Exclusive interview with the man behind Curitiba's master plan

Source: Green Futures (March 10th)

Jaime Lerner tells Green Futures how to redesign a city, what Brazil’s major metropolises have yet to learn, and why urban acupuncture is the way forward.

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Transforming our cities from grey to green

Martin Hunt, March 11th, Forum Blog.

It was great to see the launch of the Integrated Habitats Design Competition last week – a competition that seeks out inspiring and innovative designers who emphasise the value of biodiversity and nature in our built surroundings. A competition that places significant weight on nature contributing to healthy, low-energy, high-quality environments will hopefully help the spread and uptake of best practice in greening our cities. Integrated design ... Read more

 

M&S set a sustainable benchmark for the retail world

Jonathon Porritt, March 11th, Forum Blog.

files/JP blog - Plan A - 11 March copy.jpg I spoke at the annual M&S Suppliers’ Conference on Tuesday, which took place in Kensington Town Hall. This venue has a particular resonance for me as it was where the votes for the 1979 and 1984 European elections were counted – and every time I’m back there, I can’t help but recall that sense of consternation that so few people seemed to be prepared, at that time, ... Read more

 

Are we failing to see the wood for the gadgets?

Martin Hunt, March 10th, Forum Blog.

files/Martin Hunt 10 March small.jpg I’ve recently found myself questioning whether we are becoming over-reliant on technological fixes to the sustainability challenges we face today. Are we in danger of falling for ‘techno-wash’ as a way of avoiding some more fundamental (and maybe more painful) decisions about the way we live our lives? Does technology sometimes obscure the bigger picture? Did you see the story about one of the government’s new flagship ... Read more

 

No more niches – we need sustainable innovation at scale

Jonathon Porritt, March 9th, Forum Blog.

It’s the scale of it all that is sometimes daunting. On energy, for instance, we have to transition from around 90% dependency on fossil fuels to around 90% on renewables – allowing a little bit of residual space for cleaner and super-efficient fossil fuels (aviation, amongst other things, where technological substitution is always going to be limited). If we had two hundred years to make all that ... Read more

 

The science of uncertainty

Sara Parkin, March 2nd, Forum Blog.

What are we to make of the furore around climate science? There are implications for environmental campaigners, government and businesses currently agonising over the implementation of low carbon strategies, as well as for scientists - climate scientists in particular - and the whole scientific community in general. To start with thee and me. Most of us won’t have a degree in science, and may not even have ... Read more

 

Can the public sector lead us to sustainability?

Ben Tuxworth, March 1st, Forum Blog.

files/Stepping-up-cover-image_0.jpg As the recession ends in the private economy, it is just beginning for the 5.8 million public servants in the UK, and the millions more around the world.  Faced with swingeing budget cuts (several percent per year for the foreseeable future) can public sector organisations stay true to their commitments to carbon reduction, sustainable regeneration, ethical procurement, greener healthcare and a wealth of other new practices and ... Read more

 
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