Sustainability Approach

Holistic

The Eco-town for Leicestershire will set new standards for sustainable development.  There are nine sustainability objectives for this project (see next page) covering issues ranging from climate change and adaptation, energy and carbon emissions, sustainable waste and water, biodiversity and landscape, health and well-being, socio-economic issues and food.

The overall strategy has to consider all of these factors and integrate them.  As they are all inter-related, getting the right balance or harmony between them will be critical.

 

Setting objectives

The nine sustainability objectives are the starting point for the creation of a place which balances social, economic and environmental parameters.  The objectives work in tandem. 

For example; providing pedestrian-friendly environments, where facilities are designed for proximity, will reduce the need to travel and encourage walking and cycling; improving air quality will contribute to a healthy lifestyle; reducing the amount of land allocated for each dwelling contributes to energy and transport cost effectiveness and so on. Similarly, creating community farms producing local food will bring about benefits for health, community, biodiversity, education and help reduce impact on the climate

Identifying the potential for integrated solutions helps us to unlock the full sustainability potential.