Transforming Ireland Seminar Series – 28 th October 2010 - Dublin City Council Civic Offices Urban Urban Sustainability Urban Urban Sustainability Sustainability Sustainability I di I di Indicators Indicators Dr. Ainhoa Dr. Ainhoa Gonzá González ez Centre entre for entre entre for for Environment for Environment Environment Environment Trinity Colle Trinity College ge Dubli Dublin <agonzal@tc gonzal@tcd.ie> .ie>
Urban Sustainability Urban Sustainability …sustainability in urban planning entails current and future protection and improvement current and future protection and improvement of urban environments, through the appropriate delivery and management of land appropriate delivery and management of land, water, energy, transport, and waste, and safeguarding biodiversity, water and air quality; in addition to the promotion of economic prosperity, social equality and human well ‐ being... being...
Sustainability Indicators …Setting the Context… • Pre ‐ requisite: defining clear and achievable sustainability Pre requisite: defining clear and achievable sustainability objectives (goals) for the city or plan area • Indicators formulated to: – Measure progress towards established objectives – Evaluate planning alternatives (sustainability performance) – Monitor changes derived from plan/policy implementation Monitor changes derived from plan/policy implementation – Monitor fulfillment of set targets/thresholds (legislation or strategies) – Inform plan and policy development and decision ‐ making • Indicators can measure physical, biological, chemical, social and economic parameters • Indicators can be quantitative or qualitative • Available at EU and national level (e.g. European Environment Outlook ‐ EEA, 2005; Ireland’s Environment ‐ EPA, 2008)
Sustainable Development Indicators in Ireland • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) l ( ) ‐ Environmental Indicators for Ireland (annually) ‐ Indicators for Transport and the Environment (2000) Indicators for Transport and the Environment (2000) ‐ Rural Environmental Indicators (2001) ‐ Climate Change: Indicators for Ireland (2002) • CSO – ‘Measuring Ireland's Progress’ (censal periods) CSO ‘ i I l d' ’ ( l i d ) • National and Economic and Social Council – ‘ National Progress Indicators for Sustainable Economic Social and Environmental Development’ (2002) Indicators for Sustainable Economic, Social and Environmental Development (2002) • Comhar (Sustainable Development Council) ‐ ‘ Counting what Counts’ : recommendations on national indicators for SD (2007) ‐ ‘Measuring Ireland's Sustainability’ : overview of Ireland’s performance on SD ‐ Currently developing a comprehensive and integrated sustainable development indicator (SDI) set for Ireland • At the local level, sustainability indicators commonly defined as part of SEA and EIA processes (used to monitor plan implementation) No official set of sustainability indicators adopted No universally applicable indicator set
Sample of Common Urban Sustainability Indicators Indicators Specifications ENVIRONMENTAL Concentration of primary Concentration (µg/m 3 ) of particulate matter less than 10 µm (PM 10 ). particulate matter PM 10 Population exposed to Percentage of the urban population potentially exposed to ambient air concentrations (µg/m 3 ) of SO 2 , NO 2 & PM 10 in excess of the EU pollutant concentrations above target values b t t l limit or target value set for the protection of human health. li it t t l t f th t ti f h h lth SOCIAL Density of development Number of people inhabiting a given urbanized area. Availability of local Percentage of people living within 300 metres of a public open area greater than 5,000 m 2 public open areas ECONOMIC Cost of proposed Cost of proposed Investment (€) Investment (€) development Effects of the proposed Number of new employment opportunities created and revenue (€/m 2 ). development on local development on local (€/m ). economy (revenue)
What will indicators be used for? • Hierarchy of the plan? • Scale of urban intervention? • Assessment aims? • Assessment aims? • Availability of data? Measurements versus modelling Who will use the indicators? Who will use the indicators? • Technical experts and science advisors? • Policy ‐ makers, plan ‐ makers, decision ‐ makers? • General public and media? • General public and media?
Common Methods to Select Indicators Common Methods to Select Indicators • Legislative requirements L i l ti i t ‐ Set thresholds / targets ‐ Agreements and common pursuits • Expert judgment Expert judgment ‐ Specialist input ‐ Critical considerations C iti l id ti • Public consultation ‐ Participation and ownership ‐ Public concerns
Applying Indicators Sets Applying Indicators Sets • Need to define comparable units • Commonly achieved through normalisation (e.g. scale 1 to 10) ( g ) • Several mathematical agregation methods • Final output: value, graph, map, score or index or index
Presenting Indicators PM 10 concentration [µg/m 3 ] = 28 PM 10 concentration [µg/m 3 ] limit = 50 10 10 January July December 8 6 4 2 Alternative A = 2 versus Alternative B = 7 (on a scale of 10) • Individual indicator value (max, min, average…) • Indicator trend graph (temporal/seasonal variation) g p ( p / ) • Indicator map (spatial variation) • Spider diagram (comparable indicators) Spider diagram (comparable indicators) • Score or Index (constrasted performance)
Interpreting Indicators Value compared against EU set targets/thresholds Current value compared against baseline value Alternative 1 value compared against Alternative 2 value Alternative 1 value compared against Alternative 2 value Values compared over time and space (e.g. different cities) PM10 concentration [µg.m ‐ 3 ] PM10 concentration [µg.m ‐ 3 ] 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 30 road 25 20 excluded excluded 15 10 5 General rule: increase/decrease of value from baseline shows improving/worsening condition
FP7 Project BRIDGE ‐ Case Studies FP7 Project BRIDGE Case Studies Varied cultural and planning contexts, geographical scale, issues & scope of assessment
Simplified Structure of the BRIDGE Approach Spatial Data Collation Objectives Objectives s eeting/s eeting/s Modelling Outputs Indicators Indicators Me CoP Me DSS CoP Case Study Case Study C (Plan & Alternatives) Sustainability of Impact Assessment Planning Proposals g p of Alternatives of Alternatives (Water, Air, Energy)
Community of Practice Community of Practice in the Development of Objectives and Indicators Stage 1 • Gathering perceptions: urban sustainability, Athens CoP Kick ‐ off planning priorities; drivers and pressures p g p ; p meeting • Introduction to the method for the development of Firenze indicators. Gliwice Gliwice Stage 2 • Consensus on core sustainability objectives. Second CoP Helsinki • Review of a preliminary set of targets & indicators. meeting London Stage 3 Indicators Workshop Indicators Workshop Umbrella CoP b ll • Consensus on a final set of common and city ‐ (representatives from all case study cities) specific indicators. Set of objectives, criteria and indicators for assessing urban sustainability
CoP Results – Sustainability Objectives AIR ENERGY WATER OTHERS Improve Air Quality Improve Energy Improve the Built Efficiency Fabric Reduce CO Reduce CO 2 Emissions Reduce Thermal Increase Green Space ATHENS Discomfort Areas Increase Mobility Improve Air Quality Improve Energy Improve Mobility Efficiency FIRENZE Increase and Improve Green Space Areas G S A Improve Air Quality Optimise Improve Water Improve Mobility Management Energy Efficiency Promote Controlled GLIWICE Expansion of Urban Expansion of Urban Areas Improve Air Quality Optimize Energy Protect the Enhance human well ‐ HELSINKI Consumption Water Balance being in the city Improve Air Quality Decrease Heat Island Reduce Flooding Promote Integrated Decision ‐ making Effect LONDON Reduce CO 2 Emissions Increase Canopy Cover
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