{"id":959,"date":"2011-10-12T09:28:53","date_gmt":"2011-10-12T08:28:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/?p=959"},"modified":"2011-10-12T09:28:53","modified_gmt":"2011-10-12T08:28:53","slug":"sustainable-development-i-presume","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/2011\/10\/12\/sustainable-development-i-presume\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainable Development, I presume?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the latest edition of Sustainability Now<\/em>, from Sustainability South West<\/a>, SSW Director Leslie Watson writes:<\/p>\n

Should our planning system enshrine \u2018a presumption in favour of sustainable development\u2019? \u00a0Of course it should \u2013 presuming it is clear about the definition and principles we use to define \u2018sustainable development.\u2019\u00a0 It is simply bad leadership to deal with planning for economic development in a separate way to delivering well-being, tackling disadvantage and the sound management of our finite natural environment.<\/p>\n

The planning system must support the delivery of sustainable development i.e. \u2018The integration of economic productiveness; environmental enhancement and social justice\u2019. This is the only way in which we will hand on a sustainable future to the next generation. \u00a0The current plans risk allowing unsustainable development that may bring some quick economic profit but will cost us dear in the future.<\/p>\n

The new Framework must clearly define the term Sustainable Development and the principles on which new development plans for the future must be based.\u00a0 We offer ten \u2018SustNav<\/a>\u2019 operating principles. \u00a0Proposals that do not support all of these principles are unsustainable and need to be redesigned.\u00a0 The new planning framework must facilitate a long term, more resilient future that is based on the greater good.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There is much to agree with here, but what are these SustNav<\/em> operating principles \u2013 and how do they stack up in the great planning for sustainable development game that the government is urging upon us? \u00a0Well, here they are:<\/p>\n

Develop sustainability skills<\/strong>:\u2028Learn and share the \u2018why\u2019 and \u2018how\u2019 of sustainability. \u00a0Lead the way and inspire others to follow.<\/p>\n

Improve health and well-being<\/strong>:\u2028Support healthy homes and workplaces; safe and green environments; and active, caring communities.<\/p>\n

Reduce inequalities<\/strong>:\u2028Reduce inequalities at home and abroad, in access to: basic goods and services; work, learning and leisure opportunities; and a decent home.<\/p>\n

Cut resource use<\/strong>:\u2028Use less and cut carbon (and other greenhouse gas) emissions, water use, waste, and pollution; use materials wisely including increasing the use of renewable energy.<\/p>\n

Support low carbon economies<\/strong>:\u2028Support a low carbon approach to economic development \u2013 including jobs, innovation\u2028and enterprise, built development and renewable energy generation.<\/p>\n

Reduce high carbon travel<\/strong>:\u2028Support low carbon access including walking, cycling, efficient public transport, information communication technology (ICT) access and mobile\/local service delivery.\u00a0 Fly as a last resort.<\/p>\n

Live local<\/strong>:\u2028Use local goods and services and nurture and celebrate the distinctiveness,\u2028diversity and heritage that make a place special.<\/p>\n

Revive our life support systems<\/strong>:\u2028Protect and support our natural \u2018life support systems\u2019 \u2013\u2028air, water, land and overall biodiversity.<\/p>\n

Be inclusive<\/strong>:\u2028Support wider, more informed participation in local and global challenges.\u2028Involve all affected groups in decisions and developments.<\/p>\n

Think long term<\/strong>:\u2028Take account of changes on the horizon \u2013 including climate change \u2013\u2028and think in a joined up way to arrive at more resilient solutions<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

SSW describes these as:<\/p>\n

a set of practical sustainability 'operating principles' [that] translate the UK's sustainable development strategy Securing the Future <\/em>which provides a set of national guiding principles. \u00a0All 10 Sustainability Principles should be applied across all areas of activity for a sustainable future<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Now, whilst I like these, I cannot see how they are going to be much use, in their current form, either to a developer or a local authority planner \u2013 or to local people trying to encourage appropriate development (and discourage the crass kind). \u00a0I hope that SSW might look at these again, and work on them to make a better fit with the exigencies and practicalities of local planning needs.<\/p>\n

<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the latest edition of Sustainability Now, from Sustainability South West, SSW Director Leslie Watson writes: Should our planning system enshrine \u2018a presumption in favour of sustainable development\u2019? \u00a0Of course it should \u2013 presuming it is clear about the definition...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":237,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-comment","category-new-publications"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/237"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=959"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/959\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}