a doomed drive for density.
Perhaps though the comment below is a call for more co-benefit research:
Governments and their officials have been hard to convince of the value of commuter railways in Auckland. Environmental reasoning alone has not persuaded them.
