{"id":29572,"date":"2021-04-02T17:12:29","date_gmt":"2021-04-02T16:12:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsblogsnew.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=29572"},"modified":"2021-04-02T17:12:29","modified_gmt":"2021-04-02T16:12:29","slug":"rethinking-sustainable-cities-focus-on-social-inclusion-vital-to-future-of-sustainable-cities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=29572","title":{"rendered":"Rethinking Sustainable Cities: Focus on social inclusion vital to future of sustainable cities"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/LTM_Cities_Report_020421.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-29573\" src=\"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/LTM_Cities_Report_020421.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"171\" \/><\/a>Equality and social inclusion must go hand in hand with climate protection and economic growth to ensure the long-term success of sustainable cities and a green recovery post-pandemic, says a new report: <em>Rethinking Sustainable Cities<\/em>.<\/h3>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><span style=\"color: #800080;\">\u2026 social distancing measures have exposed limitations to our existing urban design\u2026<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><span style=\"color: #800080;\">\u2026 cutting carbon emissions is only one important piece of the puzzle\u2026<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n<p>London Transport Museum writes:<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ltmuseum.co.uk\/interchange\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rethinking Sustainable Cities<\/a>\u00a0report\u00a0highlights how the\u00a0pandemic\u00a0has resulted in a\u00a0greater imperative\u00a0to unify efforts and\u00a0change our cities for the better, so they not only protect our planet but people,\u00a0too.<\/p>\n<p>Lockdown and social distancing measures have exposed limitations to our existing urban design. The inability to work and socialise safely has rendered many city centres empty. While a lack of access to green spaces in residential zones has caused a sense of claustrophobia.<\/p>\n<p>In response, the report highlights that cutting carbon emissions is only one important piece of the puzzle when it comes to creating sustainable cities. Success also hinges on social inclusion and the wellbeing of residents being prioritised alongside both climate protection and economic growth.<\/p>\n<p>The report explores the opportunities and challenges to achieving this balance and encourages governments, city planners, policymakers and businesses to seize this opportunity to fundamentally rethink how our cities work for people now and in the future.<\/p>\n<p>It\u00a0recommends the\u00a0creation of\u00a0a\u00a0new\u00a0unified blueprint for inclusive\u00a0and environmentally sustainable\u00a0city\u00a0design\u00a0which\u00a0can be\u00a0localised or\u00a0replicated at scale.\u00a0To deliver maximum value across all the UN\u2019s Sustainable Development Goals, this will not only require rethinking the design of transport, infrastructure, housing and development projects, but also how impact and success is\u00a0evaluated.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0Rethinking Sustainable Cities\u00a0report\u00a0is produced by\u00a0leading\u00a0technical and professional services\u00a0firm\u00a0Jacobs\u00a0and\u00a0London Transport Museum,\u00a0in partnership with\u00a0the\u00a0international law firm\u00a0Gowling WLG,\u00a0global transportation company\u00a0Thales,\u00a0and\u00a0mobility and logistics\u00a0software solutions\u00a0business\u00a0PTV Group.<\/p>\n<p>It\u00a0draws on\u00a0digital\u00a0roundtable discussions with industry leaders,\u00a0policymakers\u00a0and academics\u00a0throughout 2020\u00a0as part of\u00a0Interchange,\u00a0London Transport Museum\u2019s thought leadership\u00a0programme.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0report\u2019s\u00a0recommendations\u00a0for\u00a0establishing\u00a0a\u00a0blueprint for\u00a0inclusive, sustainable\u00a0cities\u00a0include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Redefining value to prioritise wellbeing and inclusion<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0For\u00a0a\u00a0green\u00a0recovery to be successful,\u00a0public and private sectors\u00a0must commit to building\u00a0inclusively. This is essential\u00a0to ensure\u00a0developments in technology and infrastructure\u00a0do not\u00a0unintentionally widen the wealth gap.\u00a0Investing in less \u2018desirable\u2019 and often overlooked areas would improve value perception\u00a0and promise\u00a0fair\u00a0and\u00a0sustainable growth\u00a0long-term. But to achieve this,\u00a0a\u00a0shift\u00a0in\u00a0how we evaluate projects\u00a0is needed.\u00a0Success\u00a0can no longer be measured by immediate cost-benefit.\u00a0Instead,\u00a0value\u00a0must be looked at\u00a0through\u00a0multiple\u00a0lenses. These include\u00a0social inclusion,\u00a0reduced\u00a0congestion, better air quality, improved health\u00a0and environmental\u00a0change.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Educating and empowering individuals to change their behaviours<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Community\u00a0engagement\u00a0is\u00a0essential to the long-term viability of sustainable cities\u00a0and ensuring\u00a0residents are not left behind.\u00a0It\u00a0must\u00a0start\u00a0early\u00a0in the development process\u00a0and\u00a0focus on\u00a0educating\u00a0and empowering\u00a0people\u00a0to understand\u00a0the\u00a0long-term\u00a0benefits of sustainable\u00a0infrastructure projects,\u00a0verses short term disruption.\u00a0If individuals are personally contributing to positive change, they should personally profit from it,\u00a0too.\u00a0At a consumer level,\u00a0new\u00a0social digital currencies\u00a0and\u00a0tools\u00a0that allow people to understand and change their\u00a0behaviour\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0and\u00a0reward them for doing so\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0should be embraced as\u00a0powerful\u00a0drivers\u00a0for\u00a0change.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Overhauling institutional governance to encourage new ways of working<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0Policy decisions have the power to change behaviour at every\u00a0level. But\u00a0more\u00a0urgency is needed to\u00a0drive us rapidly away from\u00a0business as usual.\u00a0The success of the plastic bag tax\u00a0proves\u00a0people are willing to make changes\u00a0when it is made easy for them.\u00a0By\u00a0offering\u00a0clearer\u00a0taxation and pricing\u00a0incentives,\u00a0policymakers\u00a0can make\u00a0inclusive and\u00a0sustainable options more attractive and\u00a0widely\u00a0available.\u00a0In the UK,\u00a0for example,\u00a0reducing stamp duty for low-carbon homes\u00a0could help\u00a0to\u00a0drive\u00a0new\u00a0market demand for\u00a0existing housing stock to be\u00a0retrofitted\u00a0much more rapidly\u00a0to reduce carbon\u00a0emissions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Repurposing existing urban infrastructure\u00a0for\u00a0multi-purpose\u00a0use<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0To increase social value for residents and reduce waste, city planners should\u00a0invest in adapting and building flexible multipurpose spaces.\u00a0One suggestion is to build around a platform model, whereby work, leisure and residential spaces\u00a0are\u00a0connected digitally to optimise their usage and value.\u00a0All new and retrofitted developments will need to be built with sustainability standards in mind, whether public or private, small or large-scale.\u00a0For this to be successful, market demand and commercial expectations need to be aligned to new, unknown architectural models. City-makers\u00a0will\u00a0need to be trained to design differently.\u00a0Individuals\u00a0will\u00a0need to have their minds changed about what a home or office looks like,\u00a0too.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Harnessing the power of natural infrastructure<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The pandemic has\u00a0revealed\u00a0how rigid our current city plans are, with distinct work, leisure and residential areas. Harnessing\u00a0natural\u00a0infrastructure\u00a0within sustainable urban design\u00a0offers an\u00a0enormous opportunity\u00a0to address\u00a0this.\u00a0Hardworking urban green spaces minimize pollution. They also\u00a0control temperature and regulate air and water quality. But they\u00a0can\u00a0also\u00a0be designed to deliver community cohesion, reduce crime rates and better mental health.\u00a0For\u00a0investment in\u00a0natural infrastructure to take off\u00a0though, a shift in mindset is needed. A\u00a0shared and accepted language\u00a0for the\u00a0value of green infrastructure\u00a0is essential. New\u00a0funding\u00a0must\u00a0also\u00a0be\u00a0redirected to\u00a0pilot projects\u00a0to prove\u00a0and quantify\u00a0the added long-term value\u00a0of\u00a0holistic social, health and\u00a0wellbeing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Donald Morrison, Jacobs People\u00a0<span class=\"amp\">&amp;<\/span>\u00a0Places Solutions Senior Vice President Europe and Digital Strategies\u00a0said, \u201cThe pandemic brought into sharp focus the importance of collaboratively designing bolder city infrastructure solutions that reinvent tomorrow and maximise long-term benefit and value to all of us socially, environmentally and economically. If we are to truly level up our society and build back better and more inclusively, we need to apply past learnings quickly and think carefully about the actions needed now to add tangible, long-term value to our cities and the people who live in\u00a0them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sam Mullins OBE, Director of London Transport Museum\u00a0said,\u00a0\u201cThe pandemic has been a defining moment in modern history, exposing\u00a0limitations to\u00a0the way we currently create and use our city spaces. Coupled with an impending climate emergency,\u00a0it is\u00a0clear we need to act quickly to rethink our vision of sustainable cities.\u00a0Now is the time\u00a0to take these learnings and apply them to transport, infrastructure and\u00a0city-making\u00a0projects\u00a0before it is too late,\u00a0creating\u00a0value\u00a0for the\u00a0people who live\u00a0in our cities now\u00a0and in the\u00a0future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Giles Clifford, Partner at Gowling WLGsaid,\u00a0\u201dAchieving sustainability is no longer optional for mankind, but essential.\u00a0 Doing that effectively and rapidly in the city environment, where individual needs and collective actions have such a complex relationship, is a massive and intensely practical challenge. Just as in deploying the COVID vaccines, we need to move fast from abstract policy targets to the nuts and bolts of delivery. It\u00a0is\u00a0about individual and collective priorities and motivation, removing barriers and aligning objectives to a common goal. Dry-sounding concepts such as law, taxation, governance and subsidy can become the tools to forge the future \u2013 or if misused can thwart, confuse and hinder progress. It has been fascinating to be involved in the debates that have formed this report \u2013 these are issues that we must all engage with, hands-on and not just in\u00a0theory.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mark Garrity, Director\u00a0of\u00a0Strategy, Sales\u00a0<span class=\"amp\">&amp;<\/span>\u00a0Marketing for Thales in the UK\u00a0said,\u00a0\u201c2020 was a year that many of us will want to forget, forcing changes to our everyday lives that will likely leave a permanent impact on us all. It is now in our hands to make sure that good can be grasped from this situation to create a more sustainable and inclusive future for London and other cities around the country. The challenge is how to harness the opportunities that change brings whilst putting people and their welfare at the centre of how we restore our thriving cities in an inclusive and sustainable manner. Technology\u00a0definitely has\u00a0a part to play in the sustainable development of cities. Using technology to enable a better quality of life, as well as inform better decisions and choices in a manner that closes the gaps between our communities, rather than widening them, is a challenge we must take on\u00a0together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Paul Speirs, Director of Global Pre-Sales at PTV Group said: \u201cMobility is at the heart of every successful city and defines how well connected its population are. History shows the resilience of organically grown cities, beginning as trading hubs and enlarged by increasing commerce, the industrial revolution and the advent of the railways. The car centric dominance has in some way ripped through our cities, but peeling back the layers, the framework for the \u201815-minute city\u2019 remains. People need to meet, mix and trade. It\u2019s in our genes. For many, the pandemic gave a glimpse of the lost neighbourhoods and posed a reminder that the presence and free movement of people create vibrancy and vitality.\u00a0 With a careful blend of mobility and land use planning, a sprawling city can be reimagined and reconnected as a collection of thriving and sustainable urban villages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ltmuseum.co.uk\/news\/fundamental-focus-social-inclusion-vital-future-sustainable-cities-says-new-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more and download the report<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Equality and social inclusion must go hand in hand with climate protection and economic growth to ensure the long-term success of sustainable cities and a green recovery post-pandemic, says a new report: Rethinking Sustainable Cities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sector-newsblog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29572"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29572\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29574,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29572\/revisions\/29574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}