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What makes an eco-town?A report rom BioRegional and CABEinspired by the eco-towns challenge panel

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Written and published in 2008 by theBioRegional Development Group and theCommission or Architecture and the BuiltEnvironment (CABE).

Graphic design: Draught Associates

Front cover image: Great Bow Yard housingscheme Design or homes/ Richard Mullane

All rights reserved. No part o this publicationmay be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, copied or transmitted without theprior written consent o the publishers exceptthat the material may be photocopied ornon-commercial purposes without permissionrom the publishers. This document isavailable in alternative ormats on requestrom the publishers.

BioRegional is an entrepreneurial charitywhich invents and delivers practical solutionsor sustainability. We develop sustainableproducts, services and production systems and set up new enterprises and companiesto deliver them; initiate and guide thedevelopment o sustainable communities;

and seek to replicate our approach throughconsultancy, communications and training.Our aim is to lead the way to sustainable living through practical demonstration.

BioRegional Development GroupBedZED Centre, 24 Helios RoadWallington, Surrey SM6 7BZ

United KingdomT 020 8404 4880F 020 8404 4893E [email protected]

CABE is the governments advisor on architecture,urban design and public space. As a public body, weencourage policymakers to create places that workor people. We help local planners apply nationaldesign policy and advise developers and architects,persuading them to put peoples needs rst. We showpublic sector clients how to commission projects that

meet the needs o their users. And we seek to inspirethe public to demand more rom their buildings andspaces. Advising, infuencing and inspiring, we work tocreate well designed, welcoming places.

CABE1 Kemble Street London WC2B 4ANT 020 7070 6700

F 020 7070 6777E [email protected]

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Contents

Forewords by Sue Riddlestone

and Richard Simmons 4

1 Introduction 6

2 What is sustainable? Living within ourecological limits 7

3 Eco-towns: reducing CO2 emissions and ecological ootprint 10

3.1 Reducing environmental impact by category 111 Housing, construction and maintenance 122 Home energy 133 Transport 144 Food 165 Consumer goods 176 Government and business services and inrastructure 187 Waste 19

How does it all add up? 20

3.2 Eco-towns: masterplanning issues 221 Water 242 Design o healthy neighbourhoods 253 Green inrastructure and biodiversity 26

4 Putting it all in place 28

5 Eco-towns as a learning process 29

6 Appendix 30

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Sue RiddlestoneExecutive director and co-ounderBioRegional Development Group

These real-lie projectsshould advanceindustry best practiceand government policy.More than that, wehope they will speak toall o us as individuals,showing us what asustainable uture

could look like: nothingto be araid o, butsomething to embrace

BioRegional

In May 2008, as a member o the governments eco-towns challenge

panel, I listened to proposers rom across England setting out theirvision or each o the shortlisted eco-towns. The minister, Caroline Flint,had asked us to challenge and encourage the eco-towns proposers.It wasnt going to be our job to decide which ones were chosen,but we all elt a sense o responsibility. We all wanted them to betrailblazing projects which would be worthy o the name eco-town.

I was asked to join the panel because BioRegional is the organisationthat initiated the Peabody Trusts BedZED eco-village in south London.Living and working in an eco-community as I do, its sometimes easyto orget that most people dont! Whilst BedZED isnt perect, itshows how we can reduce our impacts and create a place where

people know their neighbours and have a better quality o lie.

BioRegional is working with partners to build on and apply what wehave learnt at BedZED to larger new and existing communities in theUK and around the world as part o what we call one planet living. Therst o these communities are now being established in the UK andUSA, with projects in development in Portugal, South Arica, Abu Dhabi,Canada and China. We have ound that these projects do not need tocost more, but rather a dierent design approach is required that canlead to savings which oset any additional expense. As with BedZED,it is our intention that these real-lie projects will advance industry best

practice and government policy. More than that, we hope they willspeak to all o us as individuals, showing us what a sustainable uturecould look like: nothing to be araid o, but something to embrace.

This is a role which eco-towns, i they are to live up to their name,should be able to ull. They could inspire with what is possible andspeed progress to sustainability across the UK and internationally.

With all o this in mind, I wrote this report in collaboration with CABE toshare our experience with the eco-towns proposers and the government.Our aim is to outline the scope o what needs to be tackled i we are tolive sustainably and to provide some targets and advice as to how it canbe achieved. I am delighted to have worked with CABE on this report;they have brought to it not only the benet o their experience on designbut also their reputation and infuence. I am also grateul to our elloweco-towns challenge panel members and the chair, John Walker , whoencouraged and welcomed the production o this document. Many thanksare due to colleagues at BioRegional, including Amy Hammond, JaneHersey, Ben Gill, Pooran Desai, Ronan Leyden and Nicole Lazarus orreviewing, commenting and adding to the report and to panel memberswho contributed including Stephen Joseph, Better Transport; LyndaAddision, Liz Reason, Sir Peter Hall, University College London andSunand Prasad, president, Royal Institute o British Architects (RIBA).

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Richard Simmons Chie executive, CABE

The governments eco-towns initiative has started a number o debates

about the choice o locations, about the sustainability o smallertowns, about what makes an eco-town special, about the ability o newtowns to enable lessons to be learnt which might apply to the existingbuilt environment. One o the hottest topics o debate has been how to

judge whether a place, old or new, can be described as sustainable.

This isnt an easy judgement to make. Liestyles within a household canvary considerably. Extend this to a neighbourhood, village or town and thepotential or variations makes it almost impossible to predict how manyindividuals will behave sustainably even i they are given the opportunity todo so. An alternative is to set benchmarks or the perormance o buildingsand places in average use. This will give a proxy or how sustainable a

building or place is designed to be; and how it may perorm i behaviouris as expected.

BioRegional has been developing new thinking about how to createsustainable settlements since 1997 and has originated the idea o oneplanet living. It was natural to apply this thinking to eco-towns to see imeasures could be developed to test whether or not the ambition o thepromoters is suciently high.

CABE has always been interested in how the design o buildings and placescan improve peoples quality o lie. That includes how they can be designed

to be more sustainable not only through reducing carbon emissions,but by making them more adaptable to the impact o climate change, andencouraging biodiversity and the use o multi-unctional green inrastructure.

It was natural or the two organisations to join their thinking and apply it toeco-towns. The idea was to come up with some criteria that would be testingor the proposers. Sta rom both organisations took part in the eco-townschallenge panel. The approach o the panel has inormed these criteria,although BioRegional with CABE are responsible or their expression inthis document. The government will shortly consult on minimum standardswith a consultation paper on a planning policy statement on eco-towns. Inresponse, our criteria are, in places, a little more challenging, or examplerequiring all development to achieve the Building or Lie gold standard, butall such criteria have to be seen as works in progress.

New ideas and new technologies are being developed that will increaseour capacity to tackle climate change and create more sustainable places.The pace o climate change, and the response o other nations to it, willaect the targets or which we have to aim. The criteria in this document area contribution to the debate. They cannot be an absolute or nal statemento what an eco-town should aim or. I eco-towns are to have a undamentalpurpose, it must be to show us how we can all achieve one planet living.

New ideas and newtechnologies are beingdeveloped which willincrease our capacityto tackle climatechange and createmore sustainableplaces. The pace oclimate change, and

the response o othernations to it, will aectthe targets or whichwe have to aim

AdamGaultPhotography

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1 Introduction

We hope the standards and criteria

outlined will be useul whenconsidering developing all newneighbourhoods or urban extensions,not just eco-towns

This report was written in answer to the questionwhat makes an eco-town?. Across the world,there have already been a number o trailblazinginitiatives, including exemplary European sustainablecommunities such as Vauban in Freiburg andHammarby Sjstad. We can also learn rom smaller

eco-communities in the UK like BedZED and GreatBow Yard. These projects are great examples,but eco-towns should be the next step orward,building on what has been learnt. The need orsettlements which show what our towns and ourdaily lives will be like i we live sustainably hasnever been more urgent. Eco-towns must thereoredemonstrate real and measurable sustainableliving. They should encourage and allow peopleto live within ecological limits whilst enjoying ahigh quality o lie in an attractive environment.

The report has been prepared by BioRegional andCABE in response to the eco-towns proposals,as guiding principles to help achieve these qualityaspirations. This is particularly to assist the consortiainvolved in the development o those schemes andprovide more detailed inormation or government,which is charged with delivering the policy. Wehope the standards and criteria outlined will beuseul when considering the development o all newneighbourhoods or urban extensions, not just ecotowns. We think they will also be useul to anyone whowants to understand more about how we might livemore sustainably and still have a high quality o lie.

Eco-towns should be places where it is easy orresidents to adopt sustainable liestyles. Thismeans that the choices oered across all aspectso living and working need to be sustainable ones.Developers need to put in place the oundationsto enable this. These will include energy ecientbuildings, renewable energy, resource ecientinrastructure and proximity to employment and

services. It should also include access to sustainableliestyle options, services and inormation to makeit the everyday deault or residents to choose amore sustainable way o living in the eco-town.

Hammarby Sjstad, Stockholm, masterplan by Stockholm City Planning

Bureau with Jan Inghe-Hagstrm as lead architect. Here, it is easy or

residents to adopt sustainable liestyles

Whilst the ocus o this report is on environmentalsustainability, eco-towns must also address socialand economic actors i they are to be successul.Sustainability is about more than resource eciency:

sustainable communities will be well designed and willoster social and economic sustainability. Oten theissues are interwoven. For example, sustainable transportoptions such as cycling and walking reduce environmentalimpact but also bring benets or personal health andwell-being; walkable communities encourage socialconnection; car clubs are a new service industry thatcreate sustainable jobs and reduce transport impacts. Itis vital that the eco-towns work well as places. This meansin social and economic terms as well as environmental.

Our aim is to provide a clear illustration o thecore issues that will aect whether a proposalis good enough to be an eco-town, and thecriteria against which this can be measured.

What we are presenting here is not a prescriptivelist o required methodologies, but the strategicdecisions which have undamental consequences or asustainable settlements development. Each consortiumshould investigate these and deliberate on them, sothat they achieve the highest-quality outcome.

Finally, it should be noted that this documentprovides our perspective on the early stage othe proposals. The advice and recommendationsshould be read with this in mind.

DavidCo

wlard

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2 What is sustainable?Living within our ecological limits

Ecological ootprint and CO2 emissions

Our current way o lie in the UK,in common with other developedcountries, is unsustainable. Globally,population is rising rapidly andecological ootprinting1 shows we areconsuming 25 per cent more renewableresources every year than the planetcan replenish. Dierent countries areconsuming at dierent rates. I everyone

in the world consumed as much aswe do in the UK, we would need threeplanets to support us. O course weonly have one. Thereore, we need toreduce our ecological ootprint in theUK by two thirds.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are a major parto our ecological ootprint. Figure 1 shows howCO2 emissions rom ossil uels have risen nine-old

since 19632

, resulting in dangerous climate change.

The UK Climate Change Bill, which is expected toreceive royal assent in autumn 2008, sets a targetor the UK to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by60 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050. However,the 60 per cent target was based on a report bythe Royal Commission on Environmental Pollutionrom 2000. Since this time developments inclimate change science show that this targetis insucient. Various organisations, such asWWF and Friends o the Earth, are lobbying orthe government to increase the CO2 reductiontarget in its Climate Change Bill to at least 80 percent, and to include emissions rom internationalaviation and shipping. The prime minister hasacknowledged that the target may have to rise to80 per cent. As eco-towns will be exemplary, thedesign o the eco-towns should enable residents toreduce their CO2 emissions by at least 80 per centbelow 1990 levels by the time o ull occupation.

Figure 1: World ecological ootprintby component 19612003

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

1 For a deinition o ecological ootprinting see appendix

2 Living Planet Report, (WWF, Global Footprint Network, Zoological

Society o London; 2006) 1960

The impact o looding in Boscastl e, Cornwall. Clima te change is having a

detrimental e ect on our way o lie

Billion

2003

globalhe

ctares

1970 1980 1990 2000

Built-up land

Nuclear energy

CO 2 rom ossil uels

Fishing ground

Forest

Grazing land

Cropland

HAlcrow

Group

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Reducing carbon emissions and ecological ootprint

is not just about protecting our environment. It isabout adjusting to a world where an increasingpopulation and increasing consumption are leadingto higher demand or resources. These issues arestarting to impact on people in the UK in termso high oil and ood prices. As Sir Nicholas Sternnoted in his infuential 2006 Treasury review,The economics of climate change tackling thisnow will cost less than addressing it later; weneed to uture-proo our way o lie. How willaverage households manage when oil pricesreach $300/barrel and ood is in short supply?

This gives us our rst overarching criteria or whatis sustainable and what an eco-town means: a placethat is designed to make it possible and easy orresidents to reduce their ecological ootprint by twothirds and reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by80 per cent below 1990 levels. This is what willmake eco-towns truly exemplary, going beyondexisting exemplary projects. Eco-towns should showus, in a real and measured way, what our sustainableuture will look like.

Where do impacts arise?So how can we live within our ecological limits?Figure 2 illustrates where the ecological ootprint,carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions arise in an average UK residentslie. The key areas are home, energy, transport,ood and consumables. The consumption guresinclude the impact o imported goods. The guresare modelled using the Resource and EnergyAnalysis Programme (REAP) and are based onmaterial fow accounting or the whole o the UK.(See the appendix or urther inormation on whywe use a consumption model such as REAP).

Considering the data in Figure 2, we are able toreview how eco-towns can enable sustainablelevels o resource use and CO2 emissions. Firstly,we need to split the impacts into two areas oresponsibility: personal responsibility and UK-wide government and business responsibility.

Personal responsibility

Well-designed and well-built eco-towns can directly assist residents in achieving reductions in: 75 per cent o their total carbon

dioxide emissions impacts 76 per cent o their total greenhouse

gas emissions impacts; and 78 per cent o their ecological ootprintby putting in place sustainable solutions or housing/construction, home energy, transport, ood and goods all areas in which people make personal choices.

UK-wide government and business responsibility

The remainder o an individuals ecological ootprint represents a proportion o UK-wide inrastructure (shown in purple in gure 3). Individuals are not able to reduce this aspect themselves and it is not readily measurable on a local basis.

This proportion o each UK citizens impact accounts or: 25 per cent o their carbon dioxide emissions impacts 24 per cent o their total greenhouse

gas emissions impacts; and 22 per cent o their ecological ootprint.and is the responsibility o government and business as it arises directly rom the operation o the services provided or all o us.

How can eco-towns provide sustainable solutions?Eco-town developers can most directly and simply enableecological ootprint and CO2 reductions in the areas ohousing and construction and home energy, which togetheaccount or 31 per cent o a persons CO2 emissionsand 26 per cent o a persons ecological ootprint.

However, eco-towns must also tackle the inrastructureand services or daily liestyle choices around transport,ood and goods that account or 44 per cent o CO2emissions and 52 per cent o the ecological ootprint.O course, the actual impact in practice will depend onpersonal choices by residents. This shows the importanceo making everyday sustainable liestyle choices attractiveand accessible, and providing appropriate educationand support, so that they become the deault.

Government and business inrastructure and serviceson site should also be built and operated to eco-townstandards to reduce the 25 per cent o our UK-wide CO2emissions and 22 per cent UK wide ecological ootprint.

r

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Figure 2: Average ecological ootprint, CO2 emissions & GHG emissions o a UK resident3

Ecologicalootprint

Carbon dioxideemissions

Greenhouse gas emissions(in CO2 equivalents)

Gha/cap Per cent Tonnes/cap Per cent Tonnes/cap Per cent

Housing 0.46 8% 0.97 8% 1.04 8%

Home energy 1.01 18% 2.78 23% 2.94 22%

Transport 0.83 15% 2.73 23% 2.86 21%

Food 1.23 23% 0.99 8% 1.64 12%

Consumer goods 0.75 14% 1.48 13% 1.70 13%

Private services 0.48 9% 1.18 10% 1.34 10%

Government 0.37 7% 0.93 8% 1.07 8%

Capital assets 0.31 6% 0.80 7% 0.84 6%

Total 5.45 100% 11.87 100% 13.43 100%

3 Ecological ootprinting and carbon emissions data modelled by BioRegional using REAP, provided by Stockholm Environment Institute.

Deinitions o these categories are shown in the appendix.

Three planet living : i everyone in the world consumed as much

as we do in the UK, we would need three planets to support us

Figure 3: Ecological ootprint o average UK resident

Housing

8%

Home energy

18%

Transport

15%

Food

23%

Consumer goods

14%

Gov't.

7%

CapitalBusiness assets

9% 6%

Figure 4: CO2 emissions o average UK resident

BusinessCapitalassets

10% 7%

Housing

8%

Home energy

23%

Transport

23%

Food

8%

Consumer goods

13%

Gov't.

8%

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3 Eco-towns: reducing CO2 emissionsand ecological ootprint

Eco-town developers should use the

measures o ecological ootprint andCO2 emissions to assist in designingthe eco-towns and then use ecologicalootprint and CO2 emissions o individualresidents as headline monitoring criteria.

The headline sustainability criteria and targets

or individual residents o eco-towns are:

an ecological ootprint two thirds lower thanthe national average; and

CO2 emissions 80 per cent lower than1990 levels.

Figure 5: Summary o required CO2 emissions and ecological ootprint reduction

Ecological footprint CO2 emissions

Categories CurrentTarget 66%saving

CurrentTarget 80%saving

TotalAverage per person

5.4 gha 1.8 gha 11.87 tonnes/capita

2.37 tonnes/capita

Personalresponsibilityinfuenced byeco-town

Housing,home energy,transport, ood,donsumer goods

4.28 gha 1.42 gha 8.95 tonnes/capita

1.79 tonnes/capita

Nationalresponsibility notdirectly infuencedby eco-towns

Private services,government,capital investment

1.17 gha 0.39 gha 2.92 tonnes/capita

0.58 tonnes/capita

TotalReductions in personalresponsibility categories only

2.59gha(53% saving)1.4 planet living

4.71 tonnes/capita(60% saving)

TotalWith reductions in both personalresponsibility and nationalresponsibility categories.

1.8 gha(66% saving)One planet living

2.37 tonnes/capita(80% saving)

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The headline criteria can then be broken down into their

component parts to review how reductions can andhave been achieved in each area in order to meet theoverall targets or sustainable levels o resource use.

Carbon dioxide emissionsIn the UK CO2 emissions per person per year are 11.87tonnes (tpa) as calculated by levels o consumptionusing REAP. An 80 per cent reduction on 1990 levelsis required4. However, 2.9 tonnes o CO2 emissions areaccounted or by government and business services,and so the amount o CO2 emissions an individual canpersonally be responsible or reducing is 9 tonnes per

year (75 per cent o their total CO2 emissions). An ecotown needs to oer sustainable inrastructure and choicesthat will allow residents to reduce the CO2 emissionso their homes, home energy use, transport, ood andconsumer goods by 80 per cent rom 9 tpa to 1.8 tpa. Itwill take time to reduce the proportion o CO2 emissionsor which government and business are responsibleand i these emissions have not been reduced, thenthis means a target o total CO2 emissions o 4.71tpa(Figure 5) or each person living in the eco-town.

Ecological ootprintEcological ootprint per person per year in the UK is 5.4global hectares (gha) (See appendix or denition). Thisneeds to be reduced to 1.8gha, a two thirds reduction.This would be one planet living5. The proportion o anindividuals ecological ootprint which is their personalresponsibility is 4.3gha, or about 75 per cent o apersons total ecological ootprint. Eco-towns shouldenable residents to reduce their personal proportionby two thirds rom 4.3gha to 1.4gha. Achievingthis target would mean that i the UK-wide servicesproportion o a persons ecological ootprint did notalter, an individuals ecological ootprint in an ecotown will be 2.6Gha or one and a third planet living.

ResourcesThe Living Planet report (WWF, Global FootprintNetwork, Zoological Society o London, 2006).Stockholm Environment Institute, www.sei.seBest Foot Forward, www.bestootorward.comBioRegional, www.bioregional.comOne Planet Living ootprint calculator,http://calculator.bioregional.com

4 Curret levels o UK CO 2 emissions are similar to 1990 levels. Details o

UKs carbon emissions since 1990 baseline at tinyurl.com/5nhw4d

5 One planet living is a global inita itive based on 10 principles o

sustainability developed by BioRegional and W WF, www.oneplanetliving.org

3.1 Reducing environmentalimpact by category

1 Housing, construction and

maintenance

2 Home energy

3 Transport

4 Food

5 Consumer goods

6 Government and business servicesand inrastructure

7 Waste

An eco-town needs to oersustainable inrastructureand choices that will allowresidents to reduce the CO2

emissions o their homes,home energy use, transport,ood and consumer goods

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1 Housing

Ecological ootprint o average UK resident8%

CO2 emissions o average UK resident8%

Housing construction and maintenance includes the impacts o the constructionindustry, the building and maintenance o our homes, and services relating to ourhomes such as rentals and mortgages

The national impact rom constructing newbuildings and inrastructure needs to bereduced in line with the overarching 80 per centreduction in CO2 emissions. CO2 emissions orconstruction and maintenance o UK housingare about 1tpa per person. This is 8 per cent

o an average individuals CO2 emissions.This needs to be reduced by 80 per cent to0.2tpa o CO2 per person and 0.09gha perperson. Meeting this solely through lowerembodied energy o materials will be verychallenging and a combination is required:

lower embodied energy o materials durable buildings with an increased design lie design or deconstruction so the materials can

be reused at the end o the buildings lie.

It will be very challenging to meet the 80per cent reduction target in a new buildproject. Thereore reurbishing buildingswould also assist in reducing the impacts.

Building houses will not be the only constructionimpact o the eco-towns; all other buildings,including oces and community buildings,should also aim or this 80 per cent reduction.Similarly the onsite inrastructure needs to beminimised, such as roads (covered in transport),drainage systems and electrical sub-stations.The inrastructure impact o a new town willstretch ar beyond the edge o the town, andan eco-town must make sure that it maximisesthe use o existing inrastructure and minimisesthe impact o any new inrastructure.

6 Movement or Innovation, Sustainability Working Group

Report Environmental Perormance Indicators or Sustainable

Construction. 2002.

MonitoringThe impact o construction can be measured as: embodied CO2/m2 and per 100 homes. This

ranges rom best practice o 300 to worst practiceo 1000 kgCO2/m2 or domestic dwellings6

embodied CO2 o all inrastructure works.A similar range in embodied carbon exists,depending on the approach taken.

ResourcesThe potential to reduce the environmental impactof construction materials (BioRegional, 2005).The report shows how 60 per cent CO2 emissionreductions are possible through greater resourceeciency, such as increased recycled and reclaimedcontent, reduced wastage and also including a 5per cent reduction in built inrastructure. The report

concludes that, to achieve the required 80 percent reduction, there is a need to reduce urtherinrastructure and retro-t existing buildings.

Green concrete at One Brighton by Crest Nicholson BioRegional Quintain

100% recycle aggregate and 50% cement replacement reduces the

embodied carbon by a third

BioRegionalQuintainGregKing,Co

nstructionNews

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2 Home energy

Ecological ootprint o average UK resident18%

CO2 emissions o average UK resident23%

Home energy includes all gas and electricity consumption in the home, plus otheruels such as coal and oil

Eco-town developers can help residents to reduce the impacto home energy use which accounts or 23 per cent o anindividuals CO2 emissions by creating zero carbon buildings.The target is to reduce CO2 emissions in this sector by 100 percent, rom 2.78tpa per person to zero tpa. The ecological ootprinto home energy use should be reduced by 75 per cent rom

1.01 to 0.25gha. By maximising the CO2 emission reductionsrom homes, smaller reductions can be made elsewhere.

As a minimum:

buildings should be energy ecient and built to Code orSustainable Homes level 4, AECB Silveror BREEAMexcellent or whole building energy use and CO2 emissions targets.Passivhaus could also be considered.

buildings to be tted with super ecient appliances. eco-towns will need to operate on 100 per cent renewable

energy7, or as close to 100 per cent as possible; or

example, on-site gas back up may be necessary or periodso maintenance work. at least 50 per cent on-site renewable energy generation

should be possible. Decentralised energy generationhas an important role to play in the uture energy mix butthe technical and economic easibility depends on therenewable resources available in each location and thecost and availability o technology. Ongoing managemento the energy supply is also a consideration. Given theirstatus as demonstrations o sustainability, 100 per centon site renewable energy generation is widely consideredappropriate or eco-towns. To achieve the necessary carbonreductions the UK needs a grid supply o 100 per centrenewables, but in the interim, i the site cannot support 100per cent on site renewable energy generation, then any o-siteenergy supply should be new capacity and certied as roma renewable source. (This advice is based on BioRegionalsexperience and diers rom the government denition).

energy supply should be delivered eciently. Whatever thepercentage o on-site renewables, the resource eciency othe renewable energy supply needs to be considered careullyand maximised. An eco-town oers mixed development whichmay lend itsel to the installation o a district-wide combined

heat and power scheme (capturing and using heat romelectricity generation that might otherwise be wasted).

visible real-time energy consumption gures should beprovided or each dwelling to help with behaviour change.

7 or heating, cooling and electrical demand

Aspect Upton Way, Northampton. This award-winning new development shows

what an eco-town could look like. Built to EcoHomes Excellent standard, it

incorporates glazed passive solar design and photovoltaic panels on the roo.

MonitoringThis should include as a minimum: kWh and CO2 per person/per dwelling/

per m2

o space against national and localaverage and project baseline targets; energy consumption data covering:

- gas- electricity- other uel types such as wood- renewable energy technologies- hot water (i measured by meters) and

thermographic imaging on a selection o properties.Monitoring could also include: residents thermal comort and air quality percentage o units to be air tightness

tested ater two years renewable energy generated on site

and exported to the grid.

ResourcesEcotowns prospectus, (CLG, 2007)BedZED Monitoring Report(BioRegional, 2007)Town and Country Planning Association eco-towns energy worksheet(TCPA, orthcoming)AECB CarbonLite programme, www.carbonlite.net

Centre or Alternative Technology, www.cat.org.ukEnergy Saving Trust, www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

arbon Trust, www.carbontrust.co.ukenewable Energy Association, www.r-e-a.net

CR

DavidWilsonHomesSouthMidlands

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3 Transport

Ecological ootprint o average UK resident15%

CO 2 emissions o average UK resident23%

Transport impacts arise rom uel consumption, car ownership, public transport, ying andconstruction and maintenance o the transport networks

Personal transport and the construction andmaintenance o the associated inrastructureaccount or 23 per cent o an individualsCO2 emissions. As a guideline, to achieveecological sustainability targets this needsto be reduced by around 80 per cent. This

means reducing personal transport CO2emissions rom 2.7tpa per person to 0.55tpa.The ecological ootprint o 0.83gha needsto be cut by 75 per cent to 0.21gha.

It is vitally important that eco-townsdramatically reduce the need to traveland provide sustainable mobility options.Community acilities and workplaces need tobe within easy walking and cycling distance.This may have an impact on the density

o developments. A suggested averagedensity o no less than 50 dwellings perhectare, preerably closer to 100 dwellingsper hectare in central built-up areas, willenable easy walking or cycling to key localacilities. Home zones can reduce thedominance o the car and allow the localcommunity to get to know each other.

Local employment opportunities canreduce the need to travel. A suggestedtarget could be at least 66 per cent (ideally80 per cent) o employment within theeco-town or within walking, cycling orpublic transport distance, with one local

job or workspace or each household.

Eco-towns will ideally entirely avoid the useo ossil uels as an energy source or bothhomes and transport. Whilst theoreticallya renewable resource, bio-uels have anecological ootprint and a carbon impact, sotheir use needs to be considered careully.

As a minimum, eco-towns should have atransport strategy with a range o elements.

a modal split developed to be consistentwith delivering an 80 per cent cut in CO2emissions associated with personal transport

a travel plan showing how 80 per cent cutsin personal transport related CO2 emissionscan be achieved (against the UK and localaverage). This should be prepared or thewhole town and supplemented by activity/building based travel plans. It should covernot only internal town movements but alsoexternal networks not corridors

average walking time to shops, primaryschools, post oces and other key localacilities o no more than 1015 minutes

ltered permeability, eg making accessto and through developments easier onoot or by bike than by car and providingsae and attractive walking and cycleroutes to schools and other acilities

BioRegional

BedZED , Surrey. A green transport plan at BedZED eco-vill age in south

London included public transport within 10 minutes walk; incentives or

bicycle use and storage or them inside dwellings; Londons irst car club;

home zones and reduced car parking and road space ; a charge or car

parking spaces and a car parking permit system. Thre e sets o monitoring

data over six years o occupation indicate a 5065 per cent reduction inprivate car ossil uel miles travelled compare d to the local average. Just

17 per cent o residents travel to work by car, although th e local average is

42 per cent. Resident s air travel, however, does add to their environmental

impact. (BRE, 2002; tinyurl.com/5sgg2, BioRegional www.bioregional.com)

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StephenMcLaren

AnneWoods/CABE

Vauban, Freiburg, Ge rmany. A signiicant charge (o up to 14,00 0) or a car parking space and a green

transport plan have led to 60 80 per cent o commuting journeys being made by bike, and 1525 per

cent by public transpo rt. For those wh o own a car, on average just 2128 per cent o commuting and

total journeys are made by car. (Building or Lie: tinyurl.com/5hvuhq)

Blackett Street and Quayside, Newcastle. Public

realm improvements by Newcastle City Council

and Gillespies has enhanced the environment or

shoppers and encouraged walking.

provision o low carbon public transport optionsto enable car ree travel within the eco-townsand reduce the need or car travel outside it

a public transport network that is quicklyaccessible, requent and reliable, linking allbusiness and residential areas and with linksto the wider network. A requency o 1015minutes in the daytime is normally necessary toavert the tendency to use the car. The serviceshould operate rom around 6am to midnight

real-time displays showing public transportdeparture times and actual running inormation

reduced road inrastructure and car parking spaceswith a maximum o one car parking space perhousehold, and ideally 0.6 or less. Car ownershipat BedZED shows that this is possible in thesuburbs. Car clubs oer a possible solution here. Areduction o 75 per cent against the local averageor commercial car parking.

a target o at least a 75 per cent reductionin miles travelled by private car against thelocal average

incentives or non-ossil uel and super ecientpersonal transport alternatives

links with local authorities, transport providers andlocal o-site employers to work together to reducetravel impacts

travel advisors to help people and businesseswith sustainable travel. General awareness raisingabout the impact o personal transport and fying.Inormation about more low carbon travel options.

MonitoringMonitoring o transport should take place against: CO2 emissions rom personal transport per

person per year miles travelled by private car and use o publictransport and bicycles passenger km/litre and reight tonne km/litre as a

measure o eciency on use o uel in transport.Alternatively, passenger (tonne) km per vehicle km.This will help to understand how eciently peopleand goods are moved (eg how ull vehicles are)

modal split o commuting journeys, leisure journeysand shopping journeys

number o cars registered within the town Residents public transport satisaction survey Comparison o cost and convenience

o public transport to car use (unless acar club/car share arrangement).

Resources

Town and Country Planning Association ecotowns transport worksheet, (TCPA, 2008; tinyurl.com/5wlzc6)Building sustainable transport into new developments: a menu of options for growth

points and ecotowns , (Department or Transport (DT), 2008; tinyurl.com/3nxl4p)Manual for Streets, (DT, 2007; tinyurl.com/36hnds)

Zsquared; the impact of transport, (BioRegional, 2007; tinyurl.com/5zxdec)Sustainability and saety group, University o Hudderseld.

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4 Food

Ecological ootprint o average UK resident 23%

CO2 emissions o average UK resident 8%

Food and drink includes ood consumed at home or out at restaurants orother catering establishments

The ood we eat is responsible or 8 per cent o ourtotal individual CO2 emissions, and as ood requiresa lot o land, a signicant 21 per cent o our individualecological ootprint. Food is also responsible or 12per cent o our greenhouse gas emissions, mainly dueto nitrous oxide emissions and methane emissions

associated with meat production.

Studies have shown that it is possible to reduce theecological ootprint o ood by around 60 per cent bysignicantly reduced meat and dairy consumption (meatand dairy accounts or 50 per cent o the ecologicalootprint o our ood), by eating local, seasonal ood,through improved eciency o arming and by reducingood waste. Between 25 per cent and 40 per cent oall ood is wasted in the supply chain or by consumers.Just by eating a healthy diet according to government

guidelines, an individual can reduce the ecologicalootprint o their ood consumption by 15 per cent.

The UK average impact o ood consumption is 1tpaand 1.23gha per person per annum. The target orsustainability in eco-towns is a 60 per cent reduction inecological ootprint to 0.5gha per person per year anda 60 per cent cut in CO2 emissions embodied in oodto 0.4tpa.

Bluebell allotments, Norwich. Allotments oer sustainable and

locally grown ood, but also healthy living and outdoor activity. Theincreasing cost o living is pushing up the popula rity o cheaper, more

environmentally riendly ood sources

As a minimum, eco-town developers should assistresidents in reducing their ood impacts by:

providing inormation on sustainable and healthydiets and highlighting where residents can purchase orgrow lower impact ood within the eco-town

making links with local arms to supply ood encouraging local arms to adopt the eco-towns

spirit and reduce the embodied impact o theirarming practices

ostering on-site businesses which provide space andservice sta or local and sustainable ood producersto sell their produce in a modern and convenient way

actively seeking retailers on site who will commit tosupporting residents in reducing the ecological ootprint otheir ood consumption, in particular providing a wide varietyo healthy, low meat and dairy options and encouraginglower impact meat and dairy choice, eg sourcing grazing

animals rather than grain ed animals ensuring that shopping acilities are conveniently

located or just-in-time ood purchase by residents to reducethe ood wastage associated with one weekly ood shop; and

providing convenient and attractive space or ood growingwithin and around the development in locations that havebeen assessed or sunlight, irrigation, soil quality and waysto maintain soil ertility.

MonitoringThis could include: amount o produce supplied by arms less than 50100km

radius o the site amount o ood waste arising rom retailers on site ecological ootprint o the diet o 100 randomly selected

residents number o shops selling local produce number o caes and restaurants oering sustainable and

local ood amount o ood grown on exchanged through allotment or

garden produce swaps.

Resources

Footprint of Scotlands diet, (Stockholm Environment Institute, 2007; tinyurl.com/628k3n)Zsquared: the impact of food, (BioRegional, 2005; tinyurl.com/6bn7c3)The food we waste, (WRAP, 2008; tinyurl.com/5emjx2).

AndyHendry/NewCenturyPictures

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5 Consumer goods

Ecological ootprint o average UK resident 14%

CO 2 emissions o average UK resident 13%

Consumer goods means any products we purchase, including durable largehousehold objects such as urniture and appliances and smaller products suchas newspapers, clothing and electronics

Consumer goods account or 14 per cent o anindividuals ecological ootprint and 13 per cent oCO2 emissions. As a society we are buying a lot oproducts that we do not need and that are quicklythrown away. The target or sustainability in ecotowns would be a reduction o 5055 per cent

in the impact o consumer goods purchased byeco-town residents, reducing ecological ootprintto 0.38gha and CO2 emissions to 0.66 tonnes.

As a minimum, eco-town developers should:

set a new trend by designing anenvironment which avours quality olie, community and healthy activitiesover shopping as a leisure activity

market retail space to responsible retailerswho commit to the eco-town philosophy and

who will work to provide sustainable retailing work with tenants and retailers to include

space or re-use and repair o consumergoods, charity shops and swap shops

oster and encourage local sustainable goodsand services; this could include acilitating newenterprises making the goods that people need.

StephenMcLaren

MonitoringThis could include: analysis o the ecological ootprint o

the sales o consumer goods as parto regular eco-towns monitoring

sales through re-use or charity shops new enterprises manuacturing

local sustainable goods

Liverpool Hope Street. Public realm improvements by Camlin

Lonsdale and Mouchel Par kman or Liverpool 20/20 have re

invigorated Hope Street. Eco-towns need a pro-active approach

to retail management to encourage responsible retailin g and

opportunities or local recycling and repair o consumer goods

The target or sustainability ineco-towns would be a reductiono 5055 per cent in the impact oconsumer goods

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6 Government and business services and inrastructure

Ecological ootprint o average UK resident

CO 2 emissions o average UK resident

Business9%

Capitalassets

6%

Gov t.7%

Business10%

Capitalassets

7%

Gov t.8%

Government and business services includes the administration o central andlocal government, plus services that they manage such as social services, wastemanagement, schools and universities

Each o us has to accept a proportion o theUK-wide ootprint generated as a result othe services and inrastructure provided bygovernment and businesses on our behal.This is the proportion o an individuals impactdescribed as national responsibility (Figure

2). It includes all inrastructure not relatingto construction, the home, energy, transport,ood and consumer goods. Individuals arenot able to reduce it themselves and it isnot readily measurable on a local basis.

The proportion allocated to eachUK citizen equates to:

25 per cent o an individuals CO2 emissions 22 per cent o an individuals

ecological ootprint.

Reducing these impacts is the responsibility ogovernment and business, as it arises directlyrom the operation o services provided nationally.But where the eco-town provides such publicinrastructure, there is an opportunity to work withgovernment or business to apply eco-town criteria.This local inrastructure should also be monitoredand reported upon. However, in monitoringresidents o the eco-towns, this aspect o aresidents impact will, at least initially, remain high.

There is an opportunity to workwith government or business toapply eco-town criteria

Bournemouth Librar y. This winner o the Better Public Building Award in

2003, uses natural light to reduce the need or artiicial lighting and cooling,

exposed concrete slabs to absorb heat and a structure that act s as a heat

sink. All ensure that energy costs are minimised

MicheleTurriani

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7 Waste

Waste itsel does not show up as a category when calculating CO2 emissions andecological ootprint in REAP because the impact is absorbed across all sectors.However, waste is an important area to be tackled

Eco-town proposers should consider thewaste created by the town as a resource to bereprocessed into something useul, or treatedto recover value or energy rom it, rather thansomething to be disposed o.

Eco-town developers will need to work withthe local authority to identiy solutions or thetreatment o any residual waste. Recyclingneeds to be made easy or the residents,or example through integrating reuse/recycling acilities into street design.

Developers will also need to work withthe local authority on the creation o acommunication strategy and an ongoingcampaign promoting waste reduction and

recycling and treating waste onsite wherepossible, or example through composting.

Developers should put in place strategies andtargets to achieve zero waste to landll. This willinvolve minimising waste generation by workingwith businesses and retailers to ensure that theyare committed to reducing their own waste.

As a minimum, eco-town developers should:

produce waste minimisation strategiesto reduce waste arising by between25 per cent and 50 per cent

target a 70 per cent recycling rate compost 6690 per cent organic waste on site achieve less than 3 per cent waste to landll.MonitoringAgainst the waste targets above.

ResourcesZ-squared concept community waste studies,(BioRegional; tinyurl.com/6ppzmu)

Hammarby, Sweden

Paper recycling in Nechells, Birmingham. Eco-towns need to make provisionor waste minimisation, recycling and re-use to achieve zero waste to landfll

Eco-town developers will needto work with the local authority toidentiy solutions or the treatment

o any residual waste

SmufitKappaSSK

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How does it all add up?

In the previous pages, we have considered where CO2 emissions and ecological

ootprint impacts arise and what reductions are needed.

Figure 6: CO2 emissions and ecological ootprint reduction scenario

Ecological ootprint CO2 emissions

Current Target Target Current Target Target

Gha /cap reduct ion Gha /cap tonnes/cap reduct ion tonnes/cap

5.45 66% 1.8 11.87 80% 2.37Current average UK individuals impact

Personal responsibility Reductions in eco-town

Housing construction 0.46 80% 0.09 0.97

2.78

2.73

0.99

1.48

80%

100%

80%

60%

55%

0.19

0.00

0.54

0.40

0.66

Home energy 1.01 75% 0.25

Transport 0.83 75% 0.21

Food 1.23 60% 0.49

Consumer goods 0.75 50% 0.38

Sub-total 4.28 66% 1.42 8.95 80% 1.79

UK wide government and business responsibility Assumes no change

Private services 0.48 0% 0.48 1.18

0.93

0.81

0%

0%

0%

1.18

0.93

0.81

Government 0.37 0% 0.37

Capital investment 0.32 0% 0.32

Sub-total 1.17 0% 1.17 2.92 0% 2.92

Total impact in eco town in this scenario 53%

reduction

2.59 60%

reduction

4.71

Overall sustainability target 66%

reduction

1.8 80%

reduction

2.37

All igures have been calculated using REAP (see apendix or more inormation).

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I we take the suggested reductions in each o the

categories, we arrive at the total reduction o CO2emissions and ecological ootprint required or thepersonal responsibility aspect o an individuals impact(Figure 6). Eco-town developers are encouragedto explore dierent CO2 emissions and ecologicalootprint reduction scenarios and develop their ownapproach to enabling sustainable liestyles.

These gures are indicative o how our carbonootprint breaks down; and the scale o reductionsthat are needed in each area to meet the 80 percent reduction target or CO2 and the 66 per

cent reduction target or ecological ootprint.

It is worth noting that these two indicators do notalways ollow each other exactly. For example somemeasures to reduce the impact o transport such asthe use o bio-uels may halve carbon emissions butnot signicantly reduce the ecological ootprint, due tothe amount o land required to grow the uel source.

Figure 6 shows the importance o reducing the impacto the services provided by government and business.

Eco-town residents cannot achieve sustainabilityin isolation. The whole country, government andbusiness will have to ollow the eco-towns lead.

In summary, the ollowing reductions are needed.

Ecological ootprint reduction target

total reduction needed is rom 5.4 globalhectares (gha) to 1.8gha, a two thirdsreduction. This would be one planet living.

personal responsibility level is 4.28 gha. This needsto be reduced by two thirds to 1.43gha/person/year.

CO2 emissions reduction target

total reduction down rom 11.87 to 2.37tonnes per person per year (80 per cent).

personal responsibility level is rom 9 tonnesand needs to be reduced to 1.8 tonnes.

Eco-town residents cannotachieve sustainability in isolation.The whole country, government

and business will have to ollowthe eco-towns lead

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3.2 Eco-towns: masterplanning issues

Eco-towns need to be based

on exemplary placemaking,masterplanning and architecture asthe overarching principles that aectand deine the settlement and itsorm. Masterplanning and engineeringshould ocus on delivering thesustainability criteria or ecotowns. This will involve working withthe landscape and the resourcesparticular to the site.

Design preparationAs a minimum, developers o eco-towns should: conduct a place-based analysis o the sub

region and the specic site, in terms onatural, built and historic environments

undertake an assessment o unctional networks othe sub-region or example travel patterns and labourmarkets to inorm the proposed development.

Design the masterplan toallow or change throughout itsphasing and implementation

Design development

Developers o eco-towns should observe theollowing or the overall development o their design:

Masterplanning approach the masterplan by planning the whole

settlement rather than individual buildings. Thekey issues o layout, density and scale should bedirectly related to passive design approaches (interms o orientation, aspect, and thermal mass) andto issues o connectivity and community inclusion.

design the masterplan to allow or changethroughout its phasing and implementation. For

example, community energy strategies can allowor relatively simple upgrading without havingto retrot individual buildings at a uture date

graded density should be considered inrelation to transport nodes, based on a guiderange o 50 to 100 dwellings per hectarewithin the town centre and 50 to 65 dwellingsper hectare along transport corridors

actor the sites physical eatures and resourcesinto the design, considering the wind directionand solar orientation when designing streets and

buildings in order to minimise energy demand.Building depth and massing is crucial to allow oradaptation and the uture use o natural ventilation

ensure community acilities can be convenientlyaccessed by all members o the communitywithout the need or a car journey

put in place a clear long-term programme andstrategy or delivery and implementation.

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Energy and resources

address the resource issue by examining how whatis available on-site and locally and deciding howthat can be utilised to help achieve the sustainabilityobjectives. Waste, sewage, wind, sun and woodlandcan all be considered as sources o energy

calculate the total energy demand or the site, includenon-residential buildings, and how the demandcould be met using renewable technologies

ensure the community energy strategy correlatesto the layout and density o development.

Landscape design the landscape to conserve and enhance valuable

natural eatures (such as water and biodiversity), managewater eciently, and create green corridors and useulgreen inrastructure

link mixed neighbourhoods to a green inrastructurestrategy.

Design criteria Building or Lie gold standard should be a

requirement or all residential developments. the development and implementation process

should be designed or uture adaptation based onthe climate change predictions rom UKCIP08 all residential dwellings should adhere to English

Partnerships quality and space standards.

To ensure the success oeco-towns, the developmentand delivery o designs shouldbe closely monitored by thelocal planning authority

Monitoring

To ensure the success o eco-towns, the developmentand delivery o designs should be closely monitoredby the local planning authority. The consortia shouldbe able to provide government with evidence o amasterplanned analysis-led approach. This should, orexample, include passive design principles, a characterappraisal, strategic environmental assessment,and an environmental impact assessment.

The developers are also responsible or ensuringthat the urban designer and masterplanner areretained throughout the design process and

development to maintain continuity o vision.

CABEs design review panel should monitor and reviewschemes as the masterplanning process progresses.

Ater completion o the development, governmentand local authorities should conduct ongoingGIS mapping to understand and monitorhow the settlement is unctioning.

ResourcesOne Planet Living: Information for Developers,(BioRegional, tinyurl.com/5ah96)Sustainable Project Appraisal Routine(SPeAR) (Arup, tinyurl.com/yqnvgh)The principles of inclusive design. (They include

you.)(CABE, 2006; tinyurl.com/5q4hax)Creating successful masterplans: a guide forclients, (CABE, 2008; tinyurl.com/665tpn)Actions for Housing Growth: Creating a legacy ofgreat places, (CABE, 2007; tinyurl.com/6g9knk)Ecotowns worksheets, (Town and Country PlanningAssociation, 2008, www.tcpa.org.uk/ecotowns.asp)Building or Lie case study: Scharnhauser Park,Tubingen,(www.buildingorlie.org;tinyurl.com/62nxeh)www.sustainablecities.org.uk: a shortcut toauthoritative knowledge on the social, economic andenvironmental dimensions o creating sustainablecities. The content is being tested by the Englishcore cities and will be launched in early 2009.

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1 Water

Most treated water is delivered to customers at high environmental and economic

costs and is used or non-potable purposes, whilst storm water, which is capableo reducing the need or treated water, is managed in a wasteul way. An eco-townwill need to address these issues.

Sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) shouldbe a standard eature o all eco-towns. A SUDS planshould indicate the types o measures to be used andshould include:

evidence o sub-soil porosity and suitability or useo inltration SUDS

pre- and estimated post-development run-ocalculations to be undertaken to determine thescale o SUDS required

assessment o food risk where this is deemedappropriate

proposals or integrating the drainage system intothe landscape or public open space

demonstration o good ecological practiceincluding habitat enhancement

estimates o land take or di erent drainage optionsbased on initial calculations o any signicantdrainage structures.

As a minimum, developers o eco-towns should:

achieve net water neutrality by reducinguse in surrounding existing settlementsin order to compensate or waterrequired by the new settlement

provide rainwater collection devices or everyproperty domestic and non-domestic

meet Code or Sustainable Homeslevel 4 water eciency measures, andequivalent or non-domestic buildings.

Flood risk managementLocations in Environment Agency-determined foodzone 3 should not be considered suitable areas oreco-town developments. Assessments o foodrisk should be undertaken to provide a technicalassessment o all orms o food risk to aneco-town and its surrounding area. An ecotown-wide food risk assessment is essential.Where there are potential risks associated with

surace water drainage and/or sewer fooding,they should be dealt with as part o thedevelopment or town-wide masterplan.tinyurl.com/5du4xd

EnvironmentAgency

Sutcli e Park, Lewisham. The lood relie scheme or south Londons River

Quaggy returned the river to a more natural setting. Dur ing periods o high

water, a lood alleviation system allows the park to slowly ill with water,

reducing the risk o looding downstream.

MonitoringContinual monitoring o the use o water resourcesis critical i eco-towns are to ull the rigoroussustainability criteria. All water use should be meteredand local authorities and utilities companies shouldmonitor levels o consumption. Post-occupancyevaluations commissioned by government shouldexamine water resources and behaviour change.

ResourcesBRE Innovation Park: tinyurl.com/599cCIRIA sustainable urban drainagewebsite, www.ciria.org/sudsCLG practice guide on development andfood risk/PPS25: tinyurl.com/2zq86rEnvironment Agency, Introduction to sustainabledrainage systems, tinyurl.com/5g6bc

Green inrastructure example: East LondonGreen Grid at tinyurl.com/5r2821International example: Water sensitive planningguide for the Sydney region www.wsud.org

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2 Design o healthy neighbourhoods

In eco-towns, the spaces between buildings must be designed as careully and

deliberately as the buildings themselves. The two should work together to create anetwork o sae and attractive places, capable o supporting a variety o activities,enabling all residents to be physically active as a routine part o their daily lie.

Streets should be designed as places and not justas trac circulation routes. The needs o peopleshould be prioritised over the requirements omotorised transport. This has the additional beneto quiet, pollution-ree streets, which will allow oropening windows so buildings can be naturally

ventilated, thus reducing energy demand.

Street networks should be clear and well connectedand public and private spaces should be welldened. Streets and squares should be designedto create local distinctiveness and identity andbe sae to use by a wide range o people. Careulattention must be paid to the relationship o scaleo space and the activities it may support.

The design o eco-towns should include:

the promotion o walking and cycling orunctional as well as recreational journeys shared spaces, shared suraces and

home zones in appropriate contexts streets and squares designed as social places

with a clear relationship to surrounding buildings sae and accessible cycle parking car parking provision that is well-integrated

into a high-quality public realm streets designed or extreme weather conditions

such as fooding (or example with SUDS); active street rontages wherever possible passive supervision o public space with

housing and other buildings arrangedto overlook the public realm

an assessment o the impact the proposal is likelyto have on activity levels o the towns residents

accessible routes to schools, shops andcommunity acilities which are attractiveand sae or all users, in particular children,elderly and mobility impaired people

the creation o sports acilities and green gyms,where groups are organised to maintain and

improve a green space as a orm o keeping t high-quality play spaces to encourage

young people to enjoy the outdoors,including spaces or teenagers.

Children playing at Southey Owlerton, Sheield. This community-led

regeneration provided acilities or young people and children including this

bike and skate park

MonitoringPlanning authorities should monitor the designprocess to ensure that developers o eco-towns

provide evidence o levels o proposed ootallalong routes and levels o proposed activity. Post-occupancy management should use a range omeasures to monitor the quality o neighbourhoods: Manual or Streets quality audits or streets PERS pedestrian environment review system European Common Indicators: availability olocal public open areas and services; percentageo citizens living 300m rom public spaces.

Reerences

Manual for Streets, (DT, 2007; tinyurl.com/36hnds)Civilised Streets, (CABE Space, 2008; tinyurl.com/4yl82c)Making contracts work for wildlife, (CABE Space, 2006; tinyurl.com/6xvr)AUNT SUE: access/mobility and journey environment toolkit, (www.londonmet.ac.uk/aunt-sue)Right Trees for a Changing Climate, (Mayor o London, 2007; www.right-trees.org.uk) Parks, People & Nature, (Mayor o London, Natural England, 2008: tinyurl.com/6db2)Fair Play: a consultation on the national play

strategy, (DCSF, 2008; tinyurl.com/6lvtep)Space Syntax: an organisation specialising in the production o strategic design concepts or buildings and urban areas (www.spacesyntax.com)

MicheleTurriani

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3 Green inrastructure and biodiversity

Green inrastructure is a strategically planned and delivered network comprising

the broadest range o high quality greenspaces and other environmental eatures.It should be designed and managed as a multi-unctional resource capable odelivering the landscape, ecological services and quality o lie beneits requiredby the communities it serves and needed to underpin sustainability. Its design andmanagement should also protect and enhance the character and distinctiveness oan area with regard to habitats and landscape types. (TCPA Green Inrastructureworksheet or eco-towns, 2008)

A network o high-quality open spaces, greenspacesand green corridors should comprise publicly

accessible spaces such as parks, semi-public spacessuch as school grounds, and private spaces such asresidential gardens. A high proportion o the eectiveliving area, ideally 40 per cent, should be green.

A green inrastructure network should be ullyintegrated into the design o an eco-town.Such networks can include:

parks and gardens urban parks, countryparks, regional parks, ormal gardens(including designed landscapes)

amenity greenspace inormal recreation spaces,housing green spaces, domestic gardens, villagegreens, urban commons, other incidental space;

green roos allotments, community gardens and city arms cemeteries and churchyards natural and semi-natural urban green spaces,

including: woodland and scrub, grassland, heath ormoor, wetlands, open and running water, wastelandsand bare rock habitats like clis and quarries

green corridors rivers and canals, includingtheir banks; road and rail corridors includingroadside trees; cycling routes; pedestrianpaths; rights o way and permissive paths.

Green space and open space should bemultiunctional, providing or recreation, amenity,pedestrian and cycling connections in addition todelivering wide environmental benefts. Thesebenefts may include:

mitigation o the urban heat island eect byproviding shade, shelter and moisture release

air and water pollution control by lteringcontaminants noise reduction and reduced visual intrusion

o trac

The Academy o St Francis o Assisi, Liverpool . Green roos can be

considered or all types o buildin g, such as this school

food management, sustainable drainage andsurace water storage

local ood production on allotments; woodland or crops or energy production; and the creation o wildlie habitats or corridors and the

encouragement o biodiversity.

Green roos and green walls can orm part o agreen inrastructure network and provide theollowing benefts:

reduction in rootop temperatures. On hot sunny days,rootop temperatures may be up to 40c cooler with agreen roo than with a conventional fat dark colouredroo (Londons Urban Heat Island a summaryor decision makers, Mayor o London, 2006)

DaveMorris/CABE

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reduction o rainwater runo by absorbing andslowly releasing large amounts o water

reduction o noise or occupants, especially on upper foors increased urban biodiversity by providing

habitat space or birds and small animals increased evaporative cooling eect by the

retention o storm water in roos and vegetation.

Street trees and trees in public spaces (especiallylarge, broad-leaved trees) help to alleviate the eectso climate change. For example, trees provide shadein the summer reducing the need or mechanical airconditioning (depending on their proximity to buildings).

Trees also provide natural cooling systems as theyconsume large amounts o available energy in theatmosphere through the process o evapotranspiration.

It is important to ensure that the right trees are plantedto cope with present and uture local conditions.

trees (when large enough) provide shade surace peak temperature reductions o between 5c and 20c may be possible

evapotranspiration through trees and vegetationcan result in the reduction o peak summer

temperatures by between 1c and 5c.

For guidance on local standards set or the ecotown site locality, developers could reer to:

local greenspace and open space strategies regional green inrastructure strategies regional green grids.There should be well considered and deliverableproposals or the long term management o greenspaceand or unding to ensure such management .

As a minimum, developers o eco-towns should: produce a biodiversity action plan identiying

the key species and presenting strategiesdesigned to improve and increase habitat orselected species and increase their numbers.

provide a green inrastructure plan demonstrating howthe development proposal will eature an interconnectednetwork o multiunctional greenspace with:- public green space representing at least 20 percent o the overall development ootprint (excludingprivate gardens)

- a canopy cover o at least 25 per cent in residential areasand 15 per cent in mixed-use or commercial areas ; and- provision or bicycle and walking connection within thedevelopment and towards neighbouring communities.

Milton Keynes loodplain orest. Green inrastructure should be

designed to be multi-unctional, such as providing open space andloodwater storage areas

MonitoringOnce an eco-town has set its standards in biodiversityand green inrastructure, it is essential that theyare adhered to. Government should continue tomonitor the delivery o the commitments madethroughout development and post-occupancy.

Resources

Paying for parks, (CABE, 2006; tinyurl.com/5u5dub):guidance on management and revenueGreen space strategies a good practice guide, (CABE, 2004; tinyurl.com/6yrw5n) Londons Urban Heat Island a summary for decisionmakers, (Mayor o London, 2006; tinyurl.com/6jsrv)LEED or Neighborhood Development Rating System, (US Green Building Council, 2008, tinyurl.com/2c4g9c): a set o evaluation criteria intended to help assess and reward environmentally superior practices

Green Flag Awards: criteria for publicparks, (www.greenfagaward.org.uk)Accessible natural green space in towns and cities, (English Nature, 1995; tinyurl.com/6otoe)

Stephen

McLaren

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Putting it all in place

We suggest that eco-town developers need to establish the ollowing:

1 A clearramework and metrics or their sustainability criteria, drawing on the governmentseco-towns criteria and the criteria set out by the ecological limits and design principlesdescribed in this report. These limits and criteria then inorm the design, construction andoccupation o the eco-town and can be used or monitoring post-occupation.

2 A shared vision or the eco-town. Workshops should take place at a very early stage to review how theprojects sustainability targets can be achieved, how local employment opportunities can be generatedand how a place can be created where people will be happy to live and work. They should be attendedby key people rom the project team (the eco-town promoter, developers, architects, engineers, andmasterplanners) and other project stakeholders including government contacts, relevant local authorityocers and members, transport and utilities companies, local environmentalists, local employers and

other local representatives such as local parish councillors. The shared vision and ideas developed caninorm the eco-town vision and orm the basis o the towns sustainability action plan (see point 5).

3 Good masterplanning and engineering at the earliest stages with a ocus on delivering the ecotown sustainability criteria through high standards o design. It is important to work with the landscapeand resources on site, understanding the physical assets o a place. The masterplan should considerand integrate all spatial issues including transport, health, landscape and the local economy.

4 A clear idea o aday in the lie in 2020 o a range o residents and business occupants. This shouldrefect the eco-towns sustainability criteria and shared vision, and demonstrably deliver the CO2 emissionsand ecological ootprint reductions required or each individual resident to live a sustainable lie.

5 A sustainability action plan or the eco-town, developed using and including the ramework, metrics,shared vision, masterplanning and day in the lie. The ramework and metrics should be used to set outclearly how the sustainability criteria will be achieved or the range o residents and business occupants.It should include targets, timescales and milestones, and be updated and audited as plans developor at least annually. The sustainability action plan should be used as a guide as the project develops.

6 A local employment and local economy strategy. Eco-towns should be as much about creating employmentand a local economy as they are about building homes. This will assist in delivering the transport targets as wellas improving social and economic outcomes. Ideally 80 per cent o employment should be within the eco-townor within walking, cycling or public transport distance. There should be one local job or workspace or eachhousehold. The strategy should aim to oster entrepreneurship and the creation o sustainable jobs and businessesthrough the provision o workspace and opportunities suitable or the demographic mix o expected residents.

7 The inclusion oeco-towns criteria in contracts with third parties. Training should be providedor these third parties in order or the initial vision to be maintained as the project advances.

8 Workable plans oracilities management developed beore commencing work on siteand a long-term management and resource generation plan or maintenance.

9 All the necessary elements to enable sustainable liestylesshould be ready and waitingwhen the rst residents move in, especially those elements that reduce the need to travel andreduce energy demand. Good publicity and inormation supplied in advance o people and

businesses moving in will be critical to ensuring required changes in behaviour.

10 Once the eco-town is occupied, the sustainability criteria and targets should be used ormonitoring,dissemination and continuous improvement. Statistically representative sample sizes should be used.

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Eco-towns as a learning process

It is in all o our interests that the eco-towns are as successul as possible.

Whilst eco-town developers may be taking the lead, they need the support andinvolvement o key stakeholders.

It is in all o our interests that the eco-towns that makeit through the selection process are as successul aspossible, both in providing communities to live andwork in and in providing valuable learning about howwe can live sustainable lives in the uture. Whilst ecotown developers may be taking the lead, they needthe support and involvement o key stakeholders.

As this is a learning process or all, we suggest thatthe government takes a relatively non-prescriptive,fexible, partnership approach to working with ecotown promoters. However, we also recommend thateco-town status should be removed i the eco-townpromoters are not genuinely attempting to deliveron their sustainability action plan. Thereore wesuggest that the government ensures that expertadvisors are on hand to support all successul ecotown teams in achieving their vision, and independentevaluators to assess and monitor progress annually.

Local authorities and regional developmentagencies also have a key role to play and will need toenable and support the eco-towns in a partnershiprole. We urther suggest that the governmentrequests that transport and energy inrastructureproviders work with eco-town developers in asimilarly constructive and helpul manner.

As the proposals progress, there will be many issuesto consider, not least how to infuence and changethe behaviour o those moving to an eco-town. Thegovernance, management and maintenance o thetown will require innovative models to enable thoseliving there to achieve the aims o the towns initialvision. These models will need to make it easy orresidents to adopt a sustainable way o lie, achievingthe carbon and ecological ootprints set out in thisreport. Without clear strategies or managementand subsequent maintenance o the towns assets,an eco-town will all short o its exemplar aims.

It is important that everyone involved learns rom both

the successes and the ailures o eco-towns. Themeasurable criteria detailed in this document can beused as a starting point to monitor, disseminate anddeliver continuous improvement, including additional

Coopers Road, Southwark. This social housing scheme is designed to allow

solar collector s to be retro-it ted on south-acing roos in uture. Future

adaptabili ty needs to be built in to the initial design process and lessons

learned and incorporated into later phases o development

criteria. This will be important to determine whetherthe town is meeting the targets set out at thedesign stage, enabling the town to assess andadapt i necessary to achieve these initial targets.

The lessons learned rom eco-towns should bepublicised widely, to infuence government policyand industry best practice. The government hasthe responsibility to ensure there is sucientmonitoring. We hope that the orthcoming ecotowns planning policy statement will go beyond

the demanding criteria or the developmentto include methods o measuring success through monitoring and evaluation asthe eco-towns proposals move orward.

ECDArchitectsPaulTiyagi

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Appendix

Using a consumption model also been let out o the governments Climate Change

Bill. This is due to complications o allocation overEcological ootprint international boundaries but it does leave a gap in theEcological ootprinting measures how much carbon ootprint, especially given that aviation is thebiologically productive land and water an astest growing source o carbon dioxide emissions.individual, population or activity requiresto produce all the renewable resources it An alternative model or assessing emissions isconsumes and to absorb the waste it generates. to look at a consumption model. This means thatBiologically productive land and water is the international trade is also taken into account. Forarea that produces materials useul to humans example, i products are being consumed in the UK(orests, armland, shing areas and built up but are produced in China, some o the UK burdenareas) but doesnt include marginal land such is shited to China under typical methodologies.as deserts, mountains and the open ocean. Using a consumption model, the UK consumers

take responsibility or those emissions.I we take the total area o biologically productiveland in the world (11.2 billion hectares) and divide The consumption model o carbon emissions meansit by the 6.3 billion people living on the planet that fows o materials and energy through the economywe can calculate the area available per person are taken into account enabling us to examine theon the planet. I everyone in the world used impacts o embedded carbon within the productsthe same amount o resources we would each we consume. The energy used to manuacture andhave 1.8 global hectares (gha). This includes transport goods is built into the impact o those goods.allowing just 10 per cent or other species.

An ecological ootprint is measured in global The Resource and Energy Analysis Programme

hectares this is an area measure normalized (REAP) is a model based on consumptionto the area-weighted average productivity o methodology that has been developed by thebiologically productive land and water in a given Stockholm Environment Institute (York) asyear. Because dierent land types have dierent part o the Ecological Budget UK project.productivity, a global hectare o, or example,cropland, would occupy a smaller physical area It is based on material fow accounting or the wholethan the much less biologically productive pasture o the UK. This establishes the total material fows inland, as more pasture would be needed to provide the UK economy and uses economic data to track thethe same biocapacity as one hectare o cropland. fows o material and provides a ull account o the UK.

The main data source or REAP is PRODCOM,Direct and indirect, or production and which is a survey compiled by the Oce or Nationalconsumption carbon emissions Statistics on Products o the European Union, aThe emissions data that the government publishes harmonised system across the European Union orare based on direct emissions (or by a production the collection and publication o product statistics.method, ie what is actually emitted within our The data is then organised by nal consumptioncountry). This presents a problem as there are patterns that ollow both SIC and the COICOPsome areas o the total emissions that are not classications8. The data used is rom 2001.covered, such as shipping and aviation. Theseare not required in the Kyoto protocol and have REAP can produce data by CO2 emissions,

greenhouse gas emissions and ecological ootprint.

8 SIC is the UK Standard Industrial Classi ication o Economic Activi ties

and COICOP is the international Classiication o Individual Consumption

According to Purpose

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Defnitions o categories used in REAP

Housing, construction and maintenance includes the impacts o the construction industry,the building and maintenance o our homes, and services relating to our homes such as rentalsand mortgages.

Home energy includes all gas and electricity consumption in the home, plus other uels suchas coal and oil.

Transport is due to uel consumption, car ownership, public transport, fying and constructionand maintenance o the transport networks

Food and drinkincludes ood consumed at home or out at restaurants or other cateringestablishments.

Consumer goods means any products we purchase, including durable large householdobjects such as urniture and appliances and smaller products such as newspapers,clothing and electronics.

Private services means any service we consume such as recreation, nancial, telephone,insurance, private schools and medical care.

Government includes the administration o central and local government, plus servicesthat they manage such as social services, waste management, schools and universities.

Capital assets covers investment in capital assets such as actories, machinery, transportequipment, and other buildings and structures. Some o the capital assets however areincluded in the other categories, or example dwellings come under housing, and building roads and railways would come under transport. This section includes the other remainingsectors such as machinery, the wholesale trade and the chemical industry.

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This report, produced jointly by theBioRegional Development Groupand CABE, oers timely advice tothe agencies involved in developingproposals or Englands eco-towns.Drawing on BioRegionals work onbuilding sustainable settlements,and CABEs understanding o what

it takes to create workable andsustainable places, What makes aneco town? challenges the eco-townproposers to be as ambitious as theycan. It sets out clear sustainabilitycriteria against which the proposerscan judge their plans, and oers waysto monitor progress. The report isinspired by the government-appointedeco-towns advisory panel, as well asby BioRegionals one planet livingapproach. It seeks to show how alldevelopers, not just the eco-townproposers, can build in sustainability.

BioRegionalDevelopment GroupBedZED Centre24 Helios RoadWallingtonSurrey SM6 7BZUnited KingdomT 020 8404 4880F 020 8404 4893E [email protected]