UKREiiF’s Post

Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ), the narrative around growth as an heroic economic condition is becoming thoughtless. We need to have thriving communities and unlock the potential of our towns, cities and regions, and repair and upgrade our infrastructure without assuming economic growth will deliver these things or desiring that it will result from them. Economic growth correlates directly with resource and energy use as well as pollution and emissions and we must reduce those significantly. New Zealand has among the world’s highest resource and pollution per capita statistics. We need to drop the idea that economic growth is the answer to everything because there is another school of thought that says it’s actually been the problem behind the demise of many communities, here and elsewhere, over many generations. The constant lionising of growth sets up barriers against questioning the assumption that “there is no alternative” to growth and considering alternative economies, business models and governance models that are not growth dependent. Infrastructure, for instance, needs to focus on maximising community wellbeing and minimising resource and energy use over its life cycle. It should not be focused on maximising economic growth as a proxy for improving wellbeing.

Recently, in collaboration with Arup, we hosted leaders across the built environment to ask how the UK’s next government can fund and enable regeneration.    The report from the roundtable has now been published by our facilitator, and award-winning journalist, Adam Branson.   Some of the critical issues discussed include:  - The role of the private sector: With the era of cheap money apparently over, what does the future of public-private partnership look like, and how can it help solve the housing crisis? - Cities as catalysts for growth: The economic disparity between UK cities and their European counterparts is stark. How can regeneration ensure our urban centres become more effective catalysts for positive change? - Long-term infrastructure projects require long-term thinking: With so many in government focussed on getting through the five-year electoral cycle, how can we get politicians to take the long-view? - Getting to Destination Devolution: Aside from planning reform, what else much change to take devolution to the next level?   Many thanks once again to our valued contributors Sir John Armitt, Alexandra Conway, James Saunders, Stuart Harris, Simon Marshall, Phil Hardie, Polly Plunket-Checkemian, Suzi Winstanley, Guy Butler, Ian Tasker, Stuart Lipton, Robert Sloper, Katie Hickman ChPP and Annabel Turbutt-Day for joining us, and to our co-hosts Joanna Rowelle and Alex Phillips from Arup.    To receive a copy of the discussion summary, visit: https://lnkd.in/eEMS9ect   #UrbanRegeneration #HousingPolicy #Roundtable #InfrastructurePlanning #PlanningPolicy

🚨 Deadline extension!! If you or your organisation works to build urban resilience, especially in informal contexts, please complete this five-minute survey by 30 September 2024. 💡 We are launching a Call for Proposals for resilience solutions in informal contexts during #COP29. However, there is very little evidence and information available regarding the opportunities and challenges for the private sector (entrepreneurs, social enterprises, start-ups, SMEs) and the not-for-profit sector (academia, civil society, UN agencies) in driving the design and implementation of urban resilience solutions, especially in informal contexts. As part of scoping activities in the lead-up to launching the upcoming urban resilience innovation challenge, we’re undertaking a study to better understand these. Complete the survey here: https://bit.ly/4eiLBbS

Watch the latest Free Cities Center discussion of how eminent domain and the lasting legacy of now-shuttered redevelopment agencies have undermined free markets in planning and development decisions. https://lnkd.in/ejtt-jyr

Cities worldwide continue to evolve in resilience and equity through #LEED for Cities and Communities. Local governments can learn more about the rating system at an upcoming session. https://bit.ly/3Y3DOtu

Why did the pandemic not entail more of a permanent shift towards low-carbon urban mobility? 🚲🚶🏽🌆 In our new paper (https://lnkd.in/dTVxhChQ) , we identify 4 main barriers to transformative change : 1) Difficulty of implementing measures in uncertain context of unfolding pandemic 2) Lack of political courage 3) Limited administrative capacity 4) Reluctance to use temporary/tactical designs What can policymakers do to prepare for similar unexpected shocks in the future? 1) Have a well-defined long-term sustainable mobility strategy and specific projects planned in advance 2) Reduce administrative barriers and establishing clear emergency contracting procedures

🌟 Coventry Strategic Energy Partnership: A Case Study 🌟 3Ci (Cities Commission for Climate Investment) takes you on an inspiring journey into the future of urban energy sustainability. 🤝 This ambitious 15-year collaboration between Coventry City Council and E.ON UK is set to revolutionise the city’s approach to decarbonisation. With a focus on clean local energy, job creation, innovative solutions, and community benefits, the partnership is a pioneering effort that no other city in the UK has undertaken. ♻ By leveraging private sector finance and a range of innovative projects, Coventry is poised to achieve significant environmental, economic, and social gains, setting a new standard for sustainable urban development. 🏙 🌿 Discover how this groundbreaking initiative is transforming Coventry into a greener, healthier, and more vibrant community. 👇 📍 https://lnkd.in/ebxcpNRg #3Ci #casestudy #Collaboration #SustainableCities Phil McDermott 🇺🇦 #GreenFinance Zoe Jennings Grant Aaron

🚨 Only a few days left to complete the survey! If you or your organisation works to build urban resilience, especially in informal contexts, please complete this five-minute survey by 30 September 2024. 💡 We are launching a Call for Proposals for resilience solutions in informal contexts during #COP29. However, there is very little evidence and information available regarding the opportunities and challenges for the private sector (entrepreneurs, social enterprises, start-ups, SMEs) and the not-for-profit sector (academia, civil society, UN agencies) in driving the design and implementation of urban resilience solutions, especially in informal contexts. As part of scoping activities in the lead-up to launching the upcoming urban resilience innovation challenge, we’re undertaking a study to better understand these. Complete the survey here: https://bit.ly/4eiLBbS

Our cities are arenas where future strategies are determined.The main goal is to engage local authorities and other stakeholders to deliver over 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030. The first conference towards transformational urban transitions i n Brussels driven by Driving Urban Transitions Partnership and EU comission. The DUT Partnership steps up the game to tackle urban challenges. 'Through research and innovation and capacity building, we enable local authorities and municipalities, service and infrastructure providers, and citizens to translate global strategies into local action'.

Strongly recommend this event to any interested in civic/political tech… especially those looking for inspiration or wanting to develop ideas. Eddie is always an engaging speaker and I always left LOTI events feeling more motivated than before - and many within the sector will sympathise when I say it is all to easy to become demotivated when you’re in the weeds of your own projects. Public services IMO are akin to a puzzle in that the pieces are usually already there and the trick is putting them together well (though yes, sometimes you might be missing one or two!). Theres already a lot of tech out there, much of it atrociously bad from a user perspective. For someone with a background like mine I can’t help but watch what software/tech is thrust upon public service workers whenever I use a service and imagine the psychological agony it imposes on many thousands of workers (emergency services etc particularly!). Often I think whatever multimillion pound software they’re using looking like it’s from the Windows 98 era, yet was procured within the last year, could be surpassed by a university student’s project. I could talk at length [read: rant] about my insider’s perspectice on the systems used for “NHS” Test and Trace. Criminally bad. Whoever is in charge of procuring such things should have to spend a week using the thing, and the experience studied by students, before they sign it off. Most vendors sell you the world RE functionality, but the reality is entirely different RE user experience. Often we really can build better ourselves.