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INCORPORATING GREENHOUSE
STRATEGY INTO URBAN DESIGN
URL: http://www.spatialgovernance.com/development/613-06A1.htm
© John S. Cook - Created on 31 July 2004
Last modified
30/07/06 14:56
Australian EST
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1. INTRODUCTION |
Response of Australian
Governments to Environmental Issues
On 1 May 1992, the Commonwealth, States, Territories and representatives
of local government entered into an
Intergovernmental
Agreement on the Environment. This Agreement affirmed the roles and
responsibilities of various levels of government and the principles to
be followed in decisions affecting the environment.
Purpose in National Greenhouse
Strategy
The general purpose behind the National Greenhouse Strategy (NGS) is to
bring about a permanent reduction in emission of greenhouse gases.
Policy consistency and coherence requires that the objectives of the NGS
be incorporated into AMCORD as a purpose- or performance-based approach
to residential design.Urban design needs to
consider how greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced as a function of
how urban systems are created and required to operate. This requires a
systematic analysis of:
 | energy usage in creating and operating urban
systems; |
| energy alternatives that may mitigate greenhouse
gas emissions; |
| efficiencies that may avoid unnecessary emissions
and wasted energy. |
COAG National Transport Reform Agenda
A Joint
Communiqué of a
Friday 2 June 2006
meeting of
Australian, State and Territory Transport Ministers and the President of
the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) included reference to
a National Transport Reform Agenda. |
Australian Transport
Ministers agreed the way to progress the transport reform agenda set by
the Council
In particular, Ministers noted:
| The important opportunity provided by the
Productivity Commission's Road and Rail Freight Infrastructure Pricing
inquiry to progress efficient transport pricing; |
| The comprehensive scope of COAG's road and rail
regulatory reform agenda, including productivity improvements in road
transport, the significance of establishing national rail safety
legislation and a nationally consistent and simpler system of rail
access regulation; |
| All governments' commitment to achieving a simpler
and consistent national approach to the economic regulation of
significant infrastructure by becoming signatories to the COAG
Competition and Infrastructure Reform Agreement; |
| COAG's commitment to reduce current and projected
urban transport congestion, informed by the joint Commonwealth-State
review that is currently underway; and |
| COAG's recognition of the role of energy efficiency
in the transport sector by requesting the Australian Transport
Council, in conjunction with the Environment Protection and Heritage
Council, to report on both a range of fuel efficiency initiatives and
on travel demand management, including increased use of public
transport. |
Transport Ministers signed off on the first of a
series of progress reports to COAG on implementing the National
Transport Reform Agenda, noting the resource challenges facing the
smaller jurisdictions in implementing the agenda. |
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References:
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2. AMCORD RESPONSE TO GREENHOUSE
STRATEGY |
AMCORD References to
Greenhouse Strategy
At s.1.3 on Strategic Planning AMCORD states:
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There should be recognition of the relationships
between urban form, housing density and type, transport systems
and street design, the use of non-renewable resources and energy,
and subsequent greenhouse impacts. |
Under the heading of Design Elements,
| The National Greenhouse Response
Strategy recognises the important influence that urban form and
systems can have on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Factors
such as residential density, housing and allotment design and
layout, land-use mix, local employment opportunities, street
layout, mode and use of transport, and urban infrastructure all
have implications for energy consumption and production of
greenhouse emissions, and are important considerations in the
neighbourhood design process. |
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Efficient Transport and
Sustainable Urban Policy
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References:
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URBAN CLIMATE PROTECTION
INITIATIVES |
Australian Initiatives
Cities for Climate ProtectionTM
(CCPTM) Australia is an Australian Government program aimed
at assisting local governments and communities in reducing greenhouse
gas emissions. This program is part of a global initiative that commenced
in 1990 with the formation of the International Council for Local
Environment Initiatives (ICLEI). |
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References:
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LOW ENERGY TRANSPORTATION OVERVIEW |
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Design Objectives
In broad terms, the design objectives for transportation in
neighbourhood design are to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas
emissions while also achieving economies in transport costs. The
production of greenhouse gases results from burning of fossil fuels. The
overall costs of transport are a more complex function that includes:
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capital and maintenance costs of
transport infrastructure - road, rail, ferry and other networks |
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capital, maintenance and operating
costs in fuel, energy and other vehicle costs |
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opportunity costs involved in the
travel time of commuters |
Neighbourhood Design Concepts
Recent neighbourhood design concepts used in western developed economies
have been given titles such as Transit Oriented Development (TOD),
Traditional Neighbourhood Development (TND), Pedestrian Pockets, Transit
Supportive Communities, Greenhouse Neighbourhoods and Urban Villages. In
each case the underlying objective is to create liveable neighbourhoods,
which reduce dependency on private vehicles and are more
energy-efficient.
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Road Hierarchy |
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References:
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