Advice and examples
Sustainable Places contains 87 pieces of advice and 46 examples. Choose your interests below to generate your own personalised list
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Designing and managing public space to cope with changeDesigning for change is essential in all elements of a city. Striking a balance between good design and room for adaptation to climate change will become increasingly important and public space has a central role in facilitating both.
Tags: public space, cities and towns
Using community waste managementVoluntary and community groups make a significant contribution to reduction, reuse and recycling through waste management services and waste education.
Tags: waste, neighbourhoods
Co-ordinating urban and transport planningThe co-ordination of transport investment and urban planning at the regional, sub-regional and city levels should use urban design to get the right density and location of activities of use.
Tags: transport, regions and subregions, cities and towns, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces
Valuing reduced energy demandThis section addresses the costs of energy and reducing demand, as well as the potential savings that can arise.
Tags: energy, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Developing a green infrastructure strategyGreen infrastructure strategies need to link to policy making and routes for implementation at a range of different levels.
Tags: green infrastructure, regions and subregions, cities and towns
Future-proofing energy demandsInterventions made now could be undone by future changes in lifestyle and climate. That means a degree of future proofing of energy and building strategies is required.
Tags: energy, cities and towns, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces
Developing sustainable regional and sub-regional transport networksDeveloping sustainable transport networks will be a key priority for ensuring connectivity between towns, cities and regions.
Tags: transport, regions and subregions
Developing city scale sustainable transport opportunitiesAt a sub-regional and city scale, public transport, walking and cycling provision can be much enhanced to help reduce carbon emissions.
Tags: transport, regions and subregions, cities and towns
Developing an urban heat island strategyGreen infrastructure is one mechanism for managing the urban heat island. A a city-wide urban heat island management strategy could bring together a wide variety of complementary options.
Tags: green infrastructure, cities and towns
Designing new green space in existing urban areasIn established urban areas it is more difficult to create significant new green spaces. That makes existing green infrastructure and creative greening approaches particularly important.
Tags: green infrastructure, public space, neighbourhoods
Designing and managing green spaces in new developmentA well-designed park or green space can be the making of a new development and contribute to the sustainability of the wider place.
Tags: green infrastructure, public space, neighbourhoods
Thinking differently - the energy hierarchyThe three Rs of the European waste minimisation hierarchy – reduce, reuse, recycle - can be applied across sustainable development, and particularly to energy use.
Tags: energy, regions and subregions, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Using thermal masterplanning for an integrated approachThe same national policy drivers that require local authorities to take responsibility for reducing energy use also dictate the need for mechanisms to provide the remaining energy as efficiently as possible and from the most renewable sources.
Tags: energy, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Improving street design and layoutWell-connected places increase accessibility, economic viability, and social cohesion. Street design is also important in providing social and economic benefits as well as providing healthier, higher quality environments.
Tags: public space, transport, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Providing a sustainable street networkThe connections between key places and the quality of the route’s design can support better bus connections and safer provision for cyclists to encourage a shift to modes of transport other than the private car.
Tags: public space, regions and subregions, cities and towns
Planning for sustainable water use and managementPlanning for water resources at city scale will be heavily informed by national and regional work.
Tags: water, regions and subregions, cities and towns
Designing for sustainable water useNeighbourhood and site masterplans are critical to the process of sustainable water management.
Tags: water, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces
Avoiding overheatingRising summer temperatures and improved air tightness of buildings mean that heat gain is a challenge as well as heat loss.
Tags: energy, buildings and spaces
Improving the energy performance of existing homesAccording to the Sustainable Development Commission, energy used in existing homes accounts for 27 per cent of all UK emissions and around 85 per cent of the existing stock will still be in use in 2050.
Tags: energy, cities and towns, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces
Choosing low carbon and renewable technologiesThis page provides an initial overview of the technologies available to reduce carbon emissions. More detail on each of the technologies can be found on separate pages.
Tags: energy, regions and subregions, cities and towns, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces
Developing a tree strategyTrees play a crucial role in a city’s green infrastructure, but many trees are uprooted each year.
Tags: green infrastructure, national level, cities and towns
Using spatial waste planningAn integrated approach to planning for waste management considers in-building logistics, waste collection and waste treatment and the interfaces between them.
Tags: waste, regions and subregions, cities and towns
Using green infrastructure to alleviate flood riskGreen infrastructure networks, incorporating all ‘green’ and ‘blue spaces’ across regions and cities, have an important role in managing surface water run-off and flood water storage.
Tags: green infrastructure, public space, water, regions and subregions, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Establishing surface water management plansAt the regional scale, surface water management plans should be universally produced to agreed criteria so all development takes account of water management impacts and is bound by appropriate regulation.
Tags: water, regions and subregions, cities and towns
Establishing local energy supply /CHP networksRemote power plants are inefficient, with over 60 per cent of the energy from fossil fuels being lost before the electricity reaches our buildings through transmission and waste heat.
Tags: energy, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Making spaces more comfortableClimate change means that designers, planners and managers of public space will have to consider factors such as increased need for shade and shelter.
Tags: green infrastructure, public space, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces
Coping with extreme weatherPublic spaces should be proactively designed to adapt to a changing climate.
Tags: public space, buildings and spaces
Integrating transportCarbon efficient transport requires very effective city-wide integration between modes.
Tags: transport, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Encouraging low carbon vehicle technologies and fuelsThe take up of more efficient vehicles and alternative fuels are central to reducing CO2 emissions in the transport sector.
Tags: energy, national level, transport, regions and subregions, cities and towns
Managing urban treesTrees should be seen and promoted as a key part of streetscape design and it is essential that their long-term management is taken into consideration.
Tags: green infrastructure, public space, neighbourhoods
Maximising access to public open spaceEnsuring adequate access to public and private outdoor space as part of the city’s green infrastructure network can help to achieve both social and environmental aims and help improve peoples quality of life.
Tags: public space, regions and subregions, cities and towns
Joint waste planning and managementWaste planning and management has been typically led at the regional and county scales. Waste management duties are in some cases discharged by a statutory joint waste disposal authority (JWDA) constituted of several waste planning authorities.
Tags: waste, regions and subregions
Coping with waste in high-density environmentsGiven the difficulty of finding space above ground in high-density neighbourhoods, underground waste storage is being increasingly considered.
Tags: waste, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces
Reconciling waste to energy with recyclingThe waste hierarchy approach prioritises recycling over waste to energy processes. Recycling is considered to be more energy efficient as waste is treated as a resource that can be re-processed, thereby reducing the need for primary processing of raw materials.
Tags: energy, waste, regions and subregions, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Reducing energy use in new buildingsInnovative building design can ensure that energy efficiency measures can be maximised at the same time as delivering a high-quality urban environment.
Tags: energy, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces
Developing an open space strategyThe amount and distribution of green and open space in cities and towns will be of increasing importance under future climates.
Tags: public space, neighbourhoods
Integrating waste infrastructure into new developmentsNew neighbourhoods and major urban extensions provide excellent opportunities for integrating facilities for sustainable waste management. This should be recognised at the planning stage.
Tags: waste, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces
Protecting established habitatsRelict habitat patches, which are often part of remnant countryside found within towns, are very important for wildlife and often have designations such as local nature reserves.
Tags: green infrastructure, cities and towns
Designing successful civic spacesCreating active public spaces improves attractiveness and safety, which in turn ensures their use as transport networks and social meeting spaces.
Tags: public space, cities and towns
Managing trafficTraffic demand management measures such as pricing mechanisms, ‘smarter choice’ soft measures and parking regimes, as well as using ICT and encouraging more efficient driving styles can be used to manage traffic.
Tags: transport, regions and subregions, cities and towns
Chosing high quality design for new waste infrastructureHigh-quality design of new and enhanced waste infrastructure will help to change public perceptions of waste management activities as bad neighbours.
Tags: waste, buildings and spaces
Designing integrated SUDSLocal authorities should ensure that the design of SUDS form an integral part of neighbourhood and site planning.
Tags: green infrastructure, public space, water, neighbourhoods
Sustainable drainage systems (SUDS)Surface water drainage systems which are established with overarching sustainable development objectives are referred to as Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS).
Tags: water, regions and subregions, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Designing public spaces from sustainable resourcesPlanners and designers can help to minimise carbon emissions through their choice of materials and the resources they incorporate into the design of public space.
Tags: public space, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Building waste to energy plants in urban areasWaste to energy facilities have been successfully integrated in urban areas in many major European cities and the UK.
Tags: energy, waste, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces
Supporting an attractive public space networkThe role public spaces play in supporting walking and cycling is significant. To maximise this potential, the public space network and the walking and cycling network should be considered as one and the same thing.
Tags: public space, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Setting local area agreement targetsLocal area agreement (LAA) targets on green space can help secure government funding for projects.
Tags: green infrastructure, cities and towns
Protecting floodplainsFloodplains are an important green infrastructure component and need to be protected and managed at a strategic level as part of the catchment flood management plan and strategic flood risk assessment processes.
Tags: green infrastructure, water, regions and subregions
Growing food in towns and citiesFood production, processing and transportation is responsible for 8% of the average person's carbon (and 23% of their ecological) footprint. We can reduce this by using green space in towns and cities to grow our own fruit and veg.
Tags: green infrastructure, regions and subregions, cities and towns
Choosing waste to energy technologiesThere are three main waste to energy processes: incineration, anaerobic digestion and gasification and pyrolysis.
Tags: energy, waste, regions and subregions, cities and towns
Developing water cycle strategiesWater cycle studies, which explore the local capacity for development in terms of water resources, should increasingly inform the preparation of planning strategies.
Tags: water, cities and towns
Managing water demand within the catchmentThe management of water at a catchment scale is an extensive topic and is affected by many drivers.
Tags: water, regions and subregions
Introducing water demand managementWater demand management is a significant area of work and one that is increasingly important for planners and designers to engage with.
Tags: water, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Establishing water use policyThe Government wants to reduce water consumption by 20 per cent per person by 2030.
Tags: national level, water, regions and subregions
Green spaces for wildlife adaptationThe design and management of green space needs to make a priority of enhancing biodiversity and establishing links to the wider network of green infrastructure.
Tags: green infrastructure, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces
Creating new habitatsNew developments should seek to design in biodiversity from the outset and this should fit into the existing green infrastructure.
Tags: green infrastructure, buildings and spaces
Establishing wildlife corridorsNatural corridors such as those formed by waterways and landforms need to be protected from development in order to operate at their optimum.
Tags: green infrastructure, neighbourhoods
Integrating water management into site and building designAt the site and building scale it is important that buildings are well integrated into the landscape and contribute to the overarching hydrology of the site.
Tags: water, buildings and spaces
Water management in public spacesPublic space needs to be considered in the context of wider issues of water management.
Tags: public space, water, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces
Preserving wetlands and habitatsExisting wetlands provide natural sites for surface water management and treatment and are therefore important assets for the future.
Tags: water, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Developing green roofsGreen roofs and building facades can be built on new buildings and retrofitted on existing ones, especially in urban areas where there are few other opportunities for adding green infrastructure.
Tags: green infrastructure, buildings and spaces
Using green roofs for wildlife adaptationGreen roofs and building facades can help to make the built environment more permeable for wildlife.
Tags: green infrastructure, buildings and spaces
Establishing flood risk strategiesCoastlines, rivers and catchments often form or cross boundaries and therefore need to be planned for and approached strategically.
Tags: water, regions and subregions
Choosing low-energy lifestylesWhile significant energy reductions can be achieved through the way we design our cities and the buildings within them, how we live our lives is also a key factor in reducing energy use.
Tags: energy, regions and subregions, cities and towns, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces
Creating new patterns of ownership (ESCOs and MUSCOs)National renewable energy targets for 2020 provide significant opportunities for new patterns of ownership of energy generation and delivery systems.
Tags: energy, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Post-occupancy evaluationDisplay energy certificates show that a building's energy performance rarely matches the design aspirations. Post-occupancy monitoring and feedback is essential to understand how to improve this.
Tags: energy, buildings and spaces
Being aware of brownfield habitatsAreas with previous human use, for example for industry or housing, can often be biodiverse sites, especially where they have been left with minimal human activity for some time.
Tags: green infrastructure, cities and towns
Choosing the right tree for the siteAt the site level it is important to choose the right tree and plant species for the location.
Tags: green infrastructure, buildings and spaces
Reducing emissions from freightFreight distribution strategies are needed at the regional level to encourage modal shift and more efficient operations. These will involve partnership working between private and public sectors.
Tags: transport, regions and subregions, cities and towns
Powering transport with fuel cellsHydrogen is currently being piloted in the public transport sector on bus fleets in various locations worldwide
Tags: energy, transport, cities and towns
Wider issues – international air emissions and ‘enabling mechanisms’There are wider policy areas, beyond surface transport, that will be important to tackle if transport CO2 emissions are to be reduced.
Tags: national level, transport
Ground and air generated heatThe ground and air around a development site can be used as a source of heat for new buildings via a heat pump
Tags: energy, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces
Building in solar technologiesSolar technologies can generate either electricity – from photovoltaic cell panels, or hot water – from solar thermal panels.
Tags: energy, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces
Using wind powerWind power has normally been regarded as a technology primarily for rural areas but technological and design advances increasingly mean that it can also be integrated into urban fringe locations.
Tags: energy, regions and subregions, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Collecting wood fuelIf managed properly, English forestry could provide the heat requirements for approximately 500,000 homes and electricity for 1,000,000 homes.
Tags: energy, green infrastructure, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Implementing road pricing and chargingThere is a range of pricing policy instruments that vary in specification and, potentially, performance. These include road user charging schemes and private parking charge schemes.
Tags: transport, regions and subregions, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Controlling parkingParking control is often a very under-utilised tool for managing the demand for travel. An area-wide parking strategy can be used to restrict parking supply and/or increase charging levels.
Tags: public space, transport, regions and subregions, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Planning a project waste strategyAt the city scale clear aspirations are required for the management of waste for construction projects. This can form part of overarching strategies for all waste through planning documents or corporate targets.
Tags: waste, cities and towns, buildings and spaces
'Smarter choice' soft measuresSmarter choices are techniques for influencing people’s travel behaviour towards more sustainable options, such as encouraging school, workplace and individualised travel planning.
Tags: transport, cities and towns, neighbourhoods
Managing waste on siteSite waste management plans are a mandatory requirement in England on construction projects worth more than £300,000.
Tags: waste, buildings and spaces
Re-circulating materials between construction sitesInitiatives and networks are required to support the re-use and re-circulation of materials between construction site projects – large and small.
Tags: waste, regions and subregions, cities and towns
Separating sewersUntil the 1950s, most sewers in the UK were constructed as, or evolved to become, combined systems – taking both sewage and storm water.
Tags: water, cities and towns
Devising a waste collection strategyAn effective waste collection strategy is critical. It should outline how, where and with what frequency waste is collected.
Tags: waste, neighbourhoods
Co-locating waste management facilitiesCo-locating different waste management facilities such as sorting, re-processing and re-manufacturing can deliver benefits including a reduction in transport distances.
Tags: waste, neighbourhoods
Using SUDS to manage pollutantsSustainable drainage systems (SUDS) offer a useful mechanism for managing pollutants on-site and removing the burden for treatment in the wider water system.
Tags: water, neighbourhoods
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