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💡 Insights from the 2024 NSW State Conference Last week, our team attended the 2024 Planning Institute of Australia NSW State Conference in Wollongong on Dharawal Country. Some of our key takeaways shaping the future of urban planning: 🟦 Housing Supply, Diversity, and Affordability ▪️ Kiersten Fishburn (NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure), emphasised housing as a critical issue, with challenges in increasing supply, density, and diversity in precincts, especially Transit-Oriented Developments (TODs). ▪️ Affordable housing reforms and issues with council objections were addressed, with a focus on aligning future character statements. ▪️ Discussions highlighted the urgent need for affordable, diverse housing, and better collaboration between councils, developers, and communities. 🟦 Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development ▪️ A significant shift towards renewable energy was discussed, with a $35 billion worth of renewables in SSDAs. The reduction in assessment timeframes (from 170 to 72 days) was a key achievement. ▪️ Upcoming guidelines on renewable energy projects will focus on visual amenity, community values, and consistency across regions. 🟦 Employment Land and Infrastructure ▪️ Employment land shortages, particularly in greenfield areas, were flagged as a looming crisis, with industrial land expected to be scarce within two years. ▪️ Strategic planning for infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and community facilities, was discussed in the context of long lead times for delivery. 👏 Special shout-out to Lucy Band, Director of Social Strategy at Ethos Urban, for her thought-provoking presentation on wellbeing in urban planning. Lucy emphasised the importance of integrating wellbeing into planning systems, noting examples from Wales and Scotland where innovative frameworks lead the way. Australia has a long road ahead in embedding wellbeing as a priority in urban development, but the path forward is clear: creating healthier, liveable cities must start with prioritising and measuring wellbeing effectively. Thanks to all the speakers, presenters, panellists and PIA for another insightful conference! Anna Paton Alysha Tse Jessica Saunders Lucy Band #PIANSW2024 

🏘️ Community-driven models are at the forefront of renovation. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) gives a mandate to Member States to ensure rollout of one-stop-shops to support renovation, targeting the worst-performing buildings in the residential sector. These are notoriously hard-to-reach projects, demanding strategic and focussed effort. ComActivate's first report turns the spotlight on two exemplary one-stop-shops in Europe, including: 🇫🇷 **Oktave** in France offers unique pre-financing options with low-interest loans for whole-house renovations. This model and similar partnerships with financial institutions could offer life-changing solutions for low-income residents in multi-family housing. 🇳🇱 **De Energiecentrale** in the Netherlands uses a multilevel approach to help vulnerable households lower their energy bills. They provide customised renovation guidance and collaborate with social partners like the Public Social Welfare Centre, social housing organisations, and Fluvius, the regulator for electricity and gas distribution in Flemish municipalities. 📖 Read more in the full report: **Unlocking the Potential of Community-Driven Models** https://lnkd.in/dxbYT3GB) 📰 Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on the latest developments in community-driven renovation: [https://lnkd.in/eQ5TtYBt] Habitat for Humanity Europe & Middle East - BPIE - Buildings Performance Institute Europe - Metropolitan Research Institute - Városkutatás Kft Housing Initiative for Eastern Europe (IWO) - Lithuanian Consumers Alliance - Habitat for Humanity Macedonia - Habitat for Humanity International - LIFE Programme

Yesterday, I had the privilege of participating in The Bartlett School of Planning UCL Workshop focused on "Identifying a Participatory Assessment Framework for Decision Making on Estate Regeneration Schemes". The two breakout sessions were particularly enlightening, addressing the mitigation of barriers to participation and the implementation of a robust participatory framework. The sessions kicked off with an analysis of surveys taken by 63 residents of the Alton Estate in 2021. The findings highlighted that residents prioritise social value in regeneration—emphasising inclusivity, ethical considerations, cohesion, and stakeholder involvement. Key barriers identified included a lack of transparency regarding stakeholders' understanding of the process and outcomes. The overwhelming response was clear: Regeneration should be driven by co-production. The local community needs to be involved from the initial discussions, contributing to the design and implementation of the regeneration scheme from start to finish. How do we address these challenges? Our discussions underscored the potential of the participatory framework to revolutionise regeneration schemes, contingent on necessary policy changes. The framework would be most impactful if mandated at the Local Authority level or the Greater London Authority and, potentially as a chapter in the Treasury’s Green and Magenta books or as a prerequisite for grants. However, significant challenges persist, including the need to accelerate timeframes, as current schemes can take decades to complete. Additionally, the processes for reviewing evidence and sharing knowledge must become more rigorous, and we must ensure that selected stakeholders are truly representative of the community. A huge thank you to Sahar Nava for an inspiring morning and to my fellow participants for the engaging discussions. I look forward to future collaborations! For more details about the proposed framework, read the paper "Identifying the Criteria for Community-Centred Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of Estate Regeneration Schemes" by Sahar Nava, Zaid Chalabi, Pablo Sendra, Esfand Burman, and Sarah Bell on ScienceDirect: https://lnkd.in/e88iMcWb

🏡 The Importance of Retrofit in Social Housing 🏡 As we continue to face the challenges of climate change, energy efficiency in social housing is more critical than ever. Retrofitting not only reduces carbon emissions but also helps in cutting down energy costs for residents, improving their quality of life. At LivGreen - Retrofit Specialists, we’re proud to stand out in the industry by offering a turnkey retrofit solution that is both TrustMark approved and PAS accredited. This ensures that our projects meet the highest standards of quality and compliance, providing peace of mind to housing associations and residents alike. 👷♂️ What makes us different? Our comprehensive approach covers everything from assessment and design to installation and maintenance, ensuring a seamless experience for our clients. Next week, I'll be attending the Housing Community Summit in Liverpool. If you’re passionate about sustainable housing or are looking for a reliable partner for retrofit projects, I’d love to connect and explore how we can work together to make a difference. Let’s connect and discuss how we can drive positive change in the housing sector! 🌍 #Retrofit #SocialHousing #Sustainability #PAS2035 #TrustMark #HousingSummit #Liverpool #BusinessDevelopment #EnergyEfficiency

The historic Sutton Dwellings in Chelsea are leading the way in sustainable heating with a groundbreaking retrofit by Kensa Contracting. Over 80 flats now benefit from ground source heat pumps, demonstrating that low-carbon technology is viable even in pre-war buildings. Stuart Gadsden, Commercial Director at Kensa, notes: “This project serves as a blueprint for social housing providers aiming to decarbonise their properties." With heating responsible for nearly 20% of the UK’s emissions, initiatives like this are pivotal to achieving #NetZero2050. Could this be the model for upgrading older housing stock across the UK? Read more: https://hubs.la/Q02YHkx-0

What do you think? • Could tiny homes help solve housing crises in your city? • Are they a sustainable alternative or just a niche solution? • Would you live in one? Why or why not? Let’s start a conversation! Share your thoughts, experiences, or ideas below. 👇 #TinyHomes #AffordableHousing #Sustainability #Innovation

We're set to take forward in partnership local community-led projects aimed at revitalising homes and improving rural transport links in Perth and Kinross, following a recent successful bid for Innovate UK Pathfinder Places funding.    The £150,000 funding comes after the positive outcomes of the Phase 1 Pathfinder Places project in mid-2023 which we delivered together with Nicki Souter Associates, The University of Edinburgh and The HEAT Project (part of Blairgowrie & Rattray Development Trust). The proposed projects that will be supported by the £150K were voted on by local residents and businesses: Revitalising Homes will look at creating a sustainable, one-stop-shop retrofit project for housing throughout the Council area, with the majority of work centred on developing schemes that will be available for use by homeowners and private and social housing landlords alike.    Connecting Regional Travel will explore the viability of two new services focusing on the rural town of Aberfeldy: one looking at an express bus route to Perth, and the other concentrating on a minibus service connecting surrounding villages with Aberfeldy. Recent community engagement carried out by Rural Transport Futures will be taken into consideration, and the project will be carried out in consultation with the Upper Tay Transport Group.     In addition, the project will also investigate the capacity to synchronise bus timetables with key destinations such as healthcare services and train stations, provision of express bus services and other transport options including reduced-cost fare options to promote demand and encourage people to choose other options for their daily commute, in an effort to reduce the number of vehicles on local roads.     Project updates as Phase 2 progresses will be available from the PK Climate Action website at https://lnkd.in/e65yBd6Q 

We will be attending HOMES UK and Unlock Net Zero Live this week at Excel London. Looking forward to connecting with industry leaders and exploring innovative ways to improve Affordable Housing. At The Affordable Housing Network, we’re streamlining how Developers and Affordable Housing Providers work together. Sustainability is key, so we have dedicated questions on environmental impact when Developers list deals to help drive greener solutions. If you’re attending, let’s connect to discuss collaboration and innovation in Affordable Housing. #HomesUK #UnlockNetZero #AffordableHousing #Sustainability

The Midlands Net Zero Hub has released a report highlighting the need to retrofit 'hard-to-treat' (HTT) social housing to meet Net Zero goals and tackle fuel poverty. These homes face challenges such as high costs, regulatory barriers, and tenant engagement issues. Key takeaways: 🔧 Challenges: Technical, locational, and financial barriers. 🏡 Effective strategies: Fabric-first approach, innovative designs, and tenant engagement. 💡 Support needed: Cost data, case studies, and public buy-in for low-carbon heating. The report calls for collaboration across housing providers, contractors, and policymakers to make sustainable retrofitting a reality. Read more now: https://lnkd.in/gmP3Q8Xf