Archive for August, 2007
Movement - Heard of ‘complete streets’?
Posted in Models, Movements by fedwards on August 17th, 2007
This article from the Smart Growth America Newsletter discusses the new movement in the USA called “complete streets” which advocates for everyone’s right to roads considering the needs of pedestrians, bike riders, senior and the disabled AS WELL AS mass transit in planning new or reconfiguing existing roads. Read on for more information about the movement. Any idea how we could extend this to other countries - say Australia? Comments welcome!
Movement for complete streets makes front page of USA Today
The nationwide movement for complete streets has been spreading like wildfire around the country, possibly because it’s an idea that nearly everyone can get behind. A growing number of legislatures, as well as mayors, county executives and governors are adopting strong policies that require new or redeveloped roads to be designed so that they are safe and convenient for everyone who uses them. The USA Today’s John Ritter picked up on the trend with a front page story July 29, chronicling the “national trend that has dozens of state and local governments considering the needs of pedestrians, bike riders, seniors, the disabled and mass transit when they plan new roads or reconfigure existing ones.”
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Tags: energy, Health, Resource, Transport, Urban Design and Built Form
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Model & Resource - How Cuba survived peak oil
Posted in Models, Movements by fedwards on August 16th, 2007
Cuba is a fantastic example of how food security - with environmental benefits - has been achieved in times of oil insecurity. There is a DVD on the topic: “The Power Of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil“. A link to this DVD exists at Amazon.com.
There is also a review of the film by Richard Heinberg. Either visit the review at source by clicking here or read it below.
The Power Of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
THE POWER OF COMMUNITY: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil focuses on Cuba’s transition from an industrial petroleum-based society to a sustainable society, as a result of their loss of petroleum when their source, the Soviet Union, collapsed. With less than 2 weeks notice, Cubans were faced with a 90% reduction in petroleum based products. With no food being delivered to stores because of fuel shortages for transportation, on average most Cubans lost 20 lbs. Lawns and public parks were turned into vegetable gardens.
This era of Cuban history is called “The Special Period” a time which radically transformed the Cuban society and economy, as it necessitated the successful introduction of sustainable agriculture, decreased use of automobiles, and overhauls of industry, health, and diet. Relocalization, permaculture, and innovative modes of mass transit had to be rapidly developed.
The goals of this film are to give hope to the developed world as it wakes up to the consequences of being hooked on oil, and to lift American’s prejudice of Cuba by showing the Cuban people as they are. The filmmakers do this by having the people tell their story on film. It’s a story of their dedication to independence and triumph over adversity, and a story of cooperation and hope. Several Cubans expressed the belief that living on an island, with its natural boundaries, breeds awareness that there are limits to natural resources.
“Everyone who is concerned about Peak Oil needs to see this film. Cuba survived an energy famine during the 1990’s, and how it did so constitutes one of the most important and hopeful stories of the past not just of individual achievement, but one of the collective mobilization of an entire society to meet an enormous challenge.”
Richard Heinberg, author of The Party’s Over, Powerdown
Tags: Carbon-neutral, energy, Food, Health, Resource, Urban Design and Built Form, waste, Water
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Event - Governing shared resources: Connecting local experience to global challenges, July 2008
Posted in Events, Models, Research by fedwards on August 15th, 2007
Governing shared resources: Connecting local experience to global challenges
The 12th Biennial Global Conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons
July 14 – July 18, 2008
University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, England
Abstract Deadline: October 30, 2007
Email: iasc2008 @glos.ac.uk
Conference Location: University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, England
Conference Theme:
The emphasis of the conference is the exchange of knowledge on shared resources or ‘commons’: between developing and developed world, between practitioners and researchers, and between old and ‘new’ commons. The overarching theme of governing shared resources aims to encourage discussion on new ways of using, managing, protecting and creating what many understand as ‘commons’. The themes recognise the wide variety of understanding over the term ‘commons’ and the need to link practical experience at the local level with larger global commons issues.
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Tags: climate change, energy, Urban Design and Built Form
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Resource & Model - Walkable communities and Walk Score
Posted in Models by fedwards on August 14th, 2007
This review below from the Smart Growth America Newsletter discusses the need for more walkable communities and the launch of the new website, “Walk Score” that’s making this happen. Read the review below and go to the end of the article for more links to related sites.
New website taps into demand for walkable neighborhoods
As more and more people realize the drawbacks of living in solely auto-centric places—obesity, lost time, high cost of fuel, energy dependence, dangerous emissions—demand is growing rapidly for homes in walkable areas, where it’s not a given that a one-ton automobile is required to get one dozen eggs from the store. But how does one go about finding out just how “walkable” is that new home or apartment?
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Tags: energy, Health, Resource, Transport, Urban Design and Built Form
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Book review - “Blessed Unrest” by Paul Hawken
Posted in Movements, Research, Visions by fedwards on August 13th, 2007
The New York Times have published a book review about Paul Hawken’s new book, “Blessed Unrest“. Hawken’s book analyses the growing environmental movement of which SustainableCitiesNet.com is a part! The review titled, “Grass Roots Rising” is by Robert Sullivan and can be found at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/books/review/Sullivan-t.html
Tags: climate change
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Movement - Global EcoVillage Network
Posted in Models, Movements by fedwards on August 9th, 2007
The WorldWatch Institute has recently released a Vital Signs Update which explores the development of the international “ecovillage” and “cohousing” movement. This movement is represented by communities who work together to reduce their environmental footprint. Visit the WorldWatch Institute website for the full article or read on below.
Green Acres: Communities Reduce Ecological Footprints
Worldwatch Institute – August 8, 2007 – 5:00am
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Municipal leaders from San Francisco to Melbourne are engaging in sustainability actions from banning plastic bags and water bottles to making commitments to address climate change. But within and beyond cities, growing numbers of local communities are also going green, according to a new Vital Signs Update from the Worldwatch Institute. Worldwide, the 379 “ecovillages” currently registered with the Global Ecovillage Network are sharing innovative solutions that connect residents socially while collectively lowering their ecological footprints— including local food co-ops, community-supported agriculture programs, and carpooling.
“Planned communities tend to evoke over-developed suburban neighborhoods and mini-malls,” says Erik Assadourian, Worldwatch Research Associate and author of the Update. “But increasingly, planned communities will come to mean neighbors living with a purpose beyond consumerism, embracing a sustainable lifestyle and forging meaningful connections with their neighbors.”
Europe leads the world in the number of registered ecovillages, with 138, followed by North America (110), Latin America (58), Asia/Oceania (52), and Africa/Middle East (21).
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Tags: Carbon-neutral, energy, networks, Resource, Urban Design and Built Form
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Model - Free bicycles for all
Posted in Models, Visions by fedwards on August 9th, 2007
The excerpt of the article below from Planet Ark’s Environmental News tells of a new free bike scheme for Parisian citizens. Such bike schemes have occurred before with mixed results. Read on - could you persuade someone in your city to take on this model? Do you know of some of the unsuccessful results in such schemes? Comments are welcome below.
Paris Woos Cyclists as Free Bike Scheme Takes Off
FRANCE: August 1, 2007
The “Velib” — short for “free bike” — programme launched in Paris this month has been a runaway success for Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, allowing thousands of Parisians and visitors to leave their cars at home to pedal to work or to the shops. Similar systems exist in other European countries, as city administrations struggle to ease both traffic gridlock and air pollution, but the French capital has the most ambitious scheme.
Some 616,000 users have signed up to be able to pick up bikes at more than 750 points in Paris for daily subscriptions of one euro.
“People have taken to the service very quickly. We’re getting around 1,200 requests for registration a day,” said France Pele from the Paris city hall.
The sturdy grey-green bikes have become a common sight, with people ranging from students to business executives weaving through traffic. Even screen legend Alain Delon has had a go.
“It’s very good, I really like it. Although having said that, I can’t get this thing to work now,” said Roland Martinez, a salesman struggling to clip his bike back into place at a pickup point near the Tuileries gardens.
Paris is unlikely ever to rival classic bicycling cities like Amsterdam. But Velib is a revolution in a city with a vast metro network but an increasingly choked road system, where bicycling has long been looked on with suspicion.
Some 10,000 bikes are already in place and the scheme is set to double in size by the end of the year to include around 20,000 bikes and 1,450 pick up points, one every 300 metres.
The first half hour is free, which organisers believe will cover most users, though longer journeys are possible on a mounting scale of charges. Longer term subscriptions for up to a year are also possible.
To read the full article, click here.
Tags: Carbon-neutral, energy, Health, Resource, Transport
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Event: Green Cities 08
Posted in Events, Models, Research, Visions by fedwards on August 9th, 2007
Green Cities’ new theme and new look for 2008 was successfully launched at the Property Council of Australia congress in Darwin. You can now register for Early Bird prices by completing the Expression of Interest form. Visit the Green Cities website www.greencities.org.au for regular updates on speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and more.
This year abstracts for Green Cities 08 will be considered for the concurrent sessions, and the call for abstracts is now open. Email greencities @gbcaus.org for further details.
Tags: Carbon-neutral, energy, Urban Design and Built Form, Water
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Sustainable Cities - www.SustainableMelbourne.com
Posted in Events, Models by fedwards on August 9th, 2007
Resource - Ms Monique Conheady & Flexicar at the Sustainble Cities Round Table 1 August
August 8th, 2007
by ferne edwards
Ms Monique Conheady, co-founder & CEO, Flexicar, spoke about her car-sharing business, Flexicar, with her talk titled, “If you live in a city, you don’t need to own a car“, at the Sustainable Cities Round Table.
Prior to establishing Flexicar, Monique was an Assistant Director with the Federal Government’s Department of Health and Ageing. Graduating with honours from the University of Melbourne in Engineering and Arts, she has also worked as a project manager for the global engineering consulting film Ove Arup & Partners in Melbourne, London, New York and Cairo, and was involved in the development of an ebusiness venture for UK retailer, Sainsbury’s. In 1998 Monique was awarded the National Association of Women in Construction Young Achiever Award. Monique is passionate about new ways of doing business that are financially, socially and environmentally sustainable.
Tags: energy, Resource, Transport
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Sustainable Cities - www.SustainableMelbourne.com
Posted in Events, Models by fedwards on August 9th, 2007
Local action & Networks - The Sustainable Cities Round Table, 1 August 2007
August 8th, 2007
by ferne edwards
What a wonderful evening! A fantastic turnout and inspiring presentations occurred again at our second Sustainable Cities Round Table. Following on from the structure of the last Round Table, we had seven of Melbourne’s sustainable cities experts deliver their environmental initiatives within a brief three minutes, followed by an enthusiastic brainstorm/ discussion about our sponsor’s, VicUrban, “Officer” project. The event closed with the opportunity for networking and future collaborations with drinks and canapes.
The entire event was filmed - thank you to Mr Ryan Spanger from Dream Engine films - and is now available on this site. Simply place the names of the presenters (listed below) in the www.SustainableMelbourne.com Search Category to visit a post about their talk.
Presenters included:
• Introduction by Prof Chris Ryan & Ferne Edwards, Australian Centre for Science, Innovation and Society (ACSIS), University of Melbourne - see video below
• Mr Alan Pears, Adjunct Professor, RMIT University & Director, Sustainable Solutions Pty Ltd, “The carbon neutral revolution - transforming cities”
• Ms Monique Conheady, Co-founder & CEO, Flexicar, “If you live in a city, you don’t need to own a car”
• Mr David Teller, UNGC-Cities Programme Director & Committee for Melbourne Acting CEO, “The United Nations Global Compact - Cities Programme: Melbourne-based urban governance and innovation”
• Mr David Craven, Executive Director, Green Building Council of Australia, “Sustainable cities: The role of the Green Building Council”
• Mr Mick Pearce, Design Inc., “The City and Nature”
• Ms Robyn Evans, Sustainable Transport Officer, Environment Victoria, “Environment Victoria’s Sustainable Transport campaign: Linking environment with transport”
• Mr Martin Williams, Sustainability Manager, VicUrban, “VicUrban Sustainability Charter”
• Brainstorming/ discussion: ‘Creating a carbon neutral community with the lights on’, presented by
Derek Klau, VicUrban and facilitated by Chris Ryan, ACSIS
Tags: networks, Resource
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