Sustainable Community and Neighbourhood

Definition of Sustainable Community

Nowadays sustainable development is very important in our living to make sure that we are sustain for the future generation. Sustainable communities is the communities planned, built, or modified to promote sustainable living for now and the future especially for the future generation. This may include sustainability aspects relating to equality, water, transportation, energy, and waste and materials. Sustainable communities have diverse dimensions which are scale, size, location, and time. Some cities have long standing traditions of sustainability while other communities are just beginning their sustainability journeys. Sustainable community is focus on three aspect. That are: 

a) Economically, 

b) Environmentally, and 

c) Socially healthy and resilient. 

 This three aspects will evolve according to the time. It can be seen through the figure below: 

Evolving Views of the Community

SOURCE: Copyright  1999 Maureen Hart. Reprinted with permission. Available at http://www.sustainable

measures.com.

As a result, a sustainable community manages its human, natural, and financial resources to meet current needs while ensuring that adequate resources are equitably available for future generations. Besides that,  sustainable community's success when many peoples are involve and give more commitment about that. The peoples should be responsible, caring, and also the sustainable community is serve the people with healthy community institutions, services, and businesses.

The characteristics of Sustainable Community

Besides that, sustainable community have several characteristics. That are: 

1. Well run - with effective and inclusive participation, representation and leadership

2. Well connected - with good transport services and communication linking people to jobs, schools, health and other services 

3. Well served - with public, private, community and voluntary services that are appropriate to people's needs and accessible to all 

4. Environmentally sensitive - providing places for people to live that are considerate of the environment

5. Thriving - with a flourishing and diverse local economy

6. Well designed and built - featuring quality built and natural environment  

7. Fair for everyone - including those in other communities, now and in the future 

8. Active, inclusive and safe - fair, tolerant and cohesive with a strong local culture and other shared community activities 

Sources: http://www.proudtobeslough.co.uk/A_sustainable_community.htm

Component of Sustainable Communities

1. GOVERNANCE Effective and inclusive participation, representation and leadership.

2. TRANSPORT AND CONNECTIVITY Good transport services and communication linking people to jobs, schools, health and other services. 

3. SERVICES A full range of appropriate, accessible public, private, community and voluntary services.

4. ECONOMY A flourishing and diverse local economy.

5. HOUSING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT A quality built and natural environment.

6. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL Vibrant, harmonious and inclusive communities.

7. ENVIRONMENTAL Providing places for peoples to live in an environmentally-friendly way.

Sources :The common Goal Defining and measuring sustainable communities at http://www.energy-cities.eu/IMG/pdf/chap1_egan_review.pdf

The example of country which have strong sustainable community

1. China - Huangbaiyu 

2. New Zealand

3. Papua New Guinea

4. United Kingdom

5. United State


Definition of Sustainable neighbourhood

A sustainable neighbourhood is feeling of community in one area that have mixed used of land used or development. It also that the people live and work together in one place for now and the future without argue with each others. They will respect with other without think the differentiation of culture  work, races and others. They are safe and inclusive, well planned, built and run, and offer equality of opportunity and good services to all. (Bristol Accord, 6-7 December 2005).

The example design of Sustainable neighbourhood.

http://www.homegroup.org.uk/news/Pages/BuildingGatesheadsFuture.aspx

Creative City

Definition of creative city

Creative city is a concept developed by Charles Landry in the late 1980s. This concept encouraging a culture of creativity in urban planning and solutions to urban problems. It has become a global movement that inspires a new planning paradigm for cities and it is related to the concept of learning cities.

Plethora of problem such as:

- Urban pollution

- Urban Slum

- Health Hazards

- Social Crime

  

The concept of Creative Cities’rests on the belief that culture can play an important role in urban renewal. Policy makers are increasingly taking into account the role of creativity when planning economic policy. There are several criteria to be an creative cities. that are include the city’s infrastructure, landscape, public facilities, architecture and so forth.

Actually, in the Creative City,all people must take their important role. It is not only artists and those involved in the creative economy that are creative, although they play an important role. Creativity can come from any source including anyone who addresses issues in an inventive way be it a social worker, a business person, a scientist or public servant.

This is example of conceptual model for Creative cities

sources: http://seanbickerton.com

There are five element to be creative a creative city:

1. Individual Artist

2. Non-Profit

3. Community

4. Government

5. Bossiness

Universal Design

Definition of Universal Design

Universal design refers to broad-spectrum ideas meant to produce buildings, products and environments that are inherently accessible to all people including older people, younger people, children, disabilities people and abilities people. The term "universal design" was introduced by the architect, Ronald L. Mace. He describe the concept of designing all products and the built environment to be aesthetic and usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of their age, ability, or status in life. Universal design also the  products and environments to be usable by all 

people, to the greatest extent possible, without adaptation or specialized design.

The Principles of Universal Design

1. EQUITABLE USE 

The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities

Guidelines:

• Provide the same means of use for all users; identical when ever possible; equivalent when not.

• Avoid segregating or stigmatizing any users.

• Make provisions for privacy, security, and safety equally available to all users.

• Make the design appealing to all users

2. FLEXIBILITY IN USE 
The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities

Guidelines:

• Provide choice in methods of use.

• Accommodate right- or left-handed access and use.

• Facilitate the user’s accuracy and precision.

• Provide adaptability to the user’s pace.
• 

3. SIMPLE AND INTUITIVE USE
Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.

Guidelines:

• Eliminate unnecessary complexity.

• Be consistent with user expectations and intuition.

• Accommodate a wide range of literacy and language skills.

• Provide effective prompts and feed-back during and after task completion.

4. PERCEPTIBLE INFORMATION
The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities.

Guidelines:

• Use different modes (pictorial, verbal, tactile) for redundant presentation of essential information.

• Maximize "legibility" of essential information.

• Differentiate elements in ways that can be described (i.e., make it easy to give instructions or directions).

• Provide compatibility with a variety of techniques or devices used by people with sensory limitations.

                                               

5. TOLERANCE FOR ERROR

The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.

Guidelines:

• Arrange elements to minimize hazards and errors: most used elements, most accessible; hazardous elements eliminated, isolated, or shielded.

• Provide warnings of hazards and errors.

• Provide fail safe features.

• Discourage unconscious action in tasks that require vigilance.

                                                 

6. LOW PHYSICAL EFFORT
The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue

Guidelines:

• Allow user to maintain a neutral body position.

• Use reasonable operating forces.

• Minimize repetitive actions.

• Minimize sustained physical effort.

                                                  

7. SIZE AND SPACE FOR APPROACH AND USE
Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user’s body size, posture, or mobility.

Guidelines:

• Provide a clear line of sight to important elements for any seated or standing user.

• Make reach to all components comfortable for any seated or standing user.

• Accommodate variations in hand and grip size.

• Provide adequate space for use of assertive devices or  personal assistance.

        

Source: Universal Design Principles and guidelines (see Center for Universal Design Principles flyer with examples at http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud). 

The Principles of Universal Design are not intended to constitute all criteria for good design, only universally usable design. Other important factors such as aesthetics, cost, safety, gender, and cultural appropriateness must also be considered when designing. 

Summary:All product that have want to design must or should concern about all people such as preparation of ramp for disabilities people. This is because can give easier movement for them. The designer should be concern and smart when design the product to make sure that all products and the built environment be aesthetic and usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of their age, ability, or status in life.

Sustainable production and Consumption

Definition

The use of services and related products, which respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life while minimizing the use of natural resources and toxic materials as well as the emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle of the service or product so as not to jeopardize the needs of further generations" (Oslo symposium, 1994).

Why Sustainable production and Consumption important?

It is because to do “more and better with less,” by reducing resource use, degradation and pollution along the life cycle of goods and services, while increasing the quality of life for all. Besides that, is about promoting resource and energy efficiency and sustainable infrastructure while offering opportunities such as creating new markets and generating green and decent jobs, such as markets for organic food, fair trade, sustainable housing, renewable energy, sustainable transport and tourism.

One of the concept the Sustainable production and consumption is Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a defined species that a given environment can support over the long term. The notion of limits is fundamental to the concept of carrying capacity. However, our limited understanding of complex, non-linear systems leads to uncertainty in calculating carrying capacity in relation to humans. Some argue that the concept is meaningless as free market conditions and technological innovation can extend limits indefinitely.