It is increasingly clear that we need to develop alternative development trajectories as current trends are unsustainable. This invited lecture at the University of Pretoria presented current trajectories related to natural systems such as carbon emissions as well as to … Continue reading Alternative Development Trajectories
The SAICE Infrastructure Report Card for South Africa provides a condition assessment of infrastructure in South Africa and I contributed to the sections on education infrastructure. While the report is a snapshot in time, trends in condition deterioration or improvement … Continue reading SAICE Infrastructure Report Card for South Africa 2017
The Applying the Sustainable Building Assessment Tool presentation was made at the Green Buildings Workshop being run by the Tshwane University of Technology. The lecture covered: What is sustainability, and why is it important? What are the implications for buildings? Defining sustainability performance … Continue reading Applying the Sustainable Building Assessment Tool
Understanding the Built Environment Sustainability Tool presentation was made at the Green Building Workshops at Tshwane University of Technology. The talk covered the development and rationale of BEST and how it can be used to assess the sustainability performance of neighborhoods … Continue reading Understanding the Built Environment Sustainability Tool
Cities are complex and involve many stakeholders so achieving sustainability change can be difficult, slow and require a wide range of mechanisms. It is not sufficient to have a high-level ‘sustainability’ strategy; real change requires strategic targets to be integrated … Continue reading Measuring Sustainability Change in Cities
Existing city planning and implementation processes are ‘tried and tested’ and have proven to be a successful means of planning and implementing large-scale infrastructure projects in cities. However an increasing interest in developing more sustainable cities has led to questions … Continue reading City Sustainability Strategies
Presentation for Gauteng Schools at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre science festival on climate and buildings. The presentation covered: Climate and weather Human comfort Developing climatically responsive buildings for comfort Continue reading Climate, Comfort, Architecture
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is occupied by a particular species of animal, plant or other types of organism. It is the natural environment in which an organism lives or the physical environment that surrounds (influences and … Continue reading Human Habitat Creation
The Human Development Index and Ecological Footprint are used to measure the sustainability performance of human populations. The type and amount of waste produced by populations is a significant contributor to ecological footprints and it is therefore important to understand … Continue reading Sustainable Waste Streams
There is an increasing awareness that current measures to address climate change are insufficient (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2014, Sheppard et al, 2011; Hamin and Gurran, 2009; Stern, 2006). Urgent measures that not only slow down, or reduce the … Continue reading Urban Resilience Assessment Framework
In 1960 Africa was the least urbanised continent, with an urban population of less than 20% (United Nations Environment Programme, 1999). Urban growth rates of 4.87% led to rapid change and by 2010 over 40 % of the population lived … Continue reading Applying the Sustainable Building Assessment Tool to Evaluate Pilot Housing in Zambia
There is increasing consensus that neighbourhoods will be a key factor in achieving improved urban sustainability (Choguill, 2008; Gibberd, 2013; Williams, 2007). Neighbourhoods which provide support for sustainable living and working patterns in the form of local access to education, … Continue reading Applying the Built Environment Sustainability Tool to Assess and Improve Neighbourhoods
Many aspects of housing and neighbourhood design have not changed significantly in South Africa in the last 20 years and have lagged behind developments in other fields. During this time there have also been significant shifts in housing policy and … Continue reading Innovations that are changing housing and neighborhood design
Short article for Earthworks magazine. As a conservative industry, the understanding of sustainability within the construction and built environment tends to lag behind other industries and research. Within the built environment, sustainability is often referred to in vague terms related … Continue reading Capability for Change
Paper presented at Smart and Sustainable Built Environments, Pretoria, 9-11 December 2015. Appropriate, comprehensive and effective policy, guidance, regulations, standards, and capacity have been identified as a major factor in the development of more sustainable built environments (Simmons, 2015; Melchert, … Continue reading Instruments and Capacity for Sustainability
The transition to more sustainable cities is likely to be slow and hampered by dependencies on existing technologies, user practices and lifestyles (Ahman and Nilsson, 2008; Safarzynska and van den Bergh, 2010; Unruh, 2000). These dependencies have been entrenched in … Continue reading Urban Transformative Capacity
Presentation on Sustainable Food Environments at the CIB World Building Congress 2016, May 30 – June 3, 2016, Tampere, Finland. The paper covered the following areas: What is the relationship between food and sustainability? Are there sustainable food production and … Continue reading Sustainable Food Environments
Presentation on Responsive School Built Environments at the International Forum of Educational Infrastructure co-organised by the Mexico UNESCO Office and the National Institute for Education Infrastructure in Mexico [INIFED]. The event took place on 12-13 June 2017, in Mexico City. … Continue reading Responsive School Built Environments
Presented paper on Social Resilience in Urban Areas at the ASOCSA 11th Built Environment Conference, 6-8 August 2017, Durban. The paper covered: Climate change predictions for South Africa Social vulnerability and resilience Supporting social resilience through urban characteristics and configuration … Continue reading Social Resilience In Urban Areas
Presented paper on Water Resilience in Urban Areas at the ASOCSA 11th Built Environment Conference 6-8 August 2017, Durban. The paper covered: Climate change predictions for South Africa Climate change predictions for South Africa Urban water systems Water Resilience Assessment … Continue reading Water Resilience in Urban Areas
