http://www.ceunet.org/oslodeclaration.html
* Climate Change and Urban Design*
On 14-16 September 2008, 220 scientists, government officials,
educators, professionals and citizens from 25 countries were invited by
the Council for European Urbanism to meet in Oslo, Norway, to assess the
challenge of global climate change, and its particular implications for
the discipline of urban design. We examined lessons covering the topics
of science, policy, education and urban practice, and we concluded as
follows:
WE AFFIRM the grave threat to all of humanity posed by anthropogenic
climate change. We accept the ethical obligations that it imposes upon
all professionals and all citizens to respond with prompt and effective
mitigation and adaptation. We further affirm that this is a challenge
that _can_ be met, with intelligence and resolve -- and that in doing
so, we will necessarily find ourselves building better cities, and
better ways of life.
WE UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT THE PREVAILING SCIENTIFIC VIEW that a rise in
average global temperatures above two degrees centigrade would be
catastrophic for humanity, and that to ensure this does not happen, all
countries must join together to work to bring the levels of
CO2-equivalent in the atmosphere back to _350 parts per million_, as a
long-term ceiling.+ We therefore join the call for all nations to commit
to prompt and steep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, at a minimum of 25
percent or more below 1990 levels by 2020, and 50 percent or more below
1990 levels by 2050.+Further, we believe that by 2070, an 80 percent or
greater reduction must be achieved.
WE RECOGNISE that this specific phenomenon is inseparably connected to
broader and no less serious challenges: the depletion of natural
resources; the destruction of vital ecosystems; the unintended
consequences of technological advancement; the changing nature of
economic opportunity; and the imperative of greater equity, human
rights, and political stability. We assert that the climate change
crisis is a "wake up call" to make long-delayed systemic changes in all
these areas. This is a daunting but necessary task.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE that the phenomenon of climate change is inextricably
bound to the ways we have lived, and in particular, the inefficient ways
we have settled our cities and towns, over the past century. It is in
our urban systems that we create the patterns of activity that
fundamentally drive consumption, and emissions. Therefore, we cannot
address this challenge through technological changes alone; we must
comprehensively increase the efficiency of patterns of demand, by
increasing the efficiency of patterns of urban settlement.
WE OBSERVE that on a comparison basis, efficient, compact, livable and
beautiful settlements have significantly and often dramatically lower
levels of greenhouse gas emissions, and other major benefits. We
acknowledge that if we want people to live in low-carbon neighbourhoods,
_they_ must _want_ to live there. Therefore we assert the importance of
the link between the crisis of climate change, and the qualities of
livability and beauty of our cities, towns and countryside.
WE RECOGNISE the lessons of history and the need to learn from the
successes and failures of the past and present. We recognise the need
for a new evidence-based approach to the planning of our cities and
towns, taking its cue from induction and observation of what has worked
in the best human settlements of the past. We recognise the need to grow
in new, more sustainable ways, learning important and humbling lessons
from the natural world, and from centuries of human experience.
WE CALL on governments, policymakers, researchers, educators, urban
practitioners and citizenry, to work together to create a new generation
of robust, low-carbon, resilient, beautiful settlements, that have the
capacity to support the lives people choose to live.
WE WILL extend the lessons drawn in science, policy, education and
practice, as follows:
Science: What We Know
# / The form of settlements is a critical contributor/. Research shows
that dramatic reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases can be
achieved with a combination of strategies that increase efficiencies in
energy generation, delivery and use, and -- most overlooked -- the form
and character of settlements.
# / Urban sprawl is still an urgent problem/. Compact, mixed-use,
transit-integrated neighborhoods have dramatically lower emissions per
person -- as much as half or less per capita of sprawl developments.
Such neighborhoods must be created in a comprehensive, regional and
district-wide strategy.
# / Emissions from transportation - and in particular, private
automobile use- is a major component of the problem,; but it is only the
beginning of the story/. We must also take into account the effects of
infrastructure, embodied energy, operating energy, locational
inefficiencies, lost ecosystem services, lost opportunities for
cogeneration, and -- apparently very important, but not well understood
-- the effects of "induced demand" and the growth of demand for energy,
resources and emissions-producing activities. Buildings are also
critical contributors, but their efficiencies can be easily dwarfed in
an inefficient urban system.
# / Urban density is a key part of the solution; but it is not a
one-size-fits-all solution/. Higher-density settlement is closely
associated with reduced greenhouse gas emissions per person.+ However,
these benefits are less significant as density increases above about 150
persons per hectare, and there are also increasing negative impacts.
These include embodied energy in construction, building egress
requirements, wind and shade effects, ratios of highly exposed surfaces,
heat island effects, diminished activation of urban streetscapes, and
social segregation and isolation of populations within tall buildings.
# / Our heritage offers vital resources/. Historic structures contain
high levels of embodied energy and materials, and can be weatherised
with minimal cost and great benefit. There is also evidence to suggest
that historic structures are on average more resilient, more durable,
and more likely to be sustained into the future.
# / Our heritage also offers vital patterns for modern construction/.
Many historic structures and urban patterns incorporate successful
low-carbon strategies that can be of great value in new low-carbon designs.
# / The best designs exploit our instinctive love of natural forms/.
Biophilic factors appear to play a key role in the success and
durability of a neighbourhood over time. This is especially true for
higher-density neighborhoods that seek to promote walking, transport,
outdoor recreation and other lower-carbon activities. But more research
is needed in this area.
# / Many adaptive strategies will still be needed/. Many effects of
climate change are already unavoidable and will require successful
adaptation, with a particular burden falling on coastal, temperate and
arid regions.+ There will be an increasing demand to mitigate flooding,
manage heating, and provide alternate fresh water and reliable, locally
grown and processed food supplies.
Policy: What We Must Do
# / Recognise that modern urban form is a critical problem requiring
urgent action/. Governments, at all levels, must acknowledge that the
form and spatial pattern of settlements -- where people live, work and
shop, and the available choice of how they move about - is a fundamental
driver of demand for energy and consumption, and thus of the generation
of greenhouse gases. In consequence of this, we also believe that the
reformation and adaptation of urban infrastructure must be a primary
means for global GHG mitigation. This issue is particularly urgent in
developing nations, where poorly-designed urban infrastructure will
contribute to rapidly rising levels of greenhouse gas emissions for many
decades to come.
# / Recognise that despite greatly varying political systems and policy
frameworks, we must forge a globally coherent "joined-up" response/.
Governments vary widely in their policy frameworks, from highly market
oriented societies where the role of government is held suspect (i.e.
the US), to highly regulated new capitalist societies like China, to
third world countries with populations radically separated between a
small professional elite and a much larger underclass, to the more
socially homogenous mixed economies of Europe. Nevertheless, we believe
that just as cities around the world are characterized by common formal
problems (sprawling suburbs, inefficient transit, wasteful buildings,
poorly managed green infrastructure, and irrational urban form), they
can be addressed by common formal responses (protection of natural green
infrastructure, provision of mixed economic and social districts,
compact communities organized around the public realm and transit, and
formal logics for urban design).
# / Forge a better link between effective bottom-up local action, and an
effective, coordinated global response/. We understand that a successful
local solution requires a unique mix of strategies and resources. At the
same time, there is a need for over-arching frameworks and global
targets, to coordinate and to support local action.
# / Define new models of development, and assess their efficacy against
clear and scientifically credible performance measures/. Study and
promote existing exemplar models, and use them as the basis to inspire
new models adapted to different local and national conditions.
Regardless of country, each local authority must find the means to
recognise the role of city design in GHG mitigation, and to organise
their policies and actions to attack the problem.
# / Create a vision that inspires action/. At a minimum, urbanists must
articulate a clear vision of the inspiring kind of urbanism that is
capable of addressing this global crisis, and to also provide the tools
by which the efficacy and suitability of these city designs can be
measured. Where there are existing tools, these must be widely promoted,
adapted and applied.
# / Align policy, funding, regulation and design standards/ Together,
these shape public and private investments in the built environment.
Prioritise investment in critical infrastructure, which can determine
patterns of movement for centuries. Prioritise the most sustainable
modes of transport: walking, bike and public transport. Use public
transport as a spatially optimised, regional organising structure to
serve mixed-use communities with a balance of jobs, housing and other
daily needs.
# / Develop the new framework for an equitable response/. A
disproportionate share of the burden of climate change will fall upon
the developing world, which played a disproportionately small role in
creating the problem. Therefore, wealthier nations have a particular
obligation to assist with mitigation and adaptation in developing
countries. Until this is done, it is unreasonable and inequitable to
demand that the developing world refrain from enjoying the same benefits
of high-emissions technologies that wealthier nations have enjoyed.
# / Promote more aggressive research/. A top priority must be given to
additional research into the urban factors that contribute to emissions,
since they are known to be highly significant. Put in place research
policies and funding for public research and development endeavors, and
to promote private pilot projects that can be tested and promoted as
models. Prioritise research that explains and gives tools for the
self-organising power of cities and towns, to develop greater
"settlement efficiency," and to increase their "resilience" to cope with
stress and change.
# / Promote bottom-up as well as top-down strategies/. Planning and
design of low-carbon environments must be supplemented by changes to the
generative rules that shape development, and the balance of incentives,
regulations and prices.
# / Develop an array of powerful new tools, and be prepared to implement
them promptly/. Many new tools and approaches that were considered
unthinkable earlier must now be regarded as necessary and inevitable.
For example, carbon taxing must be on the table for prompt consideration
and implementation. Prompt action is needed, but it must be implemented
with a careful, evidence-based approach.
Education: How We Must Disseminate
# / Make climate change a core topic of study/. Climate change is a
central issue of modern professional responsibility and must be
addressed through aggressive continuing education, professional
development and research.
# / Use it as a lens through which to examine other issues/. At the same
time, climate change must be seen as a part of a wider set of
environmental, social and economic issues, requiring a broad
inter-disciplinary approach by practitioners.
# / Teach social and economic disciplines/. Practitioners must directly
engage the issues of social and economic sustainability, including
diversity, affordability and social capital.
# / Teach collaboration and "soft skills"/. Practitioners must learn to
collaborate effectively with other fields to develop successful
low-carbon projects that meet other human needs, and provide for
resilient growth in the future.
# / Teach urban design as a core discipline/. Architecture must be
seamlessly linked to and anchored within Urban Design, as a practice and
as a subject of study. The same is also true for planners,
transportation and civil engineers, and other disciplines.
# / Teach a "Hippocratic Oath" for designers/. Students must be aware of
their primary duty to cater to human well-being and human
self-determination. Students must understand the biological needs and
human rights of users, and the duty to promote them. This is the
essential basis of sustainability.
# / Settlements first, art second/. A culture of artistic novelty and
experimentation must be disciplined by the fundamental duty to create
beautiful, sustainable, livable habitat for human beings. Therefore,
teach this duty as a priority, informed by the disciplines of economics,
ecology, sociology and human health. Employ the strategies and insights
of "evidence-based design" - rigorously applying the lessons of what has
worked, and what has failed.
# / Educate the public as well as students/. Use public communications
strategies to increase the understanding of the built environment and
its importance in this challenge.
Practice: How We Must Implement
# / Recognise that many of the tools we need already exist/. Use, and
promote, tools and strategies that work, regardless of who may have
invented them, or when. Learn from history, and do not be afraid of
re-using what works.
# / Collaborate with others, and share lessons/. Many of the solutions
we will need exist in partial form with other potential collaborators.
The key may be in working together to put these pieces together. We must
effectively link those with ideas, tools and solutions together, in
overlapping activities in research, education and practice.
# / Think incrementally/. Urbanism is about changes over time, and our
designs must be prepared to evolve and respond to unforeseen conditions.
# / Think globally/. Our challenges are not confined to one country, and
we must learn to work from a global perspective.
# / Act locally/. At the same time, we must be able to deliver local
solutions for local needs. Therefore, we must work locally, with local
stakeholders, to develop the local knowledge and local capacity that is
necessary.
# / Design with the evidence base of what works/. The evidence base is
clear, and getting clearer. More compact, more mixed use, walkable,
transit-served communities will reduce emissions. The most sustainable
buildings in evidence are very often those that have been built of
durable materials, with timeless character, and have proven to be useful
and lovable over time. There is enormous embodied energy and "collective
intelligence" in such existing buildings, and in their urban patterns.
Human beings and natural ecosystems both benefit from reduced paving
area per person. We must learn to re-use and re-cycle our resources.
Water will be a critical resource in the years ahead. Natural systems
have much to teach us.
# / Support research, and participate in it/. We need good research on
actual projects, including post-occupancy research, case studies, and
detailed research into project strategies, successes and failures. We
must establish foundations, centres and other institutions to support
this work.
# / Take time to continue learning/. We must sharpen our skills and
insights -- by going back to school, or by learning on our own. We must
be prepared to recognise when current practices do not lead to the
desired outcomes, and new skills are necessary.
# / Affirm your profound duty to promote human welfare/. We are more
than fine artists; our professional charge is not unlike that of doctors
&mspace; for our duty is to the health of the human environment.
We, the signers, pledge to continue the collaborations begun in Oslo We
will continue with research, policy advocacy, education and practice
through further collaborations, conferences and joint ventures, and
otherwise continue to take initiative on this vital issue. We will
create and maintain a website and a set of links and references, to be
established at the Council for European Urbanism website www.ceunet.org
under the tab "Climate Change Task Force". We will give this global
crisis our highest professional energy and dedication.
