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The Centre for Sustainable Cities is an inter-disciplinary research centre dedicated to providing the research base for innovative solutions to the economic, social, environmental and cultural development of our urban centres.

87% of New Zealanders live in cities.

The health and well-being of a significant proportion of our population is reliant on developing environments that take into account the connections between transport, design, energy, health and governance and other issues.

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27 June 2011 – 2:36 pm
Posted in news & events and NZ policy issues and research and Uncategorized and urban design

Growth Misconduct? Avoiding sprawl and improving urban intensification in NZ – Available for purchase

Growth Misconduct? Avoiding sprawl and improving urban intensification in New Zealand
Edited by Karen Witten, Wokje Abrahamse & Keriata Stuart

New Zealand’s population is expected to grow by one million people in the next 20 years. The arrival of ‘peak oil’ and accumulating evidence of climate change force us to reconsider the way we grow our cities. This book provides insights into the multifaceted practice of urban intensification. It highlights both the promise and the limitations of planning models such as smart growth and new urbanism in New Zealand cities. Growth Misconduct? is intended to further our knowledge, spark debate and help us think critically about ways to create livable, beautiful, environmentally sustainable and prosperous cities. The book highlights where intensification has gone wrong to enable planners and designers to overcome these barriers and work towards models of urban intensification that will bring environmental, social and economic gains.

rrp $34.99
Steele Roberts Aotearoa Box 9321, Wellington, New Zealand
+64 4 499 0044 info@steeleroberts.co.nz www.steeleroberts.co.nz

30 May 2011 – 10:39 am
Posted in housing & building and NZ policy issues and podcasts and urban design and urban governance

Urban Science Workshop for Christchurch

PODCASTS AVAILABLE

Podcast: Susan Krumdiek
Podcast: Ian Athfield
Podcast: Anna Stephenson
Podcast: Rod Oram
Podcast: Plenary Session

24 May 2011 – 3:40 pm
Posted in housing & building and news & events and NZ policy issues and urban design and urban governance

Resilient Futures: Supporting Recovery in Greater Christchurch

Would you like to know more about disaster recovery? Would you like to hear from people who have worked on earthquake recovery in Kobe, New Orleans, Chile and Haiti?

Lincoln University’s Faculty of Environment, Society and Design invites you to hear from our distinguished guests live or via webcast from the United States:

Ngaire Button, Deputy Mayor, Christchurch City Council.
Gavin Smith: Executive Director of the Centre for the Study of Natural Hazards and Disasters (UNC Hazards Centre) and the Department of Homeland Security’s Centre of Excellence – Disasters, Coastal Infrastructure and Emergency Management (DIEM).
Laurie Johnson is a consultant with over 20 years of experience in urban planning and disaster-related management and research following earthquakes in Chile, China, Northridge and Kobe. She has a focus on mitigating hazards and regulating land use in geologically hazardous areas, including earthquake fault zones, and liquefaction and flood-prone areas.
Charles Kelly has over 30 years experience in humanitarian assistance for earthquakes, drought, floods, epidemics, conflict and other emergencies. He has also helped develop the Green Recovery and Reconstruction Toolkit in conjunction with the WWF and Red Cross.
Bruce Glavovic Earthquake Commission Fellow in Natural Hazards Planning focuses on the role of planning in building sustainable, hazard-resilient communities.
Ljubica Mamula-Seadon’s career spans over thirty years in earthquake engineering and recovery, risk management and environmental planning. She currently looks after the Resilience, Recovery, Infrastructure and Welfare programmes at the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management.
Sandra James is a Community Development Officer, and now manager of Waimakariri District Council’s earthquake Recovery Assistance Centre.
With more speakers to be confirmed…
To register ($85.00 including lunch) visit

http://www.lincoln.ac.nz/resilient-futures

Date: Monday 18th April

Time: 9.00 – 4.00pm

Place: Lincoln University, Stewart 1 (S1)

Please feel free to distribute this invitation widely.

15 May 2011 – 2:25 pm
Posted in behaviour change and health and NZ policy issues and podcasts and urban design and urban governance

Barbara Israel and Christine Jacobson: Lecture

PODCASTS ADDED

Podcast: Podcast: Barbara Israel: Community Engagement in Policy making and Planning

Podcast: Podcast: Christine Jacobson, Senior Policy Analyst, Porirua City Council

Podcast: Barbara Israel and Christine Jacobson: Questions and answers

Community Engagement in Policy making and Planning:

Prof Barbara Israel, DrPH, MPH, Professor Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan has published widely in the areas of: the social and physical environmental determinants of health and health inequalities; the relationship among stress, social support, control and physical and mental health; community empowerment and health; and community-based participatory research (CBPR). She has extensive experience conducting community-based participatory research in collaboration with partners in diverse communities. Since 1995, she has worked together with academic and community partners to establish and maintain the Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center, initially funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Israel is actively involved in several of these CBPR projects examining and addressing, for example, the social and physical environmental determinants of cardiovascular disease, the environmental triggers of childhood asthma, access to food and physical activity spaces, diabetes management and prevention, and capacity building for and translating research findings into policy change

Christine Jacobson is a Senior Policy Analyst, Porirua City Council.

9 May 2011 – 10:23 am
Posted in Uncategorized

Hansen’s NZ Tour, May 2011 Correction to Auckland start time

Thurs 12th May: Auckland: public lecture

6.30pm

(not 6pm as previously noted)

, University of Auckland Business School, OGGB4, Level 0, Owen Glenn Building, 12 Grafton Road.

20 April 2011 – 4:14 pm
Posted in news & events and urban design

TOWNS & CITIES NZ 2011 CONFERENCE

Strategic Infrastructure – Importance to Local Economies through BID Management

Rydges Wellington (Prev. Holiday Inn) 75 Featherston Street, Wellington

Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th June 2011. Post Conference Workshop – Additional 30th June

Conference Programme and registration.

19 April 2011 – 1:01 pm
Posted in climate change and news & events and Uncategorized

James Hansen’s NZ Tour Dates

James Hansen will be touring New Zealand next month, giving a public lecture entitled “Climate Change: a scientific, moral and legal issue” in Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington, Dunedin, Gore and Christchurch.

Coal and lignite will be a major focus of his visit, and he’ll be participating in a symposium on “the future of coal” in Wellington on May 17th.

Hansen’s tour is being sponsored by a number of groups, including 350.org, Greenpeace, Organic Systems NZ, Oxfam, The Pure Advantage, the Institute of Policy Studies, and a number of interested academics and individuals.

Hansen’s NZ Tour, May 2011
Thurs 12th May: Auckland: public lecture 6pm, University of Auckland Business School, OGGB4, Level 0, Owen Glenn Building, 12 Grafton Road.

Fri 13th May: Palmerston North: public lecture 1.30-2.45pm, Japan Lecture Theatre, Massey University.

Mon 16th May: Wellington: public lecture 5.45pm, Rutherford House, welcomed by Mayor Celia Wade-Brown.

Tues 17th May: Wellington: 8.45 am – 5.30 pm IPS Symposium on the Future of Coal (pdf) Victoria University: (he will speak 10.20 to 11.30, on panel 4pm -5.30pm).

Wed 18th May: Dunedin: public lecture5.30 – 7pm, St David’s Lecture Hall.

Thurs 19th May: Gore: 2 pm public meeting hosted by Mataura Landcare group, Gore District Council.

Friday 20th May: Christchurch: public talk 5.30 pm, hosted by Kennedy Graham, MP, venue to be confirmed.

Saturday 21st May: Auckland: Daytime event to be confirmed.