Sustainable Communities: the importance of housing. Care and Repair Cymru Conference 2012: Copthorne Hotel 19 th and 20 th September
Futorology? Crew ‘deep place’ study Comprehensive analysis Multi- factoral Integrated solutions Tredegar and Llandovery
Five sustainability issues Climate change Fuel poverty Food security Economic prosperity (growth or low growth?) Equity Housing is central to all five
Climate change Housing contributes to greenhouse gases (60 % of the 40% buildings contribute) Mainly fossil fuel based energy and embedded construction energy. Solution = Renewables Retrofit measures (insulation, Solar, PVs, CHP) Behaviour change (manage technology, avoid rebound)
Fuel poverty Closely related impact on consumer Fuel costs rising proportion of income Self-disconnection Risks for young and older persons Solution = Same as for climate change Targeted tariffs Specific benefits
Food security Precarious food supply Rising food costs International competition for staples Climate change contribution of food transport Solution= Local food production (industrial scale) Home production Seasonal diets
Economic prosperity The growth paradigm GDP measures wealth Measures of well-being Globalisation Solution = No or low growth economy (consolidation) Local economic development Labour not work
Equity The few consume – the many can’t Cost-based rationing Diverging life quality Vulnerability of older persons Solution = Carbon quotas Collective provision through co-operation But are we all in it together?
So what does it look like? New patterns of housing Housing + work = home Collective transport Collective heat and energy Multi-generational households Communal living