Entitled ‘What makes an eco-town?’ describes the features of places designed for living within ecological limits. These include generous space to grow food; ample tree canopy cover; attractive alternatives to shopping as the default leisure activity; and substantial reduction in car dependency. It provides clear criteria and practical guidance on how the sustainability of settlements can be monitored and tested.

Eco-town developers have a key role in the areas of housing and construction and home energy, which together account for 31% of a person’s carbon dioxide emissions and 26% of their ecological footprint. The recommended criteria include adopting the Building for Life gold standard for all residential developments, and a 100% renewable energy supply.

The report describes how a 60% reduction can be secured in the ecological footprint and carbon dioxide _{emissions associated with food through measures which include making space for food growing and links with local farms.}

The report recommends residential areas should enjoy tree canopy cover of at least 25 % to alleviate the impacts of climate change, with 15 % canopy cover in mixed-use or commercial areas.

SET NEW TRENDS

Developers are urged to set a new trend by designing places which present sociable and healthy alternatives to shopping and improve quality of life. Recreation provision should

include great parks and play spaces (including spaces suitable for teenagers); and sports facilities and green gyms (groups keeping fit while maintaining open space).

Consumer goods account for 14 % of an individual’s ecological footprint and the target should be to halve the amount bought in eco-towns, with other measures to secure this target including repair and re-use and swap shops.

The report describes how eco-towns can reduce carbon dioxide from driving – which generates almost a quarter of an individual’s carbon dioxide emissions – by 80 %. This entails providing a good, frequent and reliable low carbon public transport, and supporting walking and cycling with a density of 50-100 dwellings per hectare. A maximum of one car parking space per household is recommended.

The report notes that eco-towns should be as much about creating employment and a local economy as they are about building homes. This will assist in delivering the transport targets as well as improving social and economic outcomes.

The report is inspired by the government’s eco-towns challenge panel. It draws on BioRegional’s work on building sustainable settlements and on CABE’s understanding of what it takes to create workable and sustainable places. The criteria recommended in it are a contribution to the debate: they do not represent an absolute or final statement of what an eco-town should aim for.

TRAIILBLAZING PROJECTS

Sue Riddlestone, executive director and co-founder of the BioRegional Development Group and eco-towns challenge panel member said: “We need to see trailblazing projects worthy of the name eco-town. Done well, these real-life projects should advance industry best practice, inform government policy and show how we can reduce our impact to sustainable levels and have an improved quality of life.”

CABE and BioRegional would like to see these criteria by all new neighbourhoods or urban extensions, not just eco-towns. Richard Simmons, chief executive, CABE and an eco-towns challenge panel member said: “If eco-towns are to have a fundamental purpose, it must be to show how we can all live and work in well-designed, low-carbon neighbourhoods.”

Image shows the BEDzed development at Wallington, south London.

More info: www.bedzed.org.uk