b s h fb s h f Eco-towns An English policy response to sustainable urbanisation Jim Vine – Head of Programme (UK Housing Policy and Practice) Presentation to Conference on Sustainable Urbanisation ECOSOC Chamber, United Nations Headquarters, New York – 13 May 2009

b s h fb s h f BSHF  Founded 1976  Independent housing research charity  Guiding principles Innovative and forward looking Identifying solutions rather than problems All research to have practical relevance People centred – building people as well as houses Sustainable development – looking to the long-term  Eleven members of staff and annual expenditure of $1,200,000  Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council

b s h fb s h f Context  Housing need  Limited space to develop  Inequality  Urban flight  Environmental commitments  Development technologies

b s h fb s h f Context - Housing need  “Acute housing shortage” 1.77 million households on housing registers  250,000 new homes per year needed  Affordability crisis

b s h fb s h f Context - Limited space to develop  Small island nation  Perceptions of over-development  Space limited

b s h fb s h f Context - Opposition  NIMBYs Not In My Back Yard  NOTEs Not Over There Either  BANANAs Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything

b s h fb s h f Context - Inequality  Poverty Especially relative poverty Child poverty targets  Asset inequality

b s h fb s h f Context - Urban flight  Families moving to rural / village locations  Commuting into cities for work and services  Capture a strong urban offer

b s h fb s h f Context - Environmental commitments  80% reduction by 2050  Housing significant contributor Code for sustainable homes Existing stock Source: zerocarbonbritain

b s h fb s h f Context - Development technologies  Slow uptake of techniques  Absence of relevant skills  Lack of market For buildings made with sustainability in mind For techniques

b s h fb s h f Eco-towns  new settlements  5,000 and 15,000 families  affordable  zero carbon  equipped with services  attractive places  developed with the community for the community

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b s h fb s h f Eco-towns - infrastructure  more than 50 per cent of trips by foot, bicycle or public transport  reducing residents’ reliance on the car  homes within 10 minutes’ walk of frequent public transport and neighbourhood services

b s h fb s h f Eco-towns - ICT  real-time energy monitoring systems,  real-time public transport information and  high-speed broadband access.

b s h fb s h f Pennbury  Proposed by Cooperative Group  Leicestershire  Mostly farmland, some brownfield 

b s h fb s h f ICTs for community participation  Future – Community Window  Present – online Government information Proposal information Opposition

b s h fb s h f Closing thoughts  Sustainability Environmental Financial Social Governance  Exemplar and market maker

b s h fb s h f Thank you  Contact: