Accidents and habitat and Urban Environment Strategy

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Accidents and habitat and Urban Environment
Strategy

• Antoaneta Yoveva,
• SWF, Bulgaria

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EU Policy documents

• THEMATIC STRATEGY ON THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
• http//europa.eu.int/comm/environment/urban/themat
  ic_strategy.htmlanguage_versions
• http//europa.eu.int/comm/environment/urban/home_e
  n.htm
• Road Safety Action Plan 2002 - 2010
• www.etsc.be
• CEHAPE

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THEMATIC STRATEGY ON THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
Stages

• The European Commission has developed the
  strategy according to the following steps
• 1. June 2003 - The organisation of a
  multi-stakeholder platform bringing together
  actors with an interest in urban policy (local
  authorities, NGOs, business sector and academics)
  to debate how the Thematic Strategy may
  contribute to the improvement of the
  environmental efficiency of urban areas and to
  secure a healthy living environment for
  citizens.2. Jan 2004 - Commission Communication
  "Towards a Thematic Strategy on the Urban
  Environment" issued for comments.3. Throughout
  2004 Meetings of stakeholders at EU Expert
  Group on the Urban Environment. Also meetings of
  three special working groups on environmental
  management plans, sustainable urban transport
  plans and urban environment research and training
  needs. 4. End 2004 - Working group reports with
  recommendations for the Thematic Strategy. 5.
  July 2005 - A proposal for a Council and European
  Parliament Decision on a Thematic Strategy on the
  Urban Environment will be presented to the
  Council and the European Parliament.

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Content

• Sustainable construction methods techniques
• Urban design
• Sustainable Urban Management
• Sustainable Urban Transport

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Sustainable construction methods techniques

• Some of the most relevant recommendations
  included in this report are
• Compliance and responsibility to the Kyoto
  Protocol commitments.
• Public money to be spent on projects that respect
  the requirements of sustainable construction
• Development of Horizontal Standardised Methods
  for the Assessment of the Integrated
  Environmental Performance of Buildings
• Taxes and all other regulatory mechanisms used to
  help motivate the stakeholders to achieve more
  sustainable construction

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1.Sustainable construction methods techniques

• The use of resources to become more
• sustainable - decentralised utility systems
  (recycling of grey water, energy production, for
  waste collection)
• Education and awareness raising campaigns must
  prepare all relevant actors to achieve a more
  sustainable built environment and a more
  efficient use of the built environment

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1.Sustainable construction methods techniques

• Objectives due to be defined at the European
  institutions level and adapted to each member
  states reality in terms of climate
• Improve indoor and outdoor air quality
• Improve indoor and outdoor comfort conditions
  (thermal, acoustic and visual)
• Improve the energy efficiency of buildings by
  implementing appropriate construction methods and
  techniques (passive solar design) internalising
  the best of the local climate conditions
• Reduce CO2 emissions per capita and per sector
• Integrate renewable energy systems (active solar
  and wind) and energy management systems for
  permanent monitoring
• Specify systems to maximise efficiency in
  operation, making room for flexible performance
• Reduce waste and facilitate waste separation
• Reduce water demand and implement grey water
  recycling systems at the local level
• Reduce running and maintenance costs
• Minimise impact on bio-diversity.

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• ICLEI's Guide to Environmental Manage-ment for
  Local Authorities in Central and Eastern Europe
• Volume 16
• Building Constructionand Maintenance
• Antoaneta Yoveva, SWF, architect
• 1996

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2. Urban design

• The three main thematic objectives that this
  report addresses are
• Re-designing and retro-fitting existing urban
  areas to support sustainable development
• Sustainable design for greenfield sites
• Knitting the urban fabric together to achieve an
  integrated city wide vision, including viewing
  urban areas in relation to their hinterlands

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2. Urban design

• Key urban design themes as the focus of policy
  objectives, legislation, targets, guidance and
  research
• the re-use and regeneration of urban land
• density of new development
• location of new development relation to public
  transport and other accessibility factors
• design of green structures and city landscape
• streets and movement structure (pedestrian and
  cycle environment, public spaces, public
  transport)
• promoting mixed uses
• designing for affordable housing
• accessible public amenities and services for all
  social groups
• appropriate conservation, renovation and
  use/re-use of cultural heritage
• sustainable, high quality architecture and
  building technologies

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2. Urban design

• An appropriate urban density must allow for
• Efficient public transport systems
• Affordable urban infrastructures and services
• Easy access to collective facilities.
• Creating community identity.
• In order to achieve the former objectives, the
  following
• actions should be taken- Increase density in
  urban sprawl areas so as to avoid excessive land
  consumption- Consider the use of maximum
  standards to discourage low-density
  developments.- Adjust density in central areas
  to maintain acceptable quality of life levels.-
  Preserve green areas among existing and new urban
  areas.- Develop decentralised nodes in large
  urban areas.- Use available technologies to
  adjust densities to quality of life.

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3. Sustainable Urban Management

• Most of the recommendations for the EC concern
  funding initiatives, due to be accomplished
  either in framework of existing programmes.
• Dissemination and Promotion of Good Practice and
  Methods (Integrated Urban Local Plans by means of
  Local Agenda 21 Sustainable Cities Campaign)
• Promoting the key role of active national
  policies as political and financial measures
  supporting Local Agenda 21 approaches and
  methods.
• Good practice demonstration networks/handbooks to
  spread information on available tools.
• Dissemination of information on LA21 and EMAS as
  urban management tools by strengthening the
  support given to networks of local and regional
  authorities,
• Facilitating the exchange of information and
  through awards, eco-labelling and benchmarking.
  Training actions of both local authorities and
  representatives of NGOs should be part of this
  dissemination

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3. Sustainable Urban Management

• Building Institutional Capacity Increase
• institutional capacity of local institutions
• through Structural Funds and other forms of
• financial support, environmental policies and
• regulatory activities
• A Sustainable Cities Civic Leadership Programme
  for local government officials and politicians
  should be sponsored
• Adoption of urban environment management systems
  (EMAS)
• MS to introduce Cumulative Impact Assessment and
  Territorial Impact Assessment as part of the
  impact assessment practices through the provision
  of guidance
• Proposed An Urban Environment Framework Directive

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4. Sustainable Urban Transport

• Air and Noise Pollution
• Air pollution levels, especially sulphur dioxide,
  nitrogen dioxide, particulates, and
• hydrocarbons, have been falling, and continue to
  fall, in many western European cities,
• Safety
• In the accession countries, traffic accidents are
  rising, and a decoupling between traffic growth
  and accidents still needs to be realised. Urban
  areas play a critical role in traffic accidents
• Health
• Vehicle emissions, such as carbon monoxide, fine
  particulates, hydrocarbons,nitrogen oxides, and
  sulphur oxides have severe effects on health. The
  whole range of effects includes premature death,
  illnesses, medical care, and reduced physical
  activity
• Administration
• inefficient integration between locally managed
  urban public transport
• and urban road systems and often nationally
  managed railway and highway systems,
• or the interactions between private and public
  sector involvement

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4. Sustainable Urban Transport

• Flexibility is a key condition given the
  uncertainty of the future. Overall, the EC should
  take action by
• establishing a clear EU vision on sustainable
  urban transport, and this vision should be
  consistent throughout all EU institutions and EU
  funding
• creating a framework for action, and offering
  guidance to promote sustainable urban transport
  at the local level.

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4. Sustainable Urban Transport

• Specific recommendations to the EC for the
  following target areas
• Policy Coherence at the EU level
• Sustainable Urban Transport Plans
• Financial Policies
• Monitoring of Progress Towards Policy
  Objectivesby
• Using Indicators and Conducting Impact
  Assessment
• EC Policy Initiatives
• Improved Governance
• Dissemination of Good Practices and Knowledge
• Promoting Awareness about Sustainable Urban
  Transport.

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Sofia map with biking lanes
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With a bike to schoolproject of SWF - 2002
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Road Safety Action Plan 2002 - 2010

• 31st May 2001 the EC launched its Consultation
  paper on a
• 3rd Road Safety Action Plan covering the period
  2002-
• 2010 and sent its document to large sample of
  stakeholders
• responsible for road safety policy
• man, vehicle, infrastructure.
• RSAP s content include sections on
• key road safety problems facing the EU
• ways to develop a global and shared road safety
  vision
• setting of casualty reduction targets
• strategy to achieve them
• EU long-term action programme

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• The basic priorities RSAP refer to
• setting of targets to reduce casualties,
• elaboration of EU best practice guidelines,
• safety investments,
• secure better compliance with road safety rules,
• user training and testing standards,
• use of safety equipment,
• safer vehicles and roads,
• safer professional goods transport,
• post-accident care and the accident and injury
  data gathering and analysis

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• The success of these actions depends on their way
  of implementation
• integrated approach,
• systematic and continuous effort with
• adequate budget,
• active participation of road users and
  authorities
• quantitative monitoring of safety level and
  measures implementation and performance

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CEHAPE

• Regional Priority Goal I
• to prevent and significantly reduce the
  morbidity and mortality arising from
  gastrointestinal disorders and other health
  effects, by ensuring that adequate measures are
  taken to improve access to safe and affordable
  water and adequate sanitation for all children.

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CEHAPE

• Regional Priority Goal II
• to prevent and substantially reduce health
  consequences from accidents and injuries and
  pursue a decrease in morbidity from lack of
  adequate physical activity, by promoting safe,
  secure and supportive human settlements for all
  children.

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CEHAPE

• Regional Priority Goal III
• to prevent and reduce respiratory disease due
  to outdoor and indoor air pollution, thereby
  contributing to a reduction in the frequency of
  asthmatic attacks, in order to ensure that
  children can live in an environment with clean
  air.

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CEHAPE

• Regional Priority Goal IV
• - to reduce the risk of disease and disability
  arising from exposure to hazardous chemicals
  (such as heavy metals), physical agents (e.g.
  excessive noise) and biological agents and to
  hazardous working environments
• during pregnancy, childhood and
• adolescence

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• Further Opportunities at European Level
• European Car Free Day 22nd September
• http//www.22september.org/info/en/camp.html
• European Mobility Week - 16-22nd September
• http//www.22september.org/
• Cities and Towns Campaign (which implements the
  Aalbourg Charter - Local Agenda 21)
• http//europa.eu.int/comm/environment/urban/aalbor
  g.htm
• Urban Green Days
• http//www.urbangreendays.org/