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Eco-Town Report
Learning from Europe on eco-towns
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Executive Summary
4 Case studies:
The case studies and the key steps
1 Introduction:
Learning from Europe on eco-towns
5 Learning:
Learning from the case studies
2 The Context:
The context eco-cities and eco-towns
6 Skills:
Developing new skills for eco-communities
3 The Challenges:
The objectives for eco-towns
7 Conclusions:
Investment, recommendations
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Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

1.Intro
2.Context
3.Challenges
4.Case studies
5.Learning
6.Skills
7.Conclusions
Executive Summary Learning from Europe on eco-towns

> Executive Summary
The British governments recent Eco-town Programme represents a challenge in the way we develop new housing and new communities in the United Kingdom. The programme seeks to address the principles of sustainable development, build sustainable communities and achieve sustainable living through new urban developments and expansions. It seeks to balance smarter land use, housing construction, access to public transport and local work; with social integration and principles of social inclusion and affordability. State-of-the-art green building, energy and transport technologies and materials are to be used in an urban development context. The task is to ensure zero-carbon housing and that energy efficiencies are achieved through waste reduction, energy conservation technologies and use of more sustainable sources of energy. Eco-towns are to be the communities of the future. The search for a more sustainable way of life is not new but a new momentum of interest is currently spreading across Europe. The Bristol Accord (ODPM, 2005), agreed by the European Union twenty-seven member states in 2005, established the fundamental concepts of sustainable communities and there has been an increasing interest and commitment to a new European strategy, as well as new national programmes. Ecotowns are one example of sustainable communities and in the United Kingdom, the eco-town programme is as important as the garden cities and new towns programmes. An important starting point has to be the need to avoid the same mistakes we made in the rush to build fifty years ago and to learn from the more successful examples in Europe and elsewhere in the world. In the United Kingdom, the criteria for ecotowns, as set in the Eco-towns Prospectus (DCLG, 2007a) are: eco-towns must be new settlements, separate and distinct from existing towns but well linked to them. They are additional to existing plans, with a minimum target of 5,000 homes the development as a whole should reach zero-carbon standards, and each town is to be an exemplar in at least one area of environmental sustainability eco-town proposals should provide for a good range of facilities within the town a secondary school, a medium-scale retail centre, good quality business space and leisure facilities affordable housing should make up between thirty and fifty per cent of the total housing stock through a wide range and distribution of tenures in mixed communities, with a particular emphasis on larger family homes a management body is to be created which will help develop the town, provide support for businesses and people moving to the new community, co-ordinate delivery of services and manage facilities.
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1.Intro 2.Context 3.Challenges 4.Case studies 5.Learning 6.Skills 7.Conclusions

> Executive Summary
This report examines the evidence from the most advanced eco-towns and cities in the European Union and reports on much larger developments in Asia at city level, particularly Chinas ambitions. In Europe, the report examines the challenges which have arisen and the learning and skills issues which need to be understood by eco-town builders by using the four Cs framework of the Cambridge Quality Charter for Growth: Climate Connectivity Community Character Across each of the four Cs, perhaps the most important ingredients relevant to the success of eco-towns are partnership and collaboration. If the new eco-towns can make rapid progress on the four Cs, it will greatly assist the skills challenge ahead. Chapter 4 presents individual case studies and lessons arising from Europe and Asia: Amersfoort, the Netherlands Freiburg, Germany Hammarby Sjstad, Sweden Zaragoza, Spain Dongtan, China European eco-towns have benefited from strong local authorities, deeply committed to the sustainable development agenda over a long period. In Sweden, Germany The report presents the case for a European learning programme and for all the potential sites in England to participate in a learning community which brings together public, private and voluntary sector stakeholders. As part of the new dialogue that needs to take place, the successful sites for new eco-communities will, for example, all need community information centres for eco-living, and the Netherlands, there is over twentyfive years of experience in developing ecoliving strategies, and stronger evidence of achievement in environmental goals and objectives. In Spain and China there is a renewed commitment to eco-town and city experiments. In Chapter 4 we examine in detail case studies that are generally recognised as leading examples of eco-towns or cities, however, many communities and cities around the world are already beginning to follow in the footsteps of these pioneering places. Chapter 5 examines the lessons from the case studies and argues that there are seven steps to successful eco-town developments which need to be addressed in the period ahead: Locating growth Agreeing development frameworks Drawing up master plans Orchestrating infrastructure Selling plots to builders and corporations Building to higher standards Fostering new communities
Amersfoort, the Netherlands. 3

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Freiburg, Germany.
Hammarby Sjstad, Sweden.

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Zaragoza, Spain.
Dongtan, China.
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1.Intro
2.Context
3.Challenges
4.Case studies
5.Learning
6.Skills
7.Conclusions

> Executive Summary
like that of the Glasshouse in Hammarby Sjstad in Sweden. They will need to investigate the economics of green-building, wind and solar energy and new carbonsaving technologies. Chapter 6 begins to address the new skills that are required for building and sustaining eco-towns and communities. The European case studies bring out the main findings from these more advanced eco-towns and highlight that skills are required in leadership, entrepreneurship, building consensus, negotiating, financial management, partnership working, conflict resolution, breakthrough thinking as well as newer green skills for applying the new greenbuilding and environmental technologies. The report concludes in Chapter 7 that a work programme is needed for the next three years which learns more from this earlier European experience, seeks to build UK capacity, and brings together the public and private stakeholders to harness a successful eco-towns programme. Planners and architects must be active co-ordinators and negotiators who can work across many sectors and boundaries particularly land, transport, waste, energy, green-building and construction, and green business development. The report recommends that national, regional and local agencies and organisations work together to develop an Eco-town Learning Capacity Building Programme to build the skills of those professionals tasked with delivering the UK eco-town programme. The European Commission can be asked to join the initiative and accelerate collaboration across Europe. The study of the European case studies has yielded important lessons for the British eco-town programme both in terms of the process and methods followed to conceive, implement and deliver successful eco-town projects. The case studies also provide an indication of the skills required of those professionals engaged in the challenge of delivering these eco-towns. The four Cs framework of analysis has identified a first set of conclusions on engaging with the concept and delivery of eco-towns, and this broadly follows four key themes: building in the right places working with and for the local community implementing proven ways of saving natural resources creating comfortable and appealing places. The kinds of skills that are needed to build a new generation of eco-towns mean that there is no alternative to learning by doing. Together with the technical skills required, a number of generic skills have been broadly identified as being essential in the successful delivery of British eco-towns. These are in the areas of: breakthrough thinking, analysis and decision making; partnership working and conflict resolution; negotiating finance and stakeholder management; green skills and applying new green technologies; and managing change, leadership and community engagement. It should be possible to provide the space needed for people to learn new skills as well as enabling organisations to proceed down the learning curve. In learning to work better together and crossing professional and sectorial boundaries, a number of actions are called for, particularly
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> Executive Summary
in the localities that are seeking to implement eco-towns that go far beyond standard practice. An Eco-towns Learning Capacity Building Programme needs to be developed to: incentivise local authorities and city regions to build learning capacity support leadership development in localities develop key staff and create a common purpose in teams build local project teams and develop teambuilding expertise on a cross-boundary and interdisciplinary basis share experience and encourage collaboration across Europe and globally sharpen financial and green business development skills create awareness of zero-carbon and green technologies. The report recommends that local learning networks should be established to bring stakeholders together and put them in touch with others who are also at the leading edge of innovation. Partnership funding could be sought from partnerships with universities, regional development agencies and key learning institutions to devise and fund a capacity building programme. Key national agencies engaged in the eco-town agenda should: promote more European exchanges develop eco-town city management programmes support looking and learning workshops develop key themes and projects and key interpretation centres build on European and international best practice bring those professionals working within eco-town localities together to share experiences on a national scale. Local authorities engaged in eco-town development also have a role to: promote more European exchanges and apply European and international best practice actively engage with looking and learning workshops by participation develop eco-town city management programmes accelerate investment in the infrastructures for environmentally sound local economies.
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Introduction: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

> 1.1 Introduction > 1.2 Methodology
1.1
Introduction
Eco-cities, eco-towns and eco-communities1 are now a priority for the United Kingdom. On 4 November 2008, Housing Minister Margaret Beckett MP launched the second stage of the eco-town consultation programme with the publication of a number of key documents aimed at making sure that eco-towns are well designed and built to the highest possible environmental standards. The search for a more sustainable way of living and the promotion of the environment and sustainable development has intensified since the publication of the Stern Review (Stern 2006), which stressed that climate change will affect everyone. The dilemma is balancing the different facets of urban development including new housing, transport, energy and social infrastructure with the promotion of social cohesion and citizenship. Sustaining the viability of cities and city centres also has to be achieved whilst giving more weight to environmental factors and the safeguarding of natural resources, including our urban and rural heritage. This means we have to develop new models of urban living if we are to promote more sustainable development. This is increasingly recognised as a key priority, both in the United Kingdom and in Europe. The Bristol Accord (ODPM 2005) and the Sustainable Communities Agenda (DEFRA 2006) focused attention on European ambitions for sustainable communities. The climate change agenda is also promoting renewed interest in the need to build new communities at neighbourhood, town and city levels, which apply the most advanced approaches to sustainable living. In England, eco-towns are to be new small towns of 5,000-20,000 houses that will be built using the best techniques in design,
architecture and planning. This is in order to exploit the potential for creating completely new settlements that achieve zero carbon development and allow for more sustainable living. This process is spawning interest in the concept throughout Europe and is also now being adopted in the United States, the Middle East, China and elsewhere in Asia. One should be aware that the scale of the eco-cities being proposed, in China for example, is far above that of the UK examples. This short report examines places in Europe and the emerging examples in China that are leading the way in applying eco-town principles. It seeks to identify the skills that are required to turn eco-principles into best practice and to transfer good practice from places that are currently in the lead in Europe to the UK. The report deals with the challenges and responses, before identifying how to tackle the skills issues. The recommendations will support HCA Academy to lead and coordinate the activity of others in the sector and set out learning that can influence and shape activity in the UK on eco-towns. The report concludes with some simple recommendations to help support the change makers in a UK context. It argues for much greater European exchange and collaboration to drive the eco-town development process in the UK over the next three years.
1 Terminology has not been clarified for the UK and in Europe a number of terminologies exist. In this report, we consolidate terminologies at three spatial levels: eco-cities refers to developments larger in size than the DCLG definition of 5,000-15,000 homes, and eco-community is a term used in this report to reflect the lower tier in urban geography, namely that of a neighbourhood or a group of neighbourhoods.
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What is an eco-city?
A Green City, or eco-city, is an ecologically healthy city. No such city presently exists. We do, however, see hints of Green Cities emerging in todays solar, wind and recycling technologies, in green buildings and green businesses, in urban environmental restoration projects, urban gardening and organic farming, and in individuals using foot, bicycle and public modes of transportation in preference to the automobile. Car-free urban centres, mixed-use and balanced development projects represent land use and architectural changes moving in the right direction, too. But despite such positive signs and efforts, the much larger trend around the world is toward cars and sprawl. And now we are at a point of crisis in the way we live, which is largely determined by the way we build. This continuing trend is promoting global warming, species extinction, loss of habitat and agricultural land, serious public health problems and even war. The alternate approach calls for urban diversity at close proximity, instead of scattered uniformity. It calls for land uses, architecture and a steadily and rapidly growing infrastructure for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit.
1.2 Methodology
In Europe and globally, we begin to explore the concept of UK eco-towns and eco-town issues in relation to a set of chosen case studies of successful and step change interventions. Our first challenge has been relating existing activity outside the UK to the concept for the UK ecotowns as defined in the Eco-towns Prospectus. Whilst there are many similarities between activity proposed in the UK and existing examples outside the UK, there are also many differences. For instance, the concepts of sustainable communities and social inclusion are stronger in the Zaragoza and Amersfoort contexts than in Hammarby Sjstad. Affordability is important in the Zaragoza example, whilst generating fuel and energy from waste is more advanced in Hammarby. The case studies have thus been chosen in relation to the following criteria: Replicability. The biggest emphasis was given to relating successful European eco-towns to the reality of towns and cities beyond the
proposed fifteen sites. For example: Freiburg corresponds to a typical British middle-sized university town; Hammarby is associated with a capital city flagship development, which has links to
Zaragoza, Spain.
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sports (similar to Londons 2012 Olympiad proposals); Zaragoza, being a typical regional capital, seeks to address issues of cohesion, social integration and most importantly affordability in its housing provision. This relates to UK cities with strong cultural and industrial heritages, such as Glasgow, Manchester or Leeds. Reliability. It was seen as preferable for case studies to have been lived in or tried and tested, as this would provide the best set of lessons for the UK perspective, particularly an improved and more rounded understanding of the skills needed. Pioneering thinking. A balance was sought between well known and more documented examples of success within the latest thinking on eco-town development. Often, more recent case studies presented the challenge of having a less detailed account, as work is still underway, and a good example of this is the Dongtan eco-city in China. Analysis has been based on the conceptual framework of the Cambridge Growth Charters four Cs as this provides a practical model for conveying the variety of issues associated with each individual theme (climate, community, connectivity and character). The narrative aims to draw on debate to date and further open the dialogue that needs to take place in a UK context in order to deliver successful eco-towns.
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1.Intro
2.Context
3.Challenges
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5.Learning
6.Skills
7.Conclusions
The context: Eco-cities and eco-towns

> 2.1 Introduction > 2.2 Contextual differences and simlarities > 2.3 Conclusion
Main Findings
House building rates and environmental standards in Europe have been much higher than in the UK over the last couple of decades. This research draws on case studies that are generally recognised as leading examples and that, for the most part, have already been documented by a range of commentators. Though the national context differs, there are similarities in the approach taken in Europe, and also in China, in the way public, and in particular local authorities, are leading the way. What is unique to the UK is the attempt to create large free-standing settlements, like the earlier New Town programme; hence international experience is relevant.
2.1
Introduction
ERBEDU started with a European overview, having reported on the progress of sustainable communities for the European Parliament (EP 2007), and URBED reviewed experience of regeneration in different European countries through a project funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation ( JRF 2008). Researchers identified the leading edge examples of new communities through study tours and European appraisal. ERBEDU and URBED then selected a number of case study localities that appeared to be at the forefront of efforts to cut energy use, develop zero carbon lifestyles and build eco-communities as urban extensions. In the Netherlands, the study focussed on new settlements around the historic town of Amersfoort in the Randstadt region (equivalent to Greater London and its surrounds), which was one of eighteen localities to respond to the challenge of the Dutch governments Vinex Growth programme.
Hammarby Sjstad, Sweden. 9

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2.1 Introduction > 2.2 Contextual differences and similarities > 2.3
In Germany the urban extensions of Vauban and Rieselfeld in Freiburg in South West Germany have been chosen. Though similar projects can also be found in other German university cities like Tubingen, Freiburg is regarded as a pioneer in solar energy. In Sweden, the case study of the major development in Hammarby Sjstad, Stockholm has been chosen. There are similar projects in Sweden, like the Norra Alvstraden (meaning Northern Riverside) in Gothenberg and Malm. In Spain the report has drawn on Zaragoza, where Ecociudad Valdespartera is being developed as a major eco-city. In 2008-2009, Zaragoza will host the Expo Zaragoza 2008 with a water and sustainable development theme. In China the focus is on recent developments in Dongtan and the agreement with Arup to build the first of five Chinese eco-cities. Other Asian and Middle East examples are developing these ideas, the latest of which is the Masdar City scheme for Abu Dhabi and one in the making for Pune, India. The task here is applied to larger eco-cities rather than the smaller UK eco-towns. Given the scale and population of these world cities, energy and environmental management are becoming the key to achieving sustainable development goals and demand a different scale of new urban planning.
Conclusion
2.2 Contextual differences and similarities

The five countries have very different histories and ways of life, but are similar in the way they are seeking to tackle the building of sustainable communities, even though their institutions and funding regimes differ for example: The Chinese example operates with a high level of state control Germany and Spain are federal states and regional government plays a key role Sweden and the Netherlands both have monarchies and are classified as liberal democracies with high levels of tax In all five of the case studies, the local authorities are playing a strong proactive role in place-making. In the United Kingdom, the more individualistic and adversarial culture is still much more influenced by practice in the USA (the evidence is set out in the literature review in Regeneration in European Cities, JRF 2008). This fails to create the necessary dynamism and integration of the key professions in the built environment and doesnt bring together the wider layer of stakeholders e.g. in energy, waste, transport companies, agencies and community development which are often included from the start in the European case studies. The European cases display a higher degree of collaboration between the public and corporate sectors. The benefits of greater collaboration are that less time is spent in abortive projects, the private sector can invest with greater confidence and less risk, and the different elements in a development can be joined-up with greater synergy. British experts who have made European comparisons, such as Professor Michael Parkinson (Parkinson 2007), have noticed similarities for example, in the respect paid to technical education and to positive
Amersfoort, the Netherlands. 10

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> 2.1 Introduction > 2.2 Contextual differences and similarities > 2.3
Conclusion
planning which helps to explain some European cities economic success. Others have suggested that, elsewhere in Europe, government is not so centralised and regional governments and local authorities have more control over the destinies of the places they administer, as in Germany and Spain. In the European examples, localities also have to deal with less industrial dereliction. Geographic proximity in Northern Europe has been reinforced by fast public transport links and active participation in the European Union and, for instance, eager participation in its energy and environmental programmes. The German and Dutch advances in transport planning and infrastructure are now spreading to other European countries such as Spain. They have not tended to look to the USA for inspiration, as in the UK, even though it is common for their planners to be fluent in English. What is being suggested in this report is that much greater attention needs to be paid to the exchange of best practice in Europe and in the EU27 (the European Unions 27 Member States) something that has been recognised by the HCA Academy and the European Urban Knowledge Network (EUKN) in 2008. The search for European examples also led to the examination of progress in Asia and the USA. China has recently committed itself to the eco-city concept and there is also strong interest in states like California in the USA and in cities such as Seattle. In all of these localities, local and regional authorities are seeking to lead the way in developing new techniques and urban planning concepts to apply to the eco-town approach. All have lessons that need to be shared with ecotown localities in the United Kingdom.
2.3 Conclusion
In the UK, government ministers have announced that all new UK homes will be zero carbon by 2016 (DCLG 2008b). English Partnerships has a flagship zerocarbon homes programme underway, and plans for new eco-towns will be tested through the new regional spatial strategies which regional development agencies (RDAs) have to bring forward from 2009, alongside local development frameworks from local authorities. These experiences could help in reducing risks and speeding up implementation. Significantly, the governments strategy is to create free-standing new towns of at least 5,000 homes, which makes it difficult to find precedents. The aims are very ambitious and the faltering progress of some of the Millennium Villages programme (DCLG 1999) suggests an urgent need to face up to the obstacles and not be overconfident about what planning can deliver on its own. Here, the eco-towns programmes will need to examine the experience from Europe and internationally, and build missing skills in the UK. This report provides a contribution to that process.
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3 The challenges for eco-towns

> 3.1 Building capacity > 3.2 Climate > 3.3 Connectivity > 3.4 Community > 3.5 Character > 3.6 Conclusion
1.Intro
2.Context
3.Challenges
4.Case studies
5.Learning
6.Skills
7.Conclusions
Main Findings
The complex objectives make it important to have a simple, comprehensive framework which needs to cover both the process looking separately at vision, strategy, finance and management and also the product in terms of the four Cs (connectivity, climate, community and character), into which the governments objectives conveniently fit. The issues involved in climate-proofing require changing consumer behaviour, as well as the use of environmental technologies such as Combined Heat and Power (CHP) to save energy and Sustainable Urban Drainage (SUDs) to save water, plus separation and recycling of waste and strong public transport planning. Connectivity requires good links with jobs and services, as well as cycling and walking being given primacy at the local level. Community involves providing social capital early in the process to enable mixed communities to develop and succeed, particularly where higher densities are involved. The social enterprise and third sector role and participation need to grow. Character involves creating distinctive neighbourhoods that look like somewhere, rather than anywhere, and which contribute to a strong local identity.
3.1 Building capacity

Eco-towns are to pilot new thinking and advanced technologies that will eventually become standard if we are to build new communities which will stand the test of time and climate change. The Callcutt Review on Housing Delivery (Callcutt, 2007) refers to Britain leapfrogging the rest of Europe and this idea is already generating considerable controversy, as inevitably it involves building on some greenfield sites and locations where there is little infrastructure. The minister for local government has called for Lifetime Neighbourhoods and there is a new stress on changing resistant behaviour in both the United Kingdom and Europe (see Caroline Flints speech at Ecobuild 2008 conference London 27th Feb 2008)F. Case studies of leading edge mixed communities for English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation show that even the best
examples still suffer from operating problems (URBED, 2008). The rate of building in the UK has been much slower than on the European continent and has been too slow to make any impact on affordability. Visitors to European success stories have been impressed by the way that investment in physical and social infrastructures has preceded, not followed, the new housing.
As well as the designated eco-towns, many other communities and cities will be seeking to future-proof developments and working to create communities that are truly sustainable. In doing so, many will be confused over where to turn for inspiration and how to make sense of a barrage of competing concepts, from One Planet Living and environmental footprints to carbon budgets and water cycles (Rudlin, 1999). In particular, politicians, planners and developers need to know how to overcome the scepticism that greets the suggestion
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> 3.1 Building capacity > 3.2 Climate > 3.3 Connectivity > 3.4 Community
> 3.5 Character > 3.6 Conclusion
that during the 21st century behaviour and lifestyles have to change. There are plenty of books and articles about the need for a step change, but limited practical advice on how to turn visions into reality.
The prospectus published by the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), and the subsequent worksheets begin to go some way in elaborating on these concepts. The prospectus discusses the need to understand the lessons and assess their transferability
Climate
Energy (e.g. Combined Heat and Power; solar & wind power; efficient systems) Water (minimisation of use; recycling; re-using) Environment (consideration of effects of climate change: prevention and adaptation e.g. drainage and flooding) Planning for a low-carbon footprint Low-environmental
Character
Place-making New design and high design standards Attractiveness and desirability Investment Locally-based facilities
UK ECO-TOWNS and the FOUR Cs
Connectivity
Employment opportunities Access to jobs Technology as the driver for rethinking access and lifestyles related to employment Transport Effective public transport and links (including adequate subsidised services) Changing attitudes e.g. minimising use of the car through encouraging carsharing and use of bicycles Services Good access to services Quality of service provision
Community
Social mix (30%-50% affordable housing; professionals and highly skilled) Embedding sustainable community principles Governance (local democracy; citizen empowerment, participation and accountability) Delivery organisation ( joined-up management across business and community interests, social enterprise and third sector capability) Figure 1: The concept of the Four Cs and UK eco-towns
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from examples in the UK and overseas. The initial worksheets highlight the need to learn from Europe in particular, with a headline in Planning magazine Eco-towns to shift transport paradigm, for example, with regard to giving pedestrians and cyclists priority (Planning, 2008). Further to this, HCA Academy and the TCPA ran eight regional seminars to generate awareness
and understanding of the governments eco-towns initiative and the skills required to deliver it. The seminars have begun to generate the debate needed in the UK and this report has drawn learning from some of these key seminars. Because there are dozens of factors to consider in assessing proposals, there is a need for a simple framework for organising information and learning. Having considered the main themes set out in the governments eco-towns prospectus and the importance of giving equal weight to social, economic and environmental considerations, we have used a framework for analysing case studies that has already proven its worth in Cambridgeshire, where one of the potential demonstration projects, Northstowe, is located. The framework considers both the process and the product. The process is broken down into four main steps, which emerged from research into the renaissance of twenty-four towns and cities in the UK (DCLG, 2002). These are vision (and
UK Eco-towns and the Four Cs

In England, eco-towns are to be new small towns of 5,000-20,000 houses that will be built using the best techniques in design, architecture and planning. This is in order to exploit the potential for creating completely new settlements that achieve zero carbon development and allow for more sustainable living. The key features to achieve are: i. places with a separate and distinct identity but good links to surrounding towns and cities in terms of jobs, transport and services CONNECTIVITY / CHARACTER ii. the development as a whole to be carbon-neutral and to be an exemplar in at least one area of environment technology CLIMATE iii. a good range of facilities within the town including a secondary school, shops, business space and leisure facilities COMMUNITY / CHARACTER iv. between 30-50 % affordable housing with a good mix of tenure and size of homes in mixed communities COMMUNITY v. a delivery organisation to manage the town and its development as well as providing support for people, businesses and community services COMMUNITY
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> 3.1 Building capacity > 3.2 Climate

> 3.3 Connectivity > 3.4 Community
the closely related topic of community engagement), strategy, finance, and the management needed to maintain the momentum which together enable the public, private and voluntary sectors to work in collaboration. Case studies in Chapter 4 highlight exemplary achievements of the successful application of these main steps in instances deemed to exceed the UK norm. The product or outcomes need to be considered in their context (both geographical, historical, and including the size and prosperity of the location). It can also be analysed in terms of what we refer to as the four Cs (connectivity, climate, community and character), as used in the Cambridge Growth Charter (which in turn draws on inspiration from the Charter for New Urbanism in the USA and the New Zealand Design Protocol). These terms tie in with the themes in the Eco-towns Prospectus, but form convenient shorthand. Figure 1 illustrates some of these connections, with examples across each of the four Cs. Eco-towns will develop the following outcomes: environmental technologies high design standards travel plans promoting public transport community empowerment and community assets economic strategies based on local work healthy and sustainable environments green infrastructures.
built to current regulations, space heating accounts for only 3% of carbon emissions, compared with 13% for waste and 18% for personal transport. Food produced far away is one of the worst offenders. As Pooran Desai, Sustainability Director for developer Bioregional Quintain Ltd, has commented:
We cannot think simply of building new eco-homes. It wont in itself save much carbon. Instead we must build places where is it easy to lead an eco-friendly lifestyle; places where it is easy to walk and cycle; places that are far less cardependent, where it is easy to recycle and where we have ready access to local, seasonal organic produce. (Desai, 2007).
While there have been considerable technological advances in building green homes, attempts to apply them in the UK on any scale have not yet materialised through financial and technical difficulties: for example, the introduction of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants have experienced some technical problems and have failed in certain areas because the process was deemed uneconomic. In Germany, for comparison, greater success appears to have been achieved where the Feed-in Tariff provides incentives for local generation; solar power produces twenty times the energy; and, by 2020, it is planned that each unit of GDP will require half the energy consumed in 1990. Similarly, Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) have been implemented attractively in a number of schemes in the UK, but in some instances builders have failed to get the levels right resulting in ongoing problems with litter cluttering up drainage ditches. Considerable efforts have been made to promote the use of local energy generation but there have been reported disagreements over whether their introduction will deter house-builders from paying the land values needed to make
3.2 Climate
The basic concept of an eco-town involves changing consumer behaviour (as mentioned in statements by Henry Cleary, Head of the Growth Areas Division, DCLG and Caroline Flint MP). It requires reductions in the consumption of energy, water and materials from non-renewable sources. In a home
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development viable. Attempts to pioneer new ways of living in the UK have produced surprisingly few true eco-homes to date. Common problems to be overcome include: making new technology financially viable and attractive to home buyers persuading house-builders and developers to invest in Modern Methods of Construction securing support from the utility companies for co-generation and green energy schemes achieving critical mass. The eco-town programme will need to study the UK experience in light of European achievements and experiences in this area. HCA AcademyS demystifying climate change tool is a good step forward in this area
jobs and services. We have seen some of the difficulties for cities like Leeds in obtaining national support for light rail transport investments and the need for much greater investment in light rail projects, for example. Problems to be overcome include: securing good public transport in advance of residents moving in securing finance for public transport and encouraging public transport authorities and private companies to work with the local authorities at city-region level dealing with parking and encouraging use of public transport encouraging walking and cycling for shorter trips setting targets for modal changes access to local jobs securing coordination with retail and leisure investors plus employers who need to develop transport plans.
3.3 Connectivity
Having well-built homes would still not achieve the aims of eco-towns if residents used their cars as much as they currently do in the UK. As high-quality public transport systems are expensive to install and operate, much depends on situating new communities in locations that already have a good basic infrastructure and that are close to sources of
3.4 Community
There is growing agreement that social infrastructure and social capital are as important as physical infrastructure in enabling mixed communities to develop and succeed. This is particularly important where there are relatively high densities that depend on sharing communal space. The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) and the Development Trust Association (DTA) have produced clear guides to the social infrastructure that is required, but there are major problems in securing the necessary agreements in advance of a community moving in. If service charges and management arrangements are not resolved at the time when development agreements are drawn up the quality of life will suffer, with conflicts arising between owneroccupiers and those in rented accommodation (URBED 2007 a/b). Also, subsequent residents may object to what is being done if the basic principles of the master plan are not clearly communicated.
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5.Learning
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7.Conclusions
> 3.5 Character > 3.6 Conclusion obtain sites because house-builders make most of their profits (and share value) from getting planning permission for their land banks. Housing Associations often innovate, but cannot do so if they depend on buying homes from private house-builders. The Callcutt Review (Callcutt 2007) recommended that small builders should get more sites to break the effective monopoly of the volume house-builders that is resulting in the same number of similarly designed homes being built each year. Common problems identified by CABE and others include: places that look like anywhere, with too little sense of place a public realm that looks stark and is dominated by hard surfaces for cars layouts determined by Highways Engineers: for example, roads wide enough for municipal vehicles to pass, which appear to be lacking in design integration and inspiration.
Common problems include: providing basic shops and services on time delivering services for children and young people avoiding and dealing with anti-social behaviour providing well looked-after public spaces bringing communities together and tackling social cohesion.
3.5 Character
The area that has received most attention, in part due to the efforts of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), is the design or appearance of new communities. Eco-towns are intended to have recognisable identities for their different neighbourhoods. Complaints have been made about the standard products that the volume house-builders mostly build. The greatest criticisms in the audits carried out for CABE have been made of suburban developments carried out by a consortium of house-builders. In the UK, unlike the rest of Europe, small builders find it very hard to
Amersfoort, the Netherlands.
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1.Intro
2.Context
3.Challenges
4.Case studies
5.Learning
6.Skills
7.Conclusions
3.6 Conclusion
To build a new generation of eco-towns requires new ways of thinking. Eco-towns require a high degree of partnership and collaboration between public, private and built-environment professionals, energy, waste and transport companies, and local residents. In the UK we need to think through what is required by the professions and the new teams which will bring together the public, private and third sectors to work on a holistic approach to the eco-towns programme. The number of stakeholders is vast. Time and effort has to be spent in team building, public participation and citizens involvement. Too often we fail to develop the necessary working arrangements and opposition to new developments in the UK show that even the most well-intentioned plans can easily run into the ground. If eco-towns are to succeed, dedicated leadership is needed, bringing the relevant localities and stakeholders together to focus on the product, the outcomes and issues. Private and public sector agencies will need to look at the effort required to achieve a more integrated common purpose. Individual local authorities will need to assess their resources and assemble multi-disciplinary teams to generate the new thinking that is required. Freiburg, Germany.
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4 The case studies and the key steps

> 4.1 Introduction
1.Intro
2.Context
3.Challenges
4.Case studies
5.Learning
6.Skills
7.Conclusions
Main Findings
In Amersfoort, the Dutch have used a ten-year housing programme to develop ninety new settlements and a million new homes. The programme shows how collaboration can be made to work with targets being set to exceed national standards for reducing emissions and energy consumption. Freiburg in Germany has led the way in applying renewable sources of energy and in achieving a modal shift towards cycling and public transport. Housing is designed to minimise energy consumption and a significant amount of housing is either passive or even plus energy efficient. The national Feed-in Tariff scheme has also been instrumental in allowing small producers and investors in renewable sources to flourish locally. Hammarby Sjostad in Sweden is a prime example of local authority led sustainable development. Innovative methods of water treatment and waste disposal have made Hammarby an international example of best practice in sustainable communities. Zaragoza is an important eco-city demonstration project for the whole of Spain and focuses in particular on sustainable energy management systems and social housing. Dongtan in China is the first of the Chinese eco-cities. It is developing a master plan for a new city of 500,000 people in Greater Shanghai. Lessons here so far relate to scale and measure of ambition to develop sustainable housing.
4.1 Introduction
There is potentially a lot to learn from Europe. European countries, particularly Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany, have been putting the principles of sustainable communities into practice for many decades. More recently, Spain has made a major commitment to sustainable development principles. Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands have prioritised promoting alternatives to the car, such as improved public transport and the bicycle, for decades. The Netherlands, in particular, has consistently built new homes at several times the United Kingdom (UK) rate. Continental homes are also much larger and better insulated than buildings in the UK. In European cities there appears to be greater equality and fewer inter-city, regional and sub-regional disparities than are associated
with the UK (see Dorling 2007), combined with a greater commitment to sustainable development principles.
Amersfoort, the Netherlands.
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5 Learning from the case studies

Main Findings
The selected case studies have made the economics of development work by building urban extensions in places that offer a better quality of life than existing cities, and applying proven technology on a large scale. The economics have been helped by funding infrastructure out of the uplift in land values, and by keeping the proportion of social housing to below a third, with the exception of Zaragoza. The seven key steps to successful eco-towns are locating growth in the right places, agreeing development frameworks, drawing up master plans, orchestrating infrastructure, selling plots to small builders, building to higher standards and fostering communities.
1.Intro
2.Context
3.Challenges
4.Case studies
5.Learning
6.Skills
7.Conclusions
> 5.1 Contextualising lessons for British eco-towns > 5.2 A basis for economic achievement in successful European eco-towns > 5.3.1 Locating growth in the right places > 5.3.2 Agreeing development frameworks > 5.3.3 Drawing up master plans > 5.3 Processes > 5.3.4 Orchestrating infrastructure > 5.3.5 Selling plots to small builders and cooperatives > 5.3.6 Building to higher standards > 5.3.7 Fostering communities > 5.4 Conclusion in cities. Its imperative to look to Europe, where for well over a decade the more advanced eco-principles have been applied in a number of new settlements. Though the countries examined in this report are all very different, what marks them out from the Asian experiments, such as the plans for Dongtan, China, is a stress on: building urban extensions rather than free-standing towns far away from major urban centres applying proven technologies rather than going solely for new technological fixes building neighbourhoods that offer a better quality of life than existing towns and cities striving to improve on existing national standards in design, transport, energy conservation and generation, and in doing so achieving higher sustainability and environmental targets. In the UK, a key issue for implementation will be overcoming the sceptics, who doubt whether there is the ability and demand to support the extra investment needed. The latest estimates from URBED are that the requirement to eco-proof homes will add another 30,000 to the cost of a home, on top of the 30,000 required to crosssubsidise social housing, while the Community Infrastructure Levy may take a further 10,000. Thus even if the cost of new homes could be reduced to 60,000 (as for example with the Taylor Wimpey prefabricated homes at Oxley Wood, Milton Keynes), it is not surprising if they end up selling for over 200,000, which hardly makes them affordable in most peoples terms.
5.1 Contextualising lessons for British eco-towns.

The UK Governments proposals for eco-towns will make it clear that the development is about far more than simply building new kinds of housing its about changing behaviour and lifestyles. The eco-towns will demonstrate how to cut back on the consumption of renewable resources so that we can live within the planets means and find more sustainable ways to harness our economic growth. To date, the British experience has been on too small a scale to make a difference. There is still much concern about the scale and location of the English eco-towns, and also about how to cut back car usage and reduce the consumption of energy and water
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> 5.1 Contextualising lessons for British eco-towns > 5.2 A basis for economic achievement in successful European eco-towns > 5.3 Processes > 5.3.1 Locating growth in the right places > 5.3.2 Agreeing development frameworks > 5.3.3 Drawing up master plans > 5.3.4 Orchestrating infrastructure > 5.3.5 Selling plots to small builders and cooperatives > 5.3.6 Building to higher standards > 5.3.7 Fostering communities > 5.4 Conclusion
The key question, therefore, will be how to resolve the economic and social housing issues involved in building eco-towns, which includes: affording a higher quality of infrastructure to get people out of their cars super-insulating new homes and generating energy closer to home to cut losses speeding up the rate of construction (and sales) to improve the cash flow and reduce the risks, which implies building eco-towns in growth areas and inside some of our existing cities. in infrastructure through long-term contracts with utilities, such as energy and water companies They involve a major commitment from entrepreneurial local authorities to eco-town principles Local universities and companies work alongside the authority to assist the process. In order to catch up with the rest of Europe and be prepared to deal with climate change, we need to seek ways of applying these lowest common denominator principles and joining up the work of public agencies and the private sector to promote eco-town development.
5.2 A basis for economic achievement in successful European eco-towns.

The European case studies here, of Freiburg, Amersfoort, Zaragoza, and Hammarby Sjstad share eight common features which help explain their success: They are located in growing and prosperous parts of the country, where there is an assured demand for new homes and a choice of good jobs They are close to existing settlements and hence offer easy access to jobs and services from the start They are built on land owned by a public agency, which also commissions the master plan and installs the basic infrastructure to enable plots to be sold to small builders and cooperative groups They include a significant proportion of social housing (25-30%) but this does not dominate (except in the Spanish case) They fund the infrastructure out of the land value uplift (which in some cases, such as Freiburg and Hammarby, required decontamination first) They secure a higher level of investment
5.3 Processes
From the study of the European context and case studies, and in particular from the in-depth analysis of the five case studies presented in Chapter 4, seven key factors for success can be teased out which form a sequenced process of series of steps. The seven steps to successful eco-towns are: 1. locating growth in the right places 2. agreeing development frameworks 3. drawing up master plans 4. orchestrating infrastructure 5. selling plots to small builders 6. building to higher standards 7. fostering communities.
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5.3.1 Locating growth in the right places

The essential first step is deciding where housing growth should be concentrated. A critical mass is needed to support new infrastructure. This needs to be close enough to a range of jobs and services if residents are not to spend too much time travelling (with its impact on congestion and pollution). This is basically achieved by different levels of government working together: In the Netherlands, the ten-year housing programmes set broad targets. VINEX sought 455,000 new homes, of which nearly two-thirds were to be in the Randstad (equivalent to the area within the M25). The main guidelines were that development should be close to settlements of more than 100,000 population, relatively compact (over 35 to the hectare), and with good transport systems. In Sweden, the government adopted a programme for A Million Homes, which led to many peripheral high-rise suburbs, but they were connected by high-quality public transport links, such as trams, and inhabited by socially diverse residents In the United Kingdom, new Regional Spatial Strategies will be critical in teasing out the growth areas.
or covenants in which the exact numbers of homes and conditions for receiving government money were detailed. By 1995 eighteen contracts had been agreed with ninety new settlements In Freiburg, six months of intensive consultations with local groups were used to draw up the competition briefs for the sites, first for Vauban, which involved the Vauban Forum, a local pressure group, and then Rieselfeld.
5.3.3 Drawing up master plans

The municipality leads the process in Europe, with what in Sweden is called active collaboration, and many teams of architects and planners compete. The master plan sets out the layout of the streets and where different facilities are to be located, such as parks or schools. The German system requires that the job be given to one of the three firms that are short-listed. When it is approved by the local authority as the BauPlan it sets out all the basic principles or codes. In the case of Vauban, these were produced on one large sheet of paper. As a consequence there was relative clarity over what was to be built and where, with less room for conflicts: The master plan for Hammarby Sjstad involved some twenty different firms of architects, but the basic vision was decided by the City Council and its planners The master plan for Vathorst involved neighbourhoods with distinct images within an overall theme of a world of difference, and with 75-80 homes being designed by a single architect to secure variety In Ecociudad Valdespartera, the urban development plan encompassed the application of eco-climatic criteria from the outset, fostering solar energy.
5.3.2 Agreeing development frameworks

Before plans are drawn up, broad principles need to be agreed; for example, the numbers of houses and infrastructure, as well underlying design principles. In the Netherlands, the government formed panels of local and regional politicians and officers for each area where VINEX suburbs were to be built. They spent the first half of the 1990s drawing up contracts
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5.3.4 Orchestrating infrastructure

In all the case studies the local authority played the leading role in assembling the site and then putting in the roads. One of the main architects of Hammarby Sjstad said there was no problem in getting the utilities to invest, as they saw major projects as valuable investments. Furthermore, in Sweden there is a legal requirement to install district heating systems, which ensures local energy generation In the Netherlands, local authorities pool the sites, install the basic infrastructure and then sell off plots. In the new town of Zoetermeer, near The Hague, the municipality charged developers an average of around 20% of the sales value, rising to 28% on more expensive homes. Finance for infrastructure is borrowed at low rates of interest from a bank established by the public sector In Zaragoza, the regional council, local authority and two savings banks collaborated in raising the finance with central government support.
In Vauban and Rieselfeld most of the homes are built by small builders, often working for small cooperative groups who acquire sites from the city. The price is based on the amount of space to be put on the site and so bids are evaluated in terms of quality and whether they meet the requirements for a balanced community.
5.3.6 Building to higher standards

In Europe, building regulations appear to be more demanding generally, but in all of the case studies local authorities drive up higher standards: In Freiburg, the idea of being a solar city was promoted with agreements with different agencies to secure the installation of solar panels and photovoltaic roofs In Amersfoort, the area is future-proofed through being able to add additional storeys above the flat roofs. Over 5,000 homes have been built, with an expert on materials overseeing and monitoring the material uses and setting environmental goals. Energy performance far exceeded required standards and there is over 1.6MW of solar capacity. In Zaragoza, the university has been advising the construction companies on their energy initiatives and have promoted the idea of Bio-climatic architecture. The idea of energy-efficient cities is being supported in Britain by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and much more can be done to develop technologies for low-energy buildings using sensors and smart computer-based systems to optimise energy use, along with technologies to exploit the energy available from ground-source heat pumps to photovoltaics roofs as in Zaragoza.
5.3.5 Selling plots to small builders and cooperatives

Once the basic infrastructure and landscape is installed, it is much easier to sell plots to house-builders. One of the reasons for the much faster build rate in Europe is that it is much more competitive. Volume house-builders exercise less control, as municipalities play the lead role in making land available for housing. Another factor is that cooperatives and rented housing are much more important than owner-occupations. The development of Hammarby Sjstad has sold ten times the number of homes each year than Greenwich Millennium Village, for example, with sales levels of 500-900 and averaging around 700
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5.3.7 Fostering communities

A great deal of effort is put into developing communities where different groups can get on with each other. Schools function as community hubs, providing local people with a meeting place that is not separated by fences. Lifestyles are more collective, including greater use of communal space. In Freiburg, the soft infrastructure is seen as important as the hard infrastructure and shops and services were provided from the start, for example by moving a secondary school and redeveloping its site. Funds are made available to landscape communal spaces between buildings and residents commission this work and take responsibility for its upkeep In the Netherlands, there are systems for agreeing the rules or social etiquette in neighbourhoods and residents are provided with information packs that explain responsibilities. Large models in local project offices make clear what is planned and civic wardens are employed, which is one way of providing local work. The arrangements for recycling with underground storage also act as places to meet neighbours.
5.4 Conclusion
Overall, there is a commitment from the local authorities, combined with support from regional and central government, and a commitment to developing a broad-based interdisciplinary approach to eco-towns. This inter-disciplinary approach is extended to provide the technical education in renewable energy technologies, and establish the green demonstration projects where consumers, businesses, politicians, students and residents can learn about eco-principles and issues. A key feature in all the European case studies is the bringing together of the key stakeholders to create a learning community, the creation of an interpretation facility in the early stages of the project, and the commitment to developing schemes for local work.
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Collaboration is needed between experts in:

planning: constructing an eco-town culture architecture and design climate change energy and buildings efficiency green building techniques waste management technologies water management technologies transportation technologies project development finance and investment policy and legislation green business development community development third sector and social enterprise development healthy living and healthy lifestyles economic development and local work environmental management technologies wind power technologies social and cultural leadership
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Developing new skills for eco-communities

> 6.1 > 6.3 > 6.4 > 6.5 > 6.6 Introduction > 6.2 Breakthrough thinking, analysis and decision making Partnership working and conflict resolution Negotiating finance and stakeholder management Managing change: leadership and community engagement Green Skills: applying new green technologies
Main Findings
Skills are required in visioning and seeing the potential of different sites, which could be developed through study tours and case studies. Partnership working can be helped by employing planner-architects as active coordinators and using architecture centres to help build consensus and interest in new forms of living. Partnerships will also require new skills in handling finance and understanding development economics. Leadership requires skills in community engagement, possibly through the use of social contracts to ensure existing residents derive some benefits from new communities. Applying green technologies is going to require everyone to have an understanding of the basic concepts involved, such as One Planet Living and Environmental Footprints.
6.1 Introduction
The problems inherent in creating new communities are hard to resolve when the task is to innovate on a number of fronts simultaneously, as is required for eco-towns. While working on green-field sites may sound easier, in practice it adds to the problems involved in financing social and physical infrastructure in advance of the community building up. There can be disenchantment and grief as the new life fails to live up to the promises found in the sales literature. European case studies and visits by successive groups have brought out a number of features that seem to be shared by the best case studies and that may account for their success. They include the skills of leadership, of being able to seize opportunities, to build consensus, to negotiate deals and generally to manage change in a positive dynamic direction. Zaragoza is a good example of a city that has seized the opportunity, with its ambitious plan for water and sustainable development. Amersfoort, Freiburg and Hammarby Sjostad all offer inspiration to a new generation of English eco-towns.
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Introduction > 6.2 Breakthrough thinking, analysis and decision making Partnership working and conflict resolution Negotiating finance and stakeholder management Managing change: leadership and community engagement Green Skills: applying new green technologies
6.2 Breakthrough thinking, analysis and decision making

Surveyors always talk about location, location, location because it is so hard to change and so invaluable to success. Yet many successful projects look quite daunting at the start. Rieselfeld, in Freiburg, for example, was a sewage works next to an industrial estate and poor housing area. Vathorst in Amersfoort was the other side of the motorway and cut-off from amenities. It is therefore essential to be able to: The master plan for Hammarby Sjstad involved some twenty different firms of architects, but the basic vision was decided by the City Council and its planners The master plan for Vathorst involved neighbourhoods with distinct images within an overall theme of a world of difference, and with 75-80 homes being designed by a single architect to secure variety In Ecociudad Valdespartera, the urban development plan encompassed the application of eco-climatic criteria from the outset, fostering solar energy.
often trust is placed in technically qualified officers. Furthermore, as Lord Richard Best has pointed out on public participation, much more effort is put into building consensus in Dutch settlements (URBED, 2005). There are some thirty-eight Architecture Centres that help raise the quality of debate and organisations that specialise in mediation. Indeed districts in cities like Amsterdam have bylaws on participation that require the form of participation to be clearly specified (information, consultation, or co-production). Great efforts are made to engage people in how places should be branded or what identity should be adopted by areas in a state of change. In creating eco-towns local councillors and officers, as well as private developers and companies, will need the skills to: understand and listen to peoples concerns communicate and sell new ideas identify relevant benefits (rather than simply features) organise effective forms of action planning create realistic but inspirational images or brands bring the new technologies to life in easily-understood ways.
6.3 Partnership working and conflict resolution

Everyone complains about the time and expense involved in developing schemes in the UK and the tortuous and difficult process of securing planning permission. The problems are partly due to a litigious society and the lack of trust placed in local authorities. But this is made worse by the way we go about developing strategic plans. In Europe, the process is plan-led and the local authorities appear to play a much more proactive role. In Sweden, local authorities like Stockholm employ planner architects who are active coordinators. While in some places there are elected mayors, as in Zaragoza, more
6.4 Negotiating finance and stakeholder management

As no scheme can proceed without major investment in infrastructure, much of which remains the responsibility of different public authorities, major issues arise in deciding who will do what and how the costs should be shared. While it tends to be the planning system that gets the blame for delays, many of the problems relate to uncertainties over budgets; as, for example, when major roads are to be upgraded and light tram systems built or whether there is a sufficient energy or water supply infrastructure. These inherently complex issues involve bargaining. The negotiations are made harder when the aim
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> 6.1 > 6.3 > 6.4 > 6.5 > 6.6
is to cut consumption of resources through innovative technologies that are unfamiliar or unproven, as this increases risk (and hence cost). Senior planners must understand the economics of development, as well as the qualities that lead to good urban design. Local authorities may employ private project management organisations to help in developing financial projections, as in Freiburg, or set up development companies, as is often the case in the Netherlands. The basic skills include the ability to: understand the economics of a development scheme and the impact of delays recognise what constitutes investment and how it can be funded most efficiently with minimised risks trade off between different objectives; for example, environmental impact and affordability introduce innovative funding mechanisms that are fair for all negotiate with central, regional and local levels of public administration bring the public, private and voluntary sectors together. In eco-towns, there is a particular need to make sure that local authorities, transport authorities and energy and water companies work together; for example, on how the Communities Infrastructure Levy is to be shared.
will invest sweat equity in the process first; as new towns like Letchworth did in the past. Eco-towns will also attract a host of critics and often the strongest criticisms will come from the deep greens who are opposed to compromise, or from pressure groups opposed to new housing. Examples are the rejection of Combined Heat and Power or rapid transit systems. Community development needs to break down the barriers between existing and new communities and ensure that everyone benefits; it needs to turn potential opposition into a positive force for change. The Dutch approach to participation in planning is particularly relevant. It may not in fact be any faster, but it does lead to the production of social contracts or covenants that try to secure mutual benefit from development. There is also greater use of neighbourhood management, with close collaboration between, for example, social services, education and planning. Appropriate skills include the ability to: create partnerships and multi-disciplinary teams motivate all concerned to work in new ways communicate progress all the time (even when little is visible) secure recognition for interim achievements anticipate and avoid slippages.
6.5 Managing change: leadership and community engagement

The real success of a sustainable community lies in attracting and retaining a balance of people, which calls for advanced skills in community development and the management of public spaces. An ecotown should attract some pioneers who Amersfoort, the Netherlands. 28
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> 6.1 > 6.3 > 6.4 > 6.5 > 6.6
6.6 Green Skills: applying new green technologies

The rapid advances that are taking place in energy, transport and building technologies need to be understood. There is also much talk of new forms of transport, including electric hybrid vehicles, and evidence from the media of a growing interest in green lifestyles. The problem for planners and developers is setting realistic, but stretching, briefs, which requires building relationships
with educational and business partners as well as innovative companies. create partnerships and multi-disciplinary teams motivate all concerned to work in new ways communicate progress all the time (even when little is visible) secure recognition for interim achievements anticipate and avoid slippages.
Key skills are going to include the abilty to:

Understand and apply concepts such as One Planet Living and Environmental Footprints assess what is going to be economically feasible in different situations negotiate with utilities on new forms of greener technologies and charging systems be aware and up to date with the latest environmental technologies work with and across the public, private and third sectors develop quantifiable models and targets so that trade-offs can be assessed, including land use and transportation, water models, behavioural studies, sustainability assessments and policy design.
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7 Conclusions:
7.1 Conclusions
1.Intro
2.Context
3.Challenges
4.Case studies
5.Learning
6.Skills
7.Conclusions
> 7.1 Conclusions > 7.2 Our recommendations > 7.3 Investing in eco-town processes together on site Setting up accountable local delivery vehicles that can build consensus, pool expertise, achieve continuity and join up services and infrastructure Developing strong master plans and design criteria which are adaptable over time but which are resistant to dumbing down. Eco-towns demand new sustainable development and skills, but they also offer a higher potential for job creation in the environmental industries. Evidence and analysis from the European case studies examined in this report clearly identified eight common features which help explain their success (these are drawn from our four Cs framework of analysis and are presented here in that respect): 1. They are located in growing and prosperous parts of the country, where there is an assured demand for new homes and a choice of good jobs. - Connectivity 2. They are close to existing settlements, and hence offer easy access to jobs and services from the start. - Connectivity 3. They are built on land owned by a public agency that also commissions the master plan and installs the basic infrastructure that enables plots to be sold to small builders and cooperative groups. Community 4. They include a significant proportion of social housing (25-30%), but this does not dominate (except in the Spanish case). Community 5. They fund the infrastructure out of the land value uplift. - Character 6. They secure a higher level of investment in infrastructure through long-term contracts with utilities, such as energy and water. Climate
The five eco-cities here are all good examples of advanced and best practice in Europe and internationally. The wave of eco-town competition in England has increased interest in how we can advance the concept in the UK. At the same time, there is increased international interest in Asia, the USA and also now in the Middle East on how we make eco-cities happen. The real work in the UK on eco-towns is just beginning and it is essential that those processionals working in these areas... It is in this context that policy makers and their private sector partners need to engage with the key factors that were essential to the success of the European eco-towns examined in this report. The key factors are: locating growth in the right places agreeing development frameworks drawing up master plans orchestrating infrastructure selling plots to small builders building to higher standards fostering communities. A work programme is needed for the next three years, one that will build capacity and bring together all the stakeholders to harness capacity in each of the chosen localities. Partnership is essential in making the most of scarce resources, as demonstrated by the European case studies. In particular, focus is needed on: Maximising the use of scarce resources by developing collaborative ways of working between neighbouring authorities Building expert, multi-disciplinary teams within local authorities and between public and private sectors that work
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1.Intro 2.Context 3.Challenges 4.Case studies 5.Learning 6.Skills
7.Conclusions
> 7.1 Conclusions > 7.2 Our recommendations > 7.3 Investing in eco-town processes
7. They involve a major commitment from entrepreneurial local authorities to ecotown principles. - Community 8. Local universities and companies work alongside the authority to assist the process. - Community In order to emulate the success observed in the rest of Europe and face the joint challenges of energy and climate change, it is important that we apply the lessons learnt from the European examples, and other successful eco-town applications, and invest in the necessary skills in our public agencies and the private sector. To harness the capacity building programme in England, greater discussion is required between the leading construction and built environment companies, the energy and water companies, the transport authorities and the universities and colleges. There is too much scepticism at the moment and insufficient commitment to change. Building successful eco-towns requires a fifteen- to twenty-year commitment and significant financial resources need to be placed in the
programme, as with the DCLG New Deal for Communities programme. An eco-towns learning capacity building programme needs to be recognised as an urgent priority. The programme should develop skills amongst those professionals that are necessary for the successful development of eco-towns. Broadly, the programme should address the following generic skills: Breakthrough thinking, analysis and decision making Partnership working and conflict resolution Negotiating finance and stakeholder management Managing change, leadership and community engagement Green Skills and applying new green technologies. It is important that such a programme learns from the European successes and consolidates these in an actively managed national framework for learning. Whilst it is important to draw lessons from the HCA Academy/TCPA Eco-towns seminar programme, this report recommends that that a national eco-towns capacity building programme needs to be put in place quickly in order to provide guidance for the new generation of UK eco-towns and other major eco housing schemes. This report recommends the use of local learning networks to bring together stakeholders who are at the leading edge of innovation. Partnerships should be forged with universities, regional development agencies and key learning agents to devise and fund a capacity building programme delivered through regional actors to benefit the UK process. Some conclusions also arise in terms of the framework of analysis adopted in this study. These are presented here in relation to the four Cs.

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7.Conclusions
A Framework for Analysis: Conclusions arising from the 4Cs

Connectivity building in the right places a) Choose the right locations which have ready access to jobs, education and services. b) Draw on the strengths of existing conurbations and add to them, rather than draw resources away from them. c) Build-on and add-to committed infrastructure, such as rail and bus routes, rather than starting from scratch. d) Work within the framework of Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Frameworks. Community working with and for the local community a) Once the government has set broad parameters, allow local responses to be developed with the local authority playing a key leadership role. b) Where necessary, supplement and strengthen local authority skills by use of expert agencies. c) Allow sufficient programme time for stakeholder and community engagement. d) Support neighbourhood development through careful planning of the social infrastructure, such as health, education, and meeting places, in parallel with the spatial master plan. e) Achieve a balanced range of tenures and house types with the ability to move easily from one to the other. f) Develop long-term strategies for community development and management which encourage behavioural change. Climate implementing proven ways of saving natural resources a) Focus on simple, future-proof and robust strategies for housing which conserve energy through super insulation and controlled ventilation. b) Implement local strategies for energy, water and waste, such as combined heat and power (CHP). c) Minimise waste and maximise efficiency by using modern methods of construction and locally-sourced materials that offer a cost-effective solutions for being carbon-neutral. d) Make public transport, walking and cycling options the most attractive options through design and financial incentives. e) Provide local guidance and support on technical and lifestyle issues. Character creating comfortable and appealing places a) Design for all sections of the community but with particular emphasis on homes that are family friendly and human in scale. b) Develop a high-quality public realm that responds to and uses the character of the local landscape. c) Provide useable outdoor space for all, at the level of the home, the neighbourhood block and the wider area. d) Encourage variety by using a number of good designers.
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7.Conclusions
7.2 Our Recommendations

The governments eco-town proposals have sparked a much-needed debate on the future of housing in the UK. Whilst there is much opposition to proposed plans, there is significant evidence drawn from the case studies that a set of processes and key steps could improve chances for the successful delivery of these towns. In particular, the study draws attention to five kinds of generic skills that are needed to build new generation eco-towns. There is no alternative to learning by doing, but it should be possible to provide the space needed for people to learn new skills, as well as enabling organisations to proceed down the learning curve. In order to work together better and allow for the crossing of professional and sectoral boundaries, a number of actions are called for, particularly in localities that are seeking to implement eco-towns that go far beyond standard practice. An actively-managed learning framework, possibly using looking and learning techniques, with study tours and facilitated workshops, needs to: incentivise local authorities and city regions to build capacity support leadership development in localities
develop key staff and create a common purpose with shared goals build local project teams and develop team-building expertise on a cross-boundary and interdisciplinary basis share experience and encourage collaboration across Europe sharpen financial and business development skills create awareness of zero carbon and green technologies along with sustainable transport improve energy and re-cycling programmes.
From the experience so far there is a potential role for local authorities engaged in eco-town development to: promote more European exchanges and apply European and international best practice actively engage with looking and learning workshops by participation develop eco-town city management programmes accelerate investment in the infrastructures for environmentally sound local economies

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7.Conclusions
7.3 Investing in eco-town processes

Drawing on the case studies presented in this report, extensive debate within the wider stakeholder community is needed on the seven key steps to delivering successful eco-towns. Learning by doing is as important as learning from detailed analysis of existing successful eco-town experience, as with initiatives such as the TCPA worksheets which have already started drawing policy makers and practitioners together. Eco-towns have generated much controversy in the United Kingdom since the start of the eco-towns competition and the announcement of the short-listed sites. The global credit squeeze and the UK housing and mortgage crisis in 2008 will add to the delivery and implementation problems for the selected eco-towns at least for the short term. However, eco-towns are part of the longer-term answer to developing a more sustainable approach to house-building. The European experience deserves closer scrutiny in the UK and there is a need for the major stakeholders to examine the reasons for faster progress if we are to achieve the same standards.
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The Eco Town Report. Prepared by
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Eco-Town Report

Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Executive Summary Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Executive Summary Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Amersfoort, the Netherlands. 3

Hammarby Sjstad, Sweden.

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Executive Summary Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Executive Summary Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Introduction: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

> 1.1 Introduction > 1.2 Methodology

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

> 1.1 Introduction > 1.2 Methodology

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

The context: Eco-cities and eco-towns

Hammarby Sjstad, Sweden. 9

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

2.2 Contextual differences and similarities

Amersfoort, the Netherlands. 10

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

3 The challenges for eco-towns

3.1 Building capacity

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

UK ECO-TOWNS and the FOUR Cs

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Hammarby Sjstad, Sweden.

UK Eco-towns and the Four Cs

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

> 3.1 Building capacity > 3.2 Climate

> 3.3 Connectivity > 3.4 Community

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Amersfoort, the Netherlands.

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

4 The case studies and the key steps

Amersfoort, the Netherlands.

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

5 Learning from the case studies

5.1 Contextualising lessons for British eco-towns.

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

5.2 A basis for economic achievement in successful European eco-towns.

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

5.3.1 Locating growth in the right places

5.3.3 Drawing up master plans

5.3.2 Agreeing development frameworks

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

5.3.4 Orchestrating infrastructure

5.3.6 Building to higher standards

5.3.5 Selling plots to small builders and cooperatives

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

5.3.7 Fostering communities

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Collaboration is needed between experts in:

Hammarby Sjstad, Sweden.

Eco Town Report: Learning from Europe on eco-towns

Developing new skills for eco-communities