A presentation conducted by Mrs Joanne Leach, University of Birmingham. Presented on Wednesday the 2nd of October 2013. Infrastructure forms the framework within which modern societies operate both at the physical and social level. It includes (amongst others) digital, green and social infrastructures, emergency services and food networks as well as water, energy, waste and transport. In 2012 Liveable Cities, a 5-year research programme, combining the Universities of Birmingham, Lancaster, Southampton and UCL, was established to identify and test radical engineering interventions that will lead to liveable cities of the future (low carbon, resource secure cities in which societal wellbeing is prioritised). This paper presents a discussion of what comprises a truly liveable city and how it might be achieved. It presents the City Analysis Framework, a technique for the analysis of city operations that establishes a hierarchy of needs relevant to successfully achieving a liveable city. The results reflect the changing perceptions and importance of infrastructure and how proposed changes can radically alter people’s lifestyle and wellbeing.

1. ENDORSING PARTNERS
What makes a city liveable?
Implications for next
generation
Infrastructure services
www.isngi.org
The following are confirmed contributors to the business and policy dialogue in Sydney:
•
Rick Sawers (National Australia Bank)
•
Nick Greiner (Chairman (Infrastructure NSW)
Monday, 30th September 2013: Business & policy Dialogue
Tuesday 1 October to Thursday, 3rd October: Academic and Policy
DialoguePresented by: Mrs Joanne Leach, University of Birmingham
www.isngi.org

2. What makes a city liveable?
Joanne Leach
University of Birmingham
2 October 2013

3. This presentation
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About us
City Description Framework
Envisioning a future liveable UK city
City Analysis Methodology

4. Liveable Cities
Transforming the Engineering of Cities
to deliver Societal and Planetary Wellbeing
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
Council (EPSRC) funded
• UK consortium of four universities
• Five year programme, starting in May 2012
• £6M
• ~40 academic team members
• ~80 stakeholder partners

5. Liveable Cities
Our focus is on an 80% carbon-reduced, resourcesecure UK city in which wellbeing is optimised
• How do UK cities function today?
• How should a future liveable city function?
• What is stopping us from achieving future
liveability?
• How can engineering overcome the barriers?
o Innovative engineering solutions
o Transforming engineering itself

6. Liveable Cities
While this process is conceptually straightforward, the
implementation of change relies upon a fit to the
context, exogenous and endogenous influences and
city capacity and capability, and faces many barriers,
such as resistance to individual and societal behaviour
change, political will to enact change in a climate of
short-term electoral cycles, professional inertia, the
capability and capacity to effect changes and the
perceived risks associated with doing things differently.
Nevertheless it has the potential to make explicit the
opportunities and consequences of action or inaction.

7. Thought starters
Infrastructure underpins urban liveability
• What do we mean by liveability?
• What do we mean by infrastructure?
Complexity / reflexivity / managing risk (uncertainty)
Opposing forces?
• Project versus systems thinking
• Emergence versus control
• Rigid versus flexible / self-regulatory / adaptive
• Infrastructure versus critical infrastructure
Sustainability: economic, social and environmental

8. Liveable Cities
Our focus is on an 80% carbon-reduced, resourcesecure UK city in which wellbeing is optimised
• How do UK cities function today?
• How should a future liveable city function?
• What is stopping us from achieving future
liveability?
• How can engineering overcome the barriers?
o Innovative engineering solutions
o Transforming engineering itself

9. Today
Three UK case studies + international case studies
• Birmingham – largest local authority in Europe
• Lancaster – ancient settlement to transition town
• Southampton – port city
• Vienna
• Singapore
• South America

10. City Description Framework

11. Future Liveability
Emergence versus control
Vision components
To be a low carbon city, providing the highest possible
resource security with the highest wellbeing whilst
ensuring a quality environment, economic vitality and
appropriate governance.

12. Vision + aims
To be a low carbon city, providing the highest possible
resource security with the highest wellbeing whilst
ensuring a quality environment, economic vitality and
appropriate governance.
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Minimise operational and embodied carbon
Maximise individual and community wellbeing
Enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services
Enhance the built environment
Ensure economic vitality
Ensure resource security
Ensure appropriate governance

13. Vision + aims
To be a low carbon city, providing the highest possible
resource security with the highest wellbeing whilst
ensuring a quality environment, economic vitality and
appropriate governance.
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•
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•
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Minimise operational and embodied carbon
Maximise individual and community wellbeing
Enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services
Enhance the built environment
Ensure economic vitality
Ensure resource security
Ensure appropriate governance

14. Aim + objectives
Minimising operational and embodied carbon
• Minimise energy use from carbon fuels
• Minimise water use and maximise its reuse
• Minimise waste produced and maximise its reuse
and recycling
• Optimise food supply chain
• Minimise high carbon mobilities (transport) of
people and objects (including food)
• Use of low carbon and low impact materials
• Use of low carbon resources
• Conduct all activities in the lowest carbon way

15. Aim + objectives
Minimising operational and embodied carbon
• Minimise energy use from carbon fuels
• Minimise water use and maximise its reuse
• Minimise waste produced and maximise its reuse
and recycling
• Optimise food supply chain
• Minimise high carbon mobilities (transport) of
people and objects (including food)
• Use of low carbon and low impact materials
• Use of low carbon resources
• Conduct all activities in the lowest carbon way

16. Objective + measures
Use of low carbon and low impact materials
Use of renewable resources on all residential new
builds
• Use of timber from renewable resources
• Use of recycled aggregates
• …

17. Applicability
How a city / local authority might use the City
Description Framework and City Analysis Methodology

18. Roadmap

19. Liveable Cities
Our focus is on an 80% carbon-reduced, resourcesecure UK city in which wellbeing is optimised
• How do UK cities function today?
• How should a future liveable city function?
• What is stopping us from achieving future
liveability?
• How can engineering overcome the barriers?
o Innovative engineering solutions
o Transforming engineering itself

20. Liveable Cities
Our focus is on an 80% carbon-reduced, resourcesecure UK city in which wellbeing is optimised
• How do UK cities function today?
• How should a future liveable city function?
• What is stopping us from achieving future
liveability?
• How can engineering overcome the barriers?
o Innovative engineering solutions
o Transforming engineering itself