Climate Change and Urban Design

>
> CALL FOR PAPERS:
>
>
> CLIMATE CHANGE
> AND URBAN DESIGN
>
> Science, Policy, Education and Best Practice
>
>
> The Third International C.E.U. Congress, Oslo, Norway, 14 - 16
> September 2008-
>
> (Attached and below)
>
>
> ABSTRACTS DUE February 1, 2008
> ANNOUNCEMENTS of Accepted Papers March 1, 2008
> COMPLETED DRAFTS DUE June 1, 2008
>
>
> The Topic
> Following successful Congresses in Berlin 2005 and Leeds 2006, the
> Council for European Urbanism will hold its third international
> congress in Oslo, Norway from the 14 th to 16th September 2008.
>
> The congress will discuss the rapidly-evolving topic of "Climate
> Change and Urban Design". Papers are invited on the latest
> implications in science, policy, education and best practice. What
> is the latest science telling us? What are the consequences for
> urban development internationally? What are the practical
> solutions available to reduce climate gas emissions from urban
> settlements and transportation? What strategies are available to
> adapt to changing conditions?
> The congress will welcome government officials, planners,
> architects, social scientists, ecologists, developers, local
> community activists, and all other development stakeholders who
> feel a responsibility to contribute to more sustainable urban
> development.
>
> We invite authors engaged in urban development and climate change
> topics from all parts of the world to submit paper proposals with
> abstracts by February 1, 2008 .
> Announcements of accepted proposals will be on March 1, 2008.
> Completed drafts of papers will be due by June 1, 2008.
>
> Background
> The climate change agenda has clearly reached a world-wide tipping
> point. Yet while there is growing consensus that the phenomenon
> poses a major threat to future human well-being, legitimate debate
> remains about what is to be done to reduce atmospheric carbon
> levels, as well as to adapt to changes that already appear
> likely. In particular there is ongoing debate about how the cost
> of various options correlates to potential benefits. Debate also
> continues about how the issue of climate change relates to the
> larger agenda of sustainable development.
> The built environment is well known to be one of the largest
> current contributors to greenhouse gases. Therefore those who
> work in the planning, design and building professions have a key
> role in working to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide. While much
> work has been done to decrease contributions from individual
> buildings, the role of urban design in addressing climate change
> remains more obscure, and more contentious.
>
> To be sure, buildings are not passive emitters of greenhouse
> gases. They shape the patterns of activity and consumption of
> their occupants, which in turn profoundly affect emissions. Must
> occupants drive between scattered locations, perhaps for long
> distances? Do they spend large percentages of time in buildings
> isolated from a functional public realm, with high patterns of
> consumption and emissions? Are those buildings sited in remote new
> developments where significant areas of existing vegetation have
> been replaced with paved or reflective surfaces? How does the
> urban street and block pattern contribute? What about the mix of
> uses, and the distribution of daily activities and needs?
>
> There has been much discussion of the dramatic carbon reductions
> possible per person in a higher-density urban morphology,
> particularly in comparison to automobile-dominated "sprawl"
> development. But what are the factors to be teased out? If we
> are to pursue such a goal, what are the issues to be addressed in
> economics, market dynamics, project permitting, legal regulation?
> How are these issues being addressed successfully, and what further
> challenges and opportunities remain?
>
> What about the preference of some consumers for lower density
> neighborhoods, or the argument that it is more sustainable to
> accommodate a settlement distribution or "transect" from the
> highest human use to the most pristine natural environment,
> including lower-density agricultural settlements? Does the new
> agenda imply, as some argue, that only very high densities will be
> viable? Or can a mixture that includes some lower-density
> morphologies be sustained in combination with other forms of
> mitigation? Is such a range of densities more economically
> sustainable, as some argue?
>
> Even at high densities, a wide range of morphologies is possible.
> What are the benefits and tradeoffs of the alternatives? For
> example, are dense high rise cities the inevitable best option?
> What about the negative energy impacts of tall buildings that may
> feature extensive curtain wall glazing, or require other high-
> energy conditioning, maintenance or repair? How do tall buildings
> perform across socio-economic classes, or in promoting social
> diversity and economic sustainability? How do they perform in
> repairability, adaptive re-use, or typical life-cycle?
>
> What about the advantages of "green" retrofits of existing
> buildings, in comparison to new green buildings? Since roughly
> half of the energy use of a building is in its construction, is
> there credible evidence to suggest that adaptive re-use of heritage
> buildings should be a greater priority? Are there examples of
> traditional urban fabric that offer better models of sustainable
> morphology, such as medium rise "liner" buildings, or high-density
> terraces? And do traditional buildings offer any significant
> morphological benefits for the sustainability challenge?
>
> These questions remind us that emissions are a cumulative
> phenomenon, and must be considered over whole systems and whole
> life cycles. Clearly a reduction in one targeted parameter is of
> little use if it results in the increase of another parameter by an
> equal or greater amount. Moreover, greenhouse gas emissions are
> only one parameter of sustainability that must be considered in
> balance with others.
> We encourage papers that discuss the inter-disciplinary nature of
> this challenge, and the need for a more "joined-up" approach. We
> particularly encourage discussion of effective new diagnostic and
> prescriptive tools to optimize performance across whole systems and
> whole life cycles.
>
> Themes Within the Topic
> We welcome your papers on one of the six themes below. Where
> necessary, a paper may combine two or more themes.
>
> THEME ONE: Climate Change and Urban Morphology - The Evidence
> What is the scientific evidence for or against particular links
> between urban form and contributions of greenhouse gases? What are
> the interrelationships? What are the pitfalls in research, and in
> its application? Papers may survey previous literature and/or
> present new research.
>
> THEME TWO: Climate Change and Best Practice in Urban Design
> What are the implications of climate change research for standards
> of best practice? What does the evolving evidence suggest about
> the relative importance of such parameters as density, transit
> modes, mixed use, building height, social diversity and others?
> What about the relative benefits of retrofit versus new
> construction? How can best practice address issues of market
> acceptance and consumer choice?
>
> THEME THREE: Climate Change, Urban Design and Public Policy
> What are the steps being taken to address the contribution of urban
> design on climate change through public policy, and how well are
> they succeeding? What steps are being taken to mitigate initial
> diseconomies, create new incentives, ease regulatory restrictions,
> and shift market behaviour?
>
> THEME FOUR: Climate Change, Education and Research
> How should academic institutions respond to the climate change
> agenda? What are the implications for inter-disciplinary and
> inter-institutional research? How should design schools respond to
> the challenge? What alternative curricula are implied or required?
>
> THEME FIVE: Case Studies of Urban Projects and Their Impacts
> Paper in this category should present one or more case studies with
> detailed assessment of success in mitigating greenhouse gases, or
> adapting to the consequences of climate change. They may discuss
> challenges of entitlement, market acceptance, economic performance,
> and other project requirements.
>
> THEME SIX: Innovative New Strategies
> Papers in this category should discuss new theoretical or pragmatic
> approaches, such as certification schemes (LEED-ND in the USA,
> BREEAM in the UK, et al.), trading schemes, new coding approaches,
> and other innovations.
> If your paper does not fit within one of the six themes above, be
> advised that we will accept a limited number of papers under
> general or alternative topics.
>
> The Papers
> Papers should be at least 3,000 words and no more than 6,000. Bear
> in mind that speaker presentation time will be no more than 30
> minutes, or about 3,600 words for most speakers. Papers should be
> written in 12 point Times Roman font, in Microsoft Word or
> equivalent format. Footnotes and/or references should appear at
> the end of papers. Authors agree that papers may be published in
> the Congress proceedings. Full guidelines will be sent to selected
> authors.
>
> The Abstracts
> Abstracts should be 12 point Times Roman font, in Microsoft Word or
> equivalent format. Please include your full name, full address and
> affiliation details with an abstract of your presentation of
> between 100 and 300 words. You may include a cover letter or
> email message with additional comments.
> ----
> Please submit proposals with abstracts to the following email address:
> climate.change.2007@gmail.com
>
> -
> Academic Committee:
> Michael Mehaffy (Chair), Sustasis Foundation, US
> ( michael.mehaffy@gmail.com )
> Harald Bodenschatz, Ph.D., Professor, Technical University of
> Berlin, DE ( harald.bodenschatz@t-online.de)
> Charles Bohl, Ph.D., Professor, University of Miami, US
> ( cbohl@miami.edu)
> Sarah Chaplin, Head, School of Architecture and Landscape, Kingston
> University, UK ( S.Chaplin@kingston.ac.uk)
> Harald Kegler, Ph.D.,Laboratory for Regional Planning, DE
> ( harald_kegler@yahoo.com)
> Susan Parham, Ph.D. Candidate, London School of Economics, UK
> ( sp@cagconsult.co.uk)
> Arne Sodal, architect, C.E.U. Norway ( arnsoeda@online.no )
> Lucien Steil, The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment
> (UK) ( lucien.steil@princes-foundation,org)
> Emily Talen, Ph.D, Professor, Arizona State University, US
> ( etalen@asu.edu)
>
> -----------------------------------------
>
> The Call for Papers is also attached.
>
>
> For other information about the 2008 C.E.U. Congress, and
> preliminary registration of participants, please contact the
> congress organizers:
>
> Audun Engh.
> C.E.U. Norway
> St. Olavs gate 9, 0165 Oslo, Norway.
> Tel. +47.92 62 26 26
> Email: audun.engh@gmail.com
>
>
> C.E.U. - Council for European Urbanism
>
> www.ceunet.org
>