Ensuring a Sustainable Future?

It was revealed last week that the UK population grew at its fastest rate for over half a century.


Between june 2009 and 2010 the countries population grew by 470,000 people, roughly the same number of people who live in Liverpool. Yet unless I have missed it, a new city hasn't risen out of the ground. So where are these people living?


Just over half of the 470,000 rise can be attributed to natural change, (The difference between births and deaths). This figure was 134,000 higher than the figure 10 years ago. Just under half of this rise were immigrants, leaving  around 200,000 extra people needing accommodation in a country where over the last 10 years house completions have continually decreased and where in many communities there is a strong resistance to any new development.


The increase in immigrants can also be partly used to explain the natural rise with 200,000 extra women of child baring age residing in the UK compared to 10 years ago.


At the other end of the scale the amount of people over the age of 85 has doubled from 600,000 in 1981 to 1.4 million today. Bringing its own problems of housing and care provision.


The result of this is record house prices, increasing number of people in their late 20s early 30s are now opting to rent and there is a council house waiting list of 1.75 million people. (The Times)


The coalition governments Draft national planning policy framework which is set to be released later this month aims to change the balance in favour of developers. Although this will give housebuilding a kickstart the policy could result in a increase in greenfield and greenbelt development, while current sustainability guidelines ensuring  new developments have access to public transport or walking and cycling routes to shops or places of work, will be ignored. Acording to the Times 'Councils will be unable to reject developments unless they can prove that the impacts would be so severe that they would outweigh the urgent need for new homes' (1).


90% (2) of the UK is currently open space, a fact perhaps forgotten in the overcrowded south east. While the density of Northern Cities such as Sheffield (3,942 people per Km2)  and  (Scottish) Glasgow (3,171) is very low when compared to Greater London at 5,099 people per sq km,and  there is a good supply of brownfield land in many of these places ready and waiting to be developed.


In 20 years the children born today will be wanting to fly there own nest;  it is crucial that for there sake at least the country has a proactive planning system and a ready supply of homes available and perhaps the new policy will result in a more sustainable long-term future.


(1)Webster B (1/7/2011) Planning rules pave way for greenbelt bonaza, The Times, London
(2)Pennington M (2/7/2011) Loosen your Greenbelt become a BIMBY, The Times, London

Engineering Connections

When it comes to mammoth engineering projects, China has once again shown nothing is a bridge too far with the opining of the Jiaozhou road bridge, at an astonishing 24 miles; this 3 way sea crossing between the eastern cities of Haung Dao,  Quingdao and Quingdao Airport is the longest water crossing in the world.

The Jiazhou Road Bridge (Google Earth)

The bridge cost more than 10 billion yaun (nearly £1 billion) in a build lasting 4 years. I post this in the same week the debate over a new high speed rail line in the UK intensified with campaign groups in the North of England revealing the slogan 'Their lawns for our jobs' in reference to the unsettling NIMBY culture in the South of the country which threatens to delay the project beyond its projected 2033 opening. By then I suspect the Chinese will be commuting to the Moon.


To rub greater salt into our increasing wounds, China this week also opened a Shanghai to Beijing High speed link, at 820 miles the scheme also took just 4 years to build and will cut journey times to around 4 hours and 48 minutes, with questions now being asked whether the Chinese could build our own High Speed line 2, a unthinkable proposition just 20 years ago but a deep indication of a changing global environment and one the UK increasingly risks being left back at the station. 


China is currently investing in what will eventually become the worlds largest high speed rail network with 10.500 miles of track now completed or under construction. The Beijing to Shanghai line cost £24.5 billion and the Chinese government is investing £19 billion in high speed rail this year alone. Current estimates for the planned British line currently suggest a cost of £32 billion . 


The UK has a rich engineering heritage that is increasingly compromised by a long winded and complicated planning system as well as an uncomfortable inability to manage costs. The decision by the current coalition government to scrap the IPC (1) doesn't help in this regard, nor does the lack of a national planning framework for England which could help promote greater long term and integrated thinking and perhaps prevent the North / South arguments we are seeing. 




1, This article from the Daily Mail, ( the most popular news website in the UK and the 2nd best selling daily) perhaps highlights more than ever the attitude that exists amongst households towards development, a notable quote from the article ''They (Ministers) made clear that local people who do not want expensive infrastructure projects blighting there communities will have greater power to object''


Perhaps there lies the problem 

The Endless City

A new series on BBC 1 begins this week, entitled 'Andrew Marr's Mega Cities' in which the presenter will look at 5 of the worlds largest and most intense urban environments.  The series will explore Dhaka, London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Mexico City. With more people now living in Cities and predictions that if present trends continue 75% of the planet will be urbanised by the end of the century, this should be a really interesting program.


On a personal note I am fascinated by the Mega-City, especially at the speed at which many in the Eastern hemisphere are growing almost undetected by the West. In a previous article I explored Chongqing in China, a City of 31 Million people and one of the fastest growing places in the world.


The Pearl River Delta in China's Southern Guangdong province is another such Mega-City region, comprising a area about twice the size of Wales this is one of the most populated places on Earth, with 10 Cities with populations of over 1.5 million,  of which two Shenzhen and Guangzhou have populations of around 10 million. The total population of the region is estimated to be around 100 million .


The main areas of concern are undoubtably the pollution and landscape and ecosystem damage that such dense urban sprawl will produce, and the impact that this will have on the its residents.  The Pearl delta is one of the most polluted water systems on earth, according to a 2009 Green-peace report which attributes it on increased indultrialisation within the region and the pumping of toxic waste into the delta. While increasing car ownership and relaxation of the Hukou registration system which can limit movement within the region, especially for rural migrants, will all bring further pressure.


 On a footnote the drive for growth has brought some bizarre developments notably the New South China Mall, the worlds largest Shopping Mall with 2350 units of which 6 years since it fully opened only 47 are occupied, a result perhaps of a misunderstanding of Chinese demographics on the developers behalf, its location in a peripheral area of Dongguan alongside a toll road, a highly industrialized and one of the least wealthy cities within the region.

The South China Mall: Build it and they will come.. maybe not (google)

Whether the South China Mall will prosper over time remains to be seen, but it certainly could be argued it was simply ahead of its time, increased economic development and movement within the region will certainly not harm its chances, especially as the region looks towards encouraging less polluting and better paid high-tech industries.

The Hidden side of Essex

The Department of Communities and local Government released the new Indices of Deprivation last week, which makes some interesting reading, of which the most astonishing is that the most deprived area in England is not in either the north nor a inner city, but is rather a small coastal community in Tendring District (Essex); a place somewhere generally associated with footballer pads and spray tans. 

The village of Jaywick was built at the start of the last century as a retreat for Londoners wishing to get away from the city. Over time many of the properties built as holiday homes have being converted into permanent dwellings. Despite this many of the roads and services have seen little in the form of Investment while a increase of homes under the control of a few landlords has seen many of the properties deteriorate. 

Jaywick has great potential, it has a excellent beach for one; it is close to London while the surrounding areas include some of the most prosperous in the country. The homes need love and attention but the potential for a small quirky resort of real character is there. The question is of how this could be achieved.

 Only 8 years ago the village had the highest rate of property ownership in the area , now four fifths of all the housing stock is rented, with the landlords only regard making a quick buck leading to an almost gypsy like turnover of residents, and the lack of permanence that can create a community. 

Perhaps one idea could be for a locally run housing association to purchase vacant properties, and to rent them to local people on secure and long term contracts. This would give people greater control over the properties and a sense of ownership which seems to be missing.

There is also a duty for  Essex County Council to ensure the roads are fit for purpose, again what does it tell local residents when the local council cannot even be bothered looking after its roads. 

There is a major caravan park on one side of the village which shows there is still some demand for holidays in the area and all it takes is for enterprising locals to buy and renovate some properties back for use as holiday chalets. 

Whatever the outcome I hope this report illustrates to rural authorities that it is not just the inner cities that are prone to deprivation; what shocks me is that it takes such a report to bring this desperately needy area any attention. 

England 2010

From above

Major changes to planning system announced in Spring Budget

As expected the UK chancellor George Osborne has used his budget to announce some major changes to the UK planning system, which he called a 'chronic obstacle to economic growth'  with the aim of encouraging development for economic gain.


The changes include relaxing planning regulations to try and kick start house building, following many years of  declining numbers of new homes constructed.  The fear for many here is a increase in greenfield sites swallowed up for development, there is also a fear that the government will remove guidelines specifying density levels which could lead to overcrowded residential areas.


Local planning authorities have also being given a 12 month time limit for the processing of ALL planning applications, including appeals. This may be fine for a rural authority but in a urban borough with many major applications in at once this will surely be a tough ask. 


Enterprise zones have also made a welcome comeback, the first of which will be located in Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester Airport, Liverpool, The Tees Valley, Nottinghamshire, The Black Country, London, Derbyshire and the West of England.


Each enterprise zone will feature simplified planning processes as well as discounts on businesses that choose to locate in these areas. Critics have argued they simply run the risk of simply shifting businesses from one area to another.

Vince Cable Blasts UK Planning System

Vince Cable the UK business secretary has attacked the UK planning system, (1) calling it 'slow and prescriptive' and a major barrier for businesses, with what he describes as a presumption against development in many cases. He said that 'thousands of 'no decisions have prevented economic growth, for example the retailer regenerating a town or international headquarters moving elsewhere. 


Mr Cable also reveals that through speaking to major corporations  keen to invest in the UK, many were put off with the time consuming process of the current system. 


Mr Cable is proposing the re-introduction of Enterprise zones which were highly successful in the 1980s, through streamlining planning system in these areas and launching tax incentives for business.  


The UK has a strong planning system which ensures development is appropriate and that over development does not take place, all development is considered on its merits and relationship to policy and thus I cannot help feel that many planners will find Mr Cable's initial comments hard to digest; no planner would refuse a scheme if they felt it was of  the best interests of the area for development to take place.


Perhaps the biggest problem that the UK planning system faces is a 'fear' of development amongst many committee members, who will go against planning officer advice, leading the council and taxpayer into a costly battle against businesses and developers. 


With regard to  simplified planning zones, this is a sensible idea and one that has shown to have worked both in the UK and across Europe, notable examples include the London Docklands and Manchester Castlefield districts. 

Linking Town Planning and Obesity

Exercise, look away and it may be gone  

According to this months Sainsbury's magazine, around a third of all 0-15 year olds are either overweight or obese in the UK.  A shocking yet perhaps unsurprising statistic. 

Much talk is given over to how changing peoples eating habits is key to combating the obesity epidemic, while sales of weight loss DVDs and fad diet guides dominate the entertainment charts in the months after Christmas. 

This got me thinking, can town planning help in the battle of the bulge, especially to prevent kids getting fat at a young age? I think it can, here are some ideas, 

1) Professor Philip James, chairman of the international obesity task force warned in 2008 'Urban designers have created  Obesogenic environments by planning public spaces around the car (link), this dominance of the car has made it too dangerous for kids to play on the street and discouraged walking. The UK should therefore look at the Dutch home zones as a viable method of calming traffic through creating a shared pedestrian and vehicle space. 

This creates a safer and more pleasant environment for children and adults alike, and is all about the reclaiming the streets from vehicles, as the vehicles are forced to slow. 

2) Walkable nighbourhoods are also essential, according to Richard Jackson, a leading professor of public health in the US , walking to the shops, school  or work can help people keep off an average of 7 pounds (link). 

 3) Cycling should be encouraged as the norm; safe mini-cycle networks should be devised for all schools  avoiding main roads. While new developments should look at incorporating cycle storage spaces. 

4) Richard Jackson warned 'prescribing a minimum amount of physical activity is useless if there is nowhere to exercise (link) and in an age when more people than ever are living in urban environments, and with many people without gardens this is too true for far too many people living in the UK today. School playing fields are often the only areas of large open spaces in many communities, yet it is a sad fact that when the schools shut the playing fields are also often locked up, there is no need for this. If kids and teenagers have the space to play informal sports, they will. Lets protect playing fields for community use. 

Michael Donnelly at Planningblog offers an interesting but somewhat different perspective on the issue with this article .

Planning should be about creating environments that are pro-active to human use, the post war car boom years saw many urban areas re-modeled to accommodate the car, shopping in retail parks miles from anywhere became normal and cyclists and walkers became the minority. The culture of the west was changed, its about time we changed it back and reclaimed our streets and our cities for what they are for. 

The formation of the planning movement links back to the early 20th century health reform movement, yet the two, overtime have become detached, but the same fact remains ... healthy citizens equals a healthy economy.