Sustainable Urbanism - Edinburgh
Sustainable Urbanism - Edinburgh
Sustainable Urbanism - Edinburgh
BA Architecture
Year 2 - 2007/2008
Ralf Brand
Contributing Students:
Richard Black
Helen Flynn
Mark Fullerton
Joaquim Paz
Alistair Watkiss
Geographical, social and historical
context
Geography
Climate
Demographic evolution
Historical landscape
Year 1755 1791 1811 1831 1851 1871 1891 1911 1931 1951 1971 1991 2001 2006
Popula
57,195 81,865 82,624 136,054 160,511 196,979 261,225 320,318 439,010 466,761 453,575 418,914 448,624 463,510
tion
History
Economy
With the strongest economy of any city in the UK outside London and
been recently announced as one of the fastest growing city regions in
Europe, the strength of Edinburgh's economy is reflected by its GDP
per capita, which was measured at £27,600 in 2004.
Largely based around the services sector: education and health,
finance and business services, retailing and tourism are the main
areas of activity.
Unemployment in Edinburgh is low at 2.2%, which has been
consistently below the Scottish average.
Culture
Transport
Edinburgh has developed a Local Transport Strategy
(LTS) to reduce congestion within the region.
Congestion is expected to double by the year 2016
if no action is taken. The number of cars used for
recreational and commuter purposes reduced by
4.1% between 1999 and 2001 and is expected to
fall by a further 7.8% due to the measures taken by
the council. Edinburgh’s LTS encourages citizens to
use sustainable forms of transport by:
•improving and increasing the network of cycle and
pedestrian routes.
•Reducing traffic speeds to encourage pedestrian
use
•Appropriate lighting, signage and surveillance to
ensure safe routes.
•Introducing car clubs which reduce the number of
cars on roads by using a pay as you drive scheme.
Fair Trade Building design Water
Edinburgh’s 2006 Fair trade Consumer The City of Edinburgh Council was
Guide states that outlets in the city Urban areas draw heavily on
committed to reducing it’s
stock over 1000 Fair Trade Products, water resources and this demand
greenhouse gas emissions by 15%
from coffee to footballs and from can be reduced by 50% in
by 2005 following the introduction
flowers to herbs. The range of Fair commercial and domestic
of the Kyoto Protocol. This is higher
Trade products sold reflects the buildings by use of efficient
than the national UK reduction. In
demand for the products and the design strategies. Edinburgh’s
order to achieve this the following
responsible traders and consumers council spends £3.5 million per
points are carefully considered
within the region. Large supermarkets annum on water and sewerage
when designing new building or
such as Marks and Spencer, Scotmid and has an efficient water
refurbishing.
( Scotland largest co-operative management policy in place in
supermarket founded in 1859), small • Reduce the demand of energy to order to reduce water use and
independent cafes such as The Lot and maintain the building waste.
churches have all joined the fair-trade • Use renewable energy resources
movement. Many churches in
Edinburgh hold Fair Trade events and • Eliminate air-con
has held exchanges with Fair Trade • Orientate building for maximum
growers form around the globe in order solar and wind gain
to raise awareness about this
important issue. • Maximum sustainable use of
landscape
The SEA is one of the main elements which allow Edinburgh to develop their measure and policies on sustainability. This
assessment and development will allow Edinburgh to reach its goal, to become the most sustainable city in northern
Europe, by 2015.
Appeals (or questions, representations, objections etc.) can be made to the Scottish Ministers by affected parties who are
not content with a decision made by an enforcing authority, such as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency or
Scottish Water Most environmental legislation makes provision, in a range of different ways, for appeals to be made. This
allows the local people to have a real input into the actions taken on environmental issues.
Recently the council has signed Scotland's climate change declaration, this will enable the reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions, Edinburgh have also participated in a carbon management programme. Run by carbon trust this programme
aims to provide guidance and technological support to help authorities gain carbon emissions savings.
Edinburgh's sustainable reputation has
been built up by the formation of the “With this Sustainable Design Guide,
Council’s Sustainable Development Unit the City of Edinburgh Council adds to
(SDU). In order to cement the ideals and to its reputation as a city that seeks
communicate the importance of excellence in its built environment; and
environmental design, the Sustainable sustainability as a positive and
Design Guide was created. creative force in the quality of its
places and spaces for people.
Successful cities are those that rank
This contains information, guidelines and
excellence in place making alongside
case studies for each of the following
social and economic goals. This Guide
topics:
should therefore inspire those that
• Social and Economic issues commission buildings, design them
• Landscape and biodiversity and build them to create the kind of
• Materials city that they are proud to pass on to
• Water their grandchildren.”Raymond Young
Chair-Architecture and Design
• Transport
Scotland
• Waste
• Building design
A number of policies have been introduced since the early 90’s
A detailed description of each of these including:
topics including solutions and a checklist in
order to ensure targets are met have been Sustainable Travel Plan for the City of Edinburgh Council
compiled and is aimed at professionals in (February 2000)
the field and clients in order to encourage Water Management Policy for Council buildings (July 2000)
sustainable design. City of Edinburgh Council Resource Use Policy (September 2000)
City of Edinburgh Council Timber Policy (1997)
Sustainable Development Strategy (December 2000)
Edinburgh Biodiversity Action Plan (2004)
City of Edinburgh Council’s Accessibility Strategy (2003)
Air Quality Action Plan (October 2003)
• The formulation of policies and small goals in order to break down the large targets set by
National bodies of authority.
• Developing a local transport strategy to reduce congestion in the city and to encourage use
of sustainable modes of transport by making them safer and easier to use.
• The creation of car free, pedestrian zones.
• Encourage the use of fair trade goods and create links with fair trade producers in order to
raise awareness within the communities.
• Introduce water management policies to reduce water waste and contamination.
• Use of ‘green housing’ which encourage sustainable living by steering the user in the right
direction and supplying the user with the correct tools for a sustainable lifestyle.
• The government to set an example by using a sustainable design for their own building.
• Use of sustainable materials in building design and refurbishment.
• The promotion of the reduce re-use and recycle principle in schools and communities.
• Promotion and advertisement of ‘green lifestyles’.
• Forming declarations and policies which set targets for the city and smaller communities within the
city.
• The formation of committees and environmental boards which offer guidance and technological
support to local authorities.
• Increased funding in sustainable initiatives.
• The use of Strategic Environmental Assessment to establish methods for protecting the
environment which are relevant to the local area.
• Encourage local participation in the decision making and implementation process.
• Formation of bodies such as Edinburgh Council Sustainable Development Unit ( SDU) to cement and
communicate policies and ideas to the general public.
Conclusions
As the capital of Scotland since 1437, Edinburgh has a duty to set an example
on sustainable
urbanism for which the rest of Scotland can follow.
The City of Edinburgh Council states its desire to make Edinburgh the most
sustainable city in North Europe by 2015. To ensure this happens a number
of polices covering transport, building design, efficient water usage, fair
trade products and environmental awareness have been introduced.
Projects such as the Slateford Green Housing development and the Scottish
Parliament Building act as flagships setting an example for future design
projects in the city.
By breaking the target up into smaller goals, Edinburgh is making huge steps
in becoming a more sustainable city. We can only hope that the efforts are
kept up to make Edinburgh even more sustainable, and that smaller
Scottish cities, towns and villages follow their capital’s example and
develop their own policies for the benefit of the local and wider community.
BIBLIOGRAPHY