Author

Professor Katie Williams, Dr Carol Dair, Morag Lindsay

Date

2003-2007

Project Type

Four year research project with a PhD studentship attached.

Subject

Sustainable Urban Development

Datasets

Land-Line and OS MasterMap

Sources: Digimap

Dates/Editions: All available.

Scales: All available.

Related Subjects

Geography; GIS

Key Words

Sustainability; GIS

Publishing Institution

Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford

Summary

The original aim of the project was to examine whether sustainable urban environments engender sustainable behaviour and lifestyles, and if not why not. Eight sustainable behaviours, and the associated physical features that could enable them, were established. One of the physical features was the design of the layout of the developments (in order that we could analyse the impact on movement in the developments). To gain an understanding of how the streets in a new development connected with existing street networks we used the downloaded maps in a GIS program and space syntax theory. The maps were also used to identify what type of street pattern was prevalent in each of the case studies, e.g. cul-de-sacs, grid, deformed grid.

Aims & Objectives

This project seeks to answer the following question: Do sustainable urban environments engender sustainable behaviour and lifestyles, and if not why not?

Methodology

From 'Plus Project: The Contribution of 'Sustainable' New Developments to Sustainable Lifestyles: an evaluation of schemes in the UK': The project uses case studies of 12 developments in the UK which have, to varying degrees, been described by their developers as sustainable. Each development is either a housing scheme or a mixed use scheme that includes some housing. The developments have been occupied for a minimum of two years. In the case studies, the behaviour of residents is assessed and correlated with the physical features of the development. Residents' behaviour is determined via a questionnaire administered to homes which asks about current actions in a number of key areas, such as travel and energy use. The questionnaire is administered to all households in the developments, except for large schemes (over 100 homes) where a 50% sample is used. The physical features of the developments are assessed using a sustainability checklist which lists all the features that could potentially support sustainable behaviour and, potentially, be provided in a scheme. Researchers will complete a checklist for each development by analysing architectural plans and drawings, and undertaking site surveys. The results of the questionnaire and the checklist will be analysed using SPSS to demonstrate the nature of the relationships between the physical features and behaviour.

Results/Outcome

Williams, K. , Dair, C. and Lindsay, M. (2010) Neighbourhood designs and sustainable lifestyles. In: Janks, M. and Jones, C. , eds. (2010) Dimensions of the Sustainable City. (Vol. 2) Springer, pp. 183-214. ISBN 978-1-4020-8646-5

Dair, C. and Williams, K. (2006) The contribution of ''sustainable'' new developments to sustainable lifestyles: an evaluation of schemes in the UK (interim research findings). In: Paper presented at Planning Research Conference, Global Places, Local Places, the Bartlett School of Planning, University college London, London, 5-7 April.

References & Acknowledgements

Funding body: Funded by EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council), grant reference GR/S20529/01, see CityForm UK.

Alpine Close, Maidenhead

Moseley Row, Greenwich Millennium Village, Greenwich

The Staiths South Bank, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear