People, Products and Places Exploring Sustainable-Living Practices in Masterplanned Communities
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People, products and places Exploring sustainable-living practices in masterplanned communities Research Final Report Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the following individuals and organisations: Lafarge Tarmac UH Lafarge Tarmac Sustainable Living Partnership Steering Group and Consultative Group City Futures Research Centre, Faculty of the Built Environment, University of New South Wales Nicola Gibson, MG Planning Urban Planners Gerard Payne, Raine & Horne, Pyrmont Jean Viccars, Welcome Program Facilitator, Park Central Michelle Madson, Lend Lease Ltd Anna Petersen, Social Sustainability Manager, Landcom Ramana James, National Sustainability Manager, Stockland Nick Loder, Senior Planning Officer, Housing NSW Andrew Breary, Facilities Manager, One Brighton Linda Whitfield, Community Development Manager, Bedford Pilgrims Housing Association Claire Winterflood and Lynne Henrique-Foster, Grand Union Village The Community Development Trust Pooran Desai, BioRegional University of Hertfordshire Press Contents Summary 4 1 Introduction and background 6 2 Theoretical context and methods used 8 3 Australian feldwork process and fndings 18 4 UK feldwork process and fndings 28 5 Comparative analysis and conclusions 44 6 In conclusion 50 References 52 3 Summary Entitled People, products and places: Exploring sustainable- living practices in masterplanned communities, this research report describes the process and findings from comparative research into sustainable-living practices in masterplanned communities in the United Kingdom and Australia. The work was undertaken by scholars at the Centre for Sustainable Communities at the University of Hertfordshire over a three-year period under the auspices of the University of Hertfordshire Lafarge Tarmac Sustainable Living Partnership which began formally in 2010. 4 The work has explored what motivates ‘sustainable’ but others are structural and need changes to be behaviour and what acts as barriers to it in places made beyond the site level. claiming sustainable features in their housing and wider built environments. Among our research 7dejWXb[fe_dj\hecWYheiij^[h[i[WhY^_ij^Wj findings and conclusions are the following points: passive communications including ‘home manuals’, that is, guides for using homes and J^[i[Wh[Z[l[befc[djim^_Y^Wh[ÉZe_d]X[jj[hÊ household technologies, lacked efficacy in than the development norm in sustainability promoting and embedding sustainable practices. terms but which still raise intriguing issues that, if resolved, could improve their performance 9edijhW_djiWdZeffehjkd_j_[ij_[ZjeZ_\\[h[dj further. tenures appeared to have impacts on sustainable- living practices among end-users in the FbWdd_d]WdZZ[i_]dWffheWY^[ilWho masterplanned communities we studied. For substantially from place to place within example, in more than one of our fieldwork sites masterplanning practice. Once interpreted on a proportion of owners were buy-to-let landlords the ground, there can be slippage in defining and their tenants did not necessarily have access and undertaking sustainable practices as a result. to or benefit from sustainable features. With an It appears that clearer connections between expected rise in the proportion of private renters, guidance and practice are needed to avoid less how can we make sustainable living ‘tenure than optimal outcomes. blind’? ÉJ[Y^debe]_YWbZ[j[hc_d_icÊÅj^[É\_jWdZ\eh][jÊ ?j_iYb[Wh\hecj^[\_[bZmehaj^Wjm^[h[j^[h[_i idea for embedding sustainable infrastructure good leadership (from, for example, the − didn’t always work as intended. Residents and developer, a management company, a tenants’ other place-users did not always respond in organisation, etc.) the capacity to undertake sustainable ways. This approach suggested a lack sustainable behaviour rises considerably. of understanding that sustainability comes from j^[_dj[hfbWoX[jm[[df[efb[WdZj^_d]iÅ_j_i B_da[Zjej^[WXel["WYheiiekhh[i[WhY^m[\ekdZ relationally produced, not passively received. that property managers’ views about what kind of role they could or should play in promoting 9bei_d]j^[]WfX[jm[[df[h\ehcWdY[hWj_d]i sustainable living was quite variable and this had (such as of ‘green buildings’) and actual practice impacts on sustainable-living outcomes. is obviously important if we are to achieve more sustainable outcomes in masterplanned and Through this report and by means of other papers, other new developments. This should happen briefings, website material and presentations we will be WjWdkcX[he\iYWb[iÅ_dfWhj_YkbWh"ekh sharing our results with as many people as we can, now research suggests that this is necessary at the that we have completed this first substantial research level of the dwelling and the wider place in new study through the UH Lafarge Tarmac Sustainable developments. Living Partnership. We believe that the whole area of sustainable living offers rich research possibilities Kdikhfh_i_d]bo"j^[h[i[WhY^^Wii^emd[l_Z[dY[ that can have very positive impacts on practice ‘on the of varying levels of commitment to sustainability ground’. As the need to make places more sustainable among end-users of housing and related spaces becomes ever more pressing, this is an opportunity across the five sites. This is for a range of reasons, for both theoretical and applied research to make a some of which could be tackled at individual level, constructive contribution to that task. 5 1. Introduction and background Purpose of this report About the Partnership This report documents a major research project For over three years the Centre for Sustainable into sustainable living that has been undertaken Communities at the University of Hertfordshire and by researchers at the University of Hertfordshire Lafarge Tarmac have been running a research partnership over the last three years under the auspices of focused on sustainable living. The research work has the University of Hertfordshire Lafarge Tarmac been funded by Lafarge Tarmac and we are reaching the Sustainable Living Partnership. The research conclusion of the initial partnership period. The Partnership has focused on the attitudes and practices was originally launched at the House of Commons on 8 of residents and ‘place-users’ in sustainable November 2010 with a view to producing knowledge that masterplanned communities. The work has can be used ‘to inform and contribute to the debate on explored what motivates sustainable behaviour how to shape sustainable communities’ (Lafarge Tarmac and what acts as barriers to it among residents presentation, 2010). A core component of the activities of places claiming sustainable features in their of the Partnership has been this three-year study of housing and wider built environments. These are sustainable living. masterplanned places which are doing better than the development norm in sustainability The Sustainable Living Partnership is directed by a terms, but they still raise intriguing sustainability steering group comprising senior Lafarge Tarmac staff issues which, if resolved, could improve their and University of Hertfordshire academics, as well as performance further. invited representatives from the development, planning and design, building and housing sectors. The Partnership, To that end we have undertaken comparative including its research component, is managed day to day by research in the United Kingdom (around London, Dr Susan Parham at the University’s Centre for Sustainable and in Brighton and Bedfordshire) and Australia Communities. Along with smaller-scale activities including (in the Sydney metropolitan area). This research the production of ‘think-pieces’ on a range of sustainable- has been done in a range of fieldwork sites where living topics, the main research activity of the Partnership claims have been made about sustainability. has thus far been carried out by two post-doctoral scholars. Their living spaces have had some sustainability features built in, arguably allowing a degree of The first stage of the research was undertaken by Dr sustainable living to be put into practice. We Alasdair Jones who completed primary research on wanted to understand what actually happens attitudes to ‘eco-developments’ in Australia. Dr Jones when these theoretical claims meet lived reality documented his research findings in a report, Snakes for new residents and other place-users, and what and ladders: an interim report on the Australian fieldwork we might learn about helping to make places for the UH Lafarge Tarmac cross-cultural investigation sustainable in future. of sustainable living (2013). The second stage of the research was carried out by Dr John McCormack and The research has generated some fascinating focused on a comparable set of research questions and findings. It has answered some questions about sites in the United Kingdom as the second half of the sustainable living but also opened up other lines primary research work. of enquiry and intriguing research possibilities related to ‘end-user perspectives’ that we deal with The research programme has been comparative, looking at at the end of this report. However, before that, masterplanned communities in both the UK and Australia. the bulk of this report covers the aims, methods, We have gathered views from residents and other place- process, findings, analysis and conclusions from users, and explored documentation about how sustainable this comparative research work. We start by such developments are perceived to be and how people providing some background information about the living and working