GREEN URBAN DESIGN BEYOND THE BUILDING ENVELOPE DION COWLEY

GREEN URBAN DESIGN BEYOND THE BUILDING ENVELOPE DION COWLEY

Key Questions 1. What is Green Urban Design? 2. How do we make it business as usual?

1. What is Green Urban Design?

Is it this?

Or is it this?

First lets visit Urban Design

Why is Urban Design important? >72% of the population living in the 16 main urban areas and around 33 percent in the Auckland urban region Alone 1 NZ urban environments designed around the colonial 1/4 acre dream and personal motor transport. Current development models push ecosystems and agriculture to the periphery of cities. Challenge is to create desirable urban areas that people want to live/work/play in. Must be done in a way that ensures future generations have the same access to resources at hand. 1 NZ Department of Internal Affairs (2008)

Definitions of Urban Design No one globally accepted definition - problem Local adaptation is important Agreement to core principles needed (common language)

NZ Definitions of Urban Design Central Government Ministry for the Environment - Urban Design Protocol (2005) Dept Internal Affairs - Building Sustainable Communities Discussion Doc (2008) Local Government Wellington - Urban Design Strategy (Draft 1993) Auckland - Urban Design Framework (2007) Christchurch - Greater Christchurch Urban Dev Strategy 2009 NGOs Beacon Pathway - Neighbourhoods Framework (2005)

MfE Urban Design Protocol Context: Seeing that buildings, places and spaces are part of the whole town or city Character: Reflecting and enhancing the distinctive character, heritage and identity of our urban environment Choice: Ensuring diversity and choice for people Connections: Enhancing how different networks link together for people Creativity: Encouraging innovative and imaginative solutions Custodianship: Ensuring design is environmentally sustainable, safe and healthy Collaboration: Communicating and sharing knowledge across sectors, professions and with communities.

Auckland Urban Design Framework A more distinctive city - city of the Pacific A more compact city - high quality, walkable, mixed use A more connected city - choice of efficient, affordable transport A more sustainable city - land use and built form A more beautiful city - each space contributes to whole A more human city - how people experience the city

Wellington Urban Design Strategy Fit - physical form and capacity of public place Structure and Orientation - visual clarity of layout Place Character - set districts apart Access and Connections - ability to reach other places, activities, resources Sense - five senses Variety - diversity of experiences available Continuity - transparency of history of place, growth and change

Where green buildings currently fit in Urban Design Principles 1. Urban Character 2. Diversity 3. Sustainability a) Transport b) Habitat protection c) Use of Green technology e.g. buildings, stormwater, tri generation of energy.

So what is Green Urban Design?

Green Urban Design Are our Urban Design goals good enough? Are they leading us towards happy/healthy urban environments. Green Buildings are just the start. Ecological sustainable design - oxymoron or our future?

What are Green Urban Design (GUD) Principles? 1. Ecological approach - micro sustainably and macro sustainability Cradle to cradle thinking - no longer less bad but net positive effects Permaculture Design Principles Bioregions 2. Natural design actually incorporate nature into buildings/places Biophillia Hypothesis "the innate human affinity for nature" 3. Resource resilience Transition Towns Movement Foodscapes - ecological foot print, keep it healthy keep it local Waterscapes water quality and availability 4. Incorporation of indigenous culture - sense of ownership and identification

Macro System 1. Ecological Approach Permaculture systems design principles applied to bioregion 1 Observe and interact Catch and store energy Obtain a yield Apply self regulation and accept feedback Use and value renewable resources and services Produce no waste Design from patterns to details Integrate rather than segregate Use small and slow solutions Use and value diversity Use edges and value the marginal Creatively use and respond to change 1 Permaculture - Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability, 2002 (David Holmgren)

Micro System Buildings (and infrastructure) are the building blocks of urban environments The Living Building Challenge 2006 - The Cascadia Region Green Building Council (British Columbia, Washington and Oregon) High end building rating tool The Living Building Challenge is comprised of sixteen prerequisites within six performance areas, or Petals. Site - Limits to Growth, Urban Agriculture, Habitat Exchange, Car Free Living Water - Net Zero Water, Ecological Water Flow Energy Net Zero Energy Health - Civilized Environment, Healthy Air, Biophilia Materials - Red List, Embodied Carbon Footprint, Responsible Industry, Appropriate Sourcing, Conservation and Reuse Equity - Human Scale/Humane Places, Democracy/Social Justice, Rights to Nature Beauty Beauty/Spirit, Inspiration /Education

System Context Cultural Urban Design Principles CBD like any other in world vs. distinctly NZ urban space Differentiate our urban areas from those abroad. Sense of place. Sense of ownership. Tourist dollar Te Aranga Maori Cultural Landscapes Strategy Papakainga housing developments - Whagarei, BOP and Hastings

Definition of Green Urban Design Systems approach at micro and macro levels within context of bioregions.

Urban Design vs Green Urban Design MfE Urban Design Protocol Context: Seeing that buildings, places and spaces are part of the whole town or city Character: Reflecting and enhancing the distinctive character, heritage and identity of our urban environment Choice: Ensuring diversity and choice for people Connections: Enhancing how different networks link together for people Creativity: Encouraging innovative and imaginative solutions Custodianship: Ensuring design is environmentally sustainable, safe and healthy Collaboration: Communicating and sharing knowledge across sectors, professions and with communities. Green Urban Design Principles 1. Ecological approach - micro sustainably and macro sustainability Cradle to cradle thinking - no longer less bad but net positive effects Permaculture Design Principles Bioregions 2. Natural design actually incorporate nature into buildings/places Biophillia Hypothesis "the innate human affinity for nature" 3. Resource resilience Transition Towns Movement Foodscapes - ecological foot print, keep it healthy keep it local Waterscapes water quality and availability 4. Incorporation of indigenous culture - sense of ownership and identification

How do we get Green Urban Design to be the status quo?

Where is NZ politically? Ministry for the Environment - National Policy Statement (August 2008) Dept Building Housing - Building Code Revision (Sept 2008) Dept Building and Housing - Urban Intensification Taskforce (August 2008) Dept of Internal Affairs Sustainable Urban Design Unit (Sept 2008) Standards NZ - Land development and subdivision engineering, NZS 4404:2004 (Nov 2009) Ministry for the Environment - RMA Phase II Reforms + Integration with Building Code (2009) Local Government creating Long Term Council Community Plans (Local Government Act 2002) Local Government creating urban design guidelines Wellington City Council Urban Design Strategy (1993) Auckland City Council Urban Design Framework (2007) Christchurch City Council - Greater Christchurch Urban Dev Strategy (2009)

Where is NZ UD on the Ground? Johnsonville Town Centre Plan - Wellington Ferndale - Wellington Lincolnshire Farm Wellington Pegasus - Christchurch Hobsonville Point - Auckland Flatbush Township - Auckland Talbot Park Neighbourhood Revitalisation Auckland Earthsong Eco Neighbourhood - Auckland The Tui Community - Golden Bay

From Green Buildings to Green Communities How do green buildings fit into to wider (ecological) context. When designing communities we must consider: Flexibility (designed so that different users/activities) Will they be useful if the cost of resources increase or the climate changes? How resilient are the wider systems that they depend on? Beacon Pathways - Neighourhoods Framework Functional flexibility Neighbourhood satisfaction Minimised costs Effective governance and civic life Appropriate resource use and climate protection Maximised bio-physical health

Community Rating Tools International LEED For Neighbourhoods - USA BREEAM Communities - UK Sustainable Community Rating Tool - Vic Urban, Australia Green Star Communities - Green Building Council of Australia AGIC Tool - Australia Green Infrastructure Council New Zealand TUSC Waitakare City Council and MFE Sustainable Management Fund Watch this space

The BIG question - Existing Buildings Under performing buildings far outweigh the performers. More sustainable to retrofit the existing than build a brand new green building + heritage value. Perceived difficultly/cost in retrofitting existing buildings. Cost of not going green. Commercial ¼ of Green Star Office projects are retrofits of existing buildings. Commercial buildings are significant consumers of energy. Residential NZ research focus on residential e.g. Beacon, BRANZ, EECA, NZCSD 65% of homes were constructed before insulation was required 1 1/3 of homes are below the WHO standard for healthy internal temperatures Different incentives/barriers for Residential vs. Public vs. Commercial 1 Better Performing Homes for New Zealanders - Making it Happen. Peter Neilson NZ Business Council Sustainable Design (2009)

Barriers to Green Urban Design Department Internal Affairs Building Sustainable Urban Communities - discussion document (2008) Capacity and capability issues in all levels of government and the development industry Limited co-ordination of national, regional and local planning and implementation for large-scale urban development Ineffective integration between land use/transport planning, and transport/utility service providers to implement sustainable urban development Difficulties in funding urban development projects Difficulties assembling useful parcels of land from fragmented groups of properties or in acquiring and/or ensuring appropriate development of strategic sites Length and nature of planning and development control processes Limits to achieving social outcomes and public benefits (such as affordable housing) through market mechanisms

Barriers to Green Urban Design Knowledge

Who Pays? Developers incur all the initial costs and risks, including site purchase, design and construction, and receive all their revenue (site and building sale) at the beginning of a 50-year life for a building. 1 1 MfE Value Case for Sustainable Building in New Zealand (2005)

Incentives for Quality Government Custodians of wellbeing Developers Are they necessary? What are they? Development Bonuses density/height/far bonuses Financial Incentives tax break, reduced development contributions, fast tracking, reduced green building costs, point of difference if achieve benchmark

Incentives for Quality Home Owners Want healthy and warm homes Knowledge, upfront cost and lack of payback Split incentives

Conclusion Green Urban Design requires: Education where we are and where we want to go Consensus work towards common goal Incentivise of the process Streamline the process Celebration when we get it right

You are where you live