« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
The Long Term
It is crucial that a long term vision permeates the planning of these communities. Sustainability is about longevity. The aim is to create places which meet current requirements and which can evolve to meet changing circumstances and thus have continuing relevance. This should include consideration of the whole-life cost of the project and commitment to early investment in physical and community infrastructure to create a framework for development which includes capacity for future growth.
Community and local authority commitment will be crucial to the delivery of a scheme over the long term. Promoters must demonstrate continuing community engagement and consultation both in actively developing the proposal and in promoting the scheme.
Many SSCI proposals are likely to be long term projects which need to be managed in a proactive and continuous way to deliver sustainable communities. Submissions must give consideration to long term management including responsibility for any shared assets such as parks, leisure areas, landscaping, local energy centres and other community facilities. This might involve local governance arrangements for example through community trusts and energy supply companies to manage the supply and maintenance of locally generated energy.
Bo01, Malmo, Sweden
The derelict industrial zone of Vastra in Malmo has been redeveloped into a new urban quarter with a range of workplaces and a college. Up to 10,000 people will eventually live and work in the area when fully completed. Bo01 has been developed as a demonstration project to provide a model for future cities. The development is seen as one of the world's most environmentally friendly developments with a belief that 'the city of the future is a city built to ecological principles, Bo01 is one step along the way to a sustainable society'.
Q4. How does the proposal address long term sustainability?
- the sustainable development objectives will be maintained and enhanced throughout the life of the project and beyond
- development is of a scale capable of creating a place which is cohesive in character, inclusive and provides opportunity for its residents
- embraces and encourages diversity throughout the development
- enables population stability and security of services and facilities in rural locations
- influences behaviour through active community involvement e.g. preparation of travel plans or recycling guidance to show how to achieve a high standard of living
- buildings are designed to enable simple adaptation and conversion
- community engagement forms a key element of the project from the earliest stages and there are ongoing opportunities for community involvement in developing the proposal and in the creation and management of the built development
- the new community has the potential to grow and adapt to changing needs and circumstances
- consideration of long-term management and maintenance arrangements for the development/community including in relation to matters such as public open space, local energy generation, community facilities
- the proposal should provide a basis for demonstration, learning and ongoing progress in a particular aspect such as building or construction technologies, environmental performance, energy management, community wellbeing, delivery mechanisms, community involvement, development finance or ownership and governance
- the proposal should include a programme to monitor the physical environmental performance of buildings and the experience of users, with findings to be freely available and easily accessible to the construction industry, policy makers, and the public.
« Previous | Contents | Next »