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Stakeholder engagement in sustainable housing refurbishment in the UK
The UK government is committed to effectively implement a viable sustainable agenda in the social housing sector. To this end housing associations and local authorities are being encouraged to improve the environmental performance of their new and existing homes. Whilst much attention has been focused on new housing (e.g. the Code for Sustainable Homes) little effort has been focussed on improving the 3.9 (approx) million homes maintained and managed by the public sector (in England), which, given the low rate of new build and demolition (<1% in England), will represent approximately 70% of the public housing stock in 2050. Thus, if UK is to achieve sustainable public housing the major effort will have to focus on the existing stock. However, interpreting the sustainability agenda for an existing housing portfolio is not a straight foreword activity. In addition to finding a ‘technical’ solution, landlords also haveto address the socio-economic issues that balance quality of expectations of tenants with the economic realities of funding social housing refurbishment. This paper will report the findings of a qualitative study
(participatory approach) that examined the processes by which a large public landlord sought to develop
a long-term sustainable housing strategy. Through a series of individual meetings and group workshops
the research team identified: committed leadership; attitudes towards technology; social awareness; and
collective understanding of the sustainability agenda as key issues that the organisation needed to address
in developing a robust and defendable refurbishment strategy. The paper concludes that the challenges
faced by the landlord in improving the sustainability of their existing stock are not primarily technical, but
socio-economic. Further, while the economic challenges: initial capital cost; lack of funding; and pay-back
periods can be overcome, if the political will exists, by fiscal measures; the social challenges: health & wellbeing;
poverty; security; space needs; behaviour change; education; and trust; are much more complex in
nature and will require a coordinated approach from all the stakeholders involved in the wider community
if they are to be effectively addressed. The key challenge to public housing landlords is to develop
mechanisms that can identify and interpret the complex nature of the social sustainability agenda in a way
that reflects local aspirations (although the authors believe the factors will exist in all social housing communities, their relative importance is likely to vary between communities) whilst addressing Government
agendas
The Update, September 7, 2009
The Update is a bi-weekly web newsletter published by the Iowa Department of Public Health's Bureau of Family Health. It is posted the second and fourth week of every month, and provides useful job resource information for departmental health care professionals, information on training opportunities, intradepartmental reports and meetings, and additional information pertinent to health care professionals
Child pedestrian safety en route to and from rural schools: A case study
This research examines the safety hazards faced by child pedestrians at rural schools within the Waipa District. The main objectives of this research were to identify hazards child pedestrians face, to identify current counter-measures to these hazards, and to evaluate the regulations and policies pertaining to these counter-measures and child pedestrian safety. Meeting these objectives then allowed the design of possible counter-measures to the hazards faced by rural child pedestrians. The ultimate goal of this research was to improve child pedestrian safety at rural schools
Operationalizing the circular city model for naples' city-port: A hybrid development strategy
The city-port context involves a decisive reality for the economic development of territories and nations, capable of significantly influencing the conditions of well-being and quality of life, and of making the Circular City Model (CCM) operational, preserving and enhancing seas and marine resources in a sustainable way. This can be achieved through the construction of appropriate production and consumption models, with attention to relations with the urban and territorial system. This paper presents an adaptive decision-making process for Naples (Italy) commercial port's development strategies, aimed at re-establishing a sustainable city-port relationship and making Circular Economy (CE) principles operative. The approach has aimed at implementing a CCM by operationalizing European recommendations provided within both the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework-specifically focusing on goals 9, 11 and 12-and the Maritime Spatial Planning European Directive 2014/89, to face conflicts about the overlapping areas of the city-port through multidimensional evaluations' principles and tools. In this perspective, a four-step methodological framework has been structured applying a place-based approach with mixed evaluation methods, eliciting soft and hard knowledge domains, which have been expressed and assessed by a core set of Sustainability Indicators (SI), linked to SDGs. The contribution outcomes have been centred on the assessment of three design alternatives for the East Naples port and the development of a hybrid regeneration scenario consistent with CE and sustainability principles. The structured decision-making process has allowed us to test how an adaptive approach can expand the knowledge base underpinning policy design and decisions to achieve better outcomes and cultivate a broad civic and technical engagement, that can enhance the legitimacy and transparency of policies
Inclusivity In Usa Swimming: A Sport For Every Ability
There is a significant need for youth with disabilities to increase their participation in meaningful activities such as sport. However, several barriers exist which limit participation for youth with disabilities within sport including a lack of education for coaches on disability inclusion, non-accessible facilities, and lack of awareness regarding sport-related accommodations. The purpose of this project was to identify methods in which the USA Swimming (USA-S) organization could better support the inclusion of athletes of all abilities outside of disability-only sports programs. Through a literature review guided by the EHP framework, the author identified benefits of disability-inclusive sports teams as well as effective methods for implementation. Identified benefits for the child with the disability included enhanced social, physical, and cognitive skills, as well as supported transition into adulthood. Identified barriers for disability-inclusion included lack of education for coaches regarding athletes with disabilities as well as non-accessible facilities. Throughout the project the author collaborated with a local USA-S swimming team in West Fargo, North Dakota to analyze current coaching methods, needs, and to pilot disabilityinclusive resources. Results of the project have led to the development of the Swimming Coaches’ Manual for All Abilities. The manual includes disability-inclusive resources nested within a five-part organizational structure which includes: the Readiness for Change Assessment, the Need to Know Disability Resources, the Sharpening Skills, the Venue Accessibility Checklist, and the Venue Accessibility Statement Framework. The manual supports inclusion of athletes of all abilities within the sport of swimming by eliminating barriers and providing educational resources to USA-S coaches and their teams. This is an important step towards aligning with the USA-S Disability Committee’s mission statement regarding the involvement of people with disabilities apart from disability-only opportunities
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