Residential Landscape Sustainability A Checklist Tool

by Smith, Carl; Dunnett, Nigel; Clayden, Andy

• ISBN13: 9781405158732
• ISBN10: 1405158735
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-10-22
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

This valuable resource for developers and designers will help to develop design solutions sympathetic to the environment and improve the sustainability of residential landscapes. The landscapes around housing have a crucial role in creating a more sustainable future with carbon-neutral homes. This book shows how to improve the sustainable profile of new residential developments through landscape planning, design and management - by conserving resources and minimising pollution, and by enhancing ecological diversity. This may be achieved without significant additional capital outlay. The residential landscape sustainability checklist gives housing developers, landscape architects, architects and planners a tool with which to assess the environmental implication of their schemes throughout the design process - from site planning to detailed design. The checklist focuses on residential housing developments but many features of the tool - including improving energy efficiency, materials selection, planting design and management - can also be applied to a wide range of different types of development, from school grounds to retail parks. Also of interest The Green Guide: BREEAM specification Fourth Edition Jane Anderson and David Shiers 1 4051 1961 6 978 14051 1961 0 Sustainable Development Policy Directory W. Alan Strong and Lesley Hemphill 1 4051 2150 5 978 14051 2150 7 Evaluating Sustainable Development Peter Brandon and Patrizia Lombardi 0 6320 6486 2 978 06320 6486 1 Cover design by Andy Love

Author Biography

Carl Smith BSc(Hons) DipLA MA PhD MLI - Visiting Garvan Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Arkansas

Andy Clayden BSc DipLA MA – Senior Lecturer, Department of Landscape, University of Sheffield

Nigel Dunnett BSc MSc PhD – Senior Lecturer, Department of Landscape, University of Sheffield

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. vii
Putting residential development in a sustainable context	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
Definitions of sustainable development and sustainable landscape	p. 3
Sustainable development	p. 3
Sustainable landscape	p. 4
Sustainable development in English planning and development	p. 8
The key role of housing in sustainable development	p. 12
Current concepts and initiatives for delivering sustainable homes in England	p. 17
What impact have these initiatives had on delivering sustainable residential communities?	p. 22
References	p. 25
Opportunities for improving the sustainable profile of new residential developments	p. 29
Introduction	p. 29
Conservation of resources and minimisation of pollution and waste	p. 29
Energy consumption and microclimate control	p. 29
Encouraging walking and cycling	p. 33
Specification and detailed design of hard landscape materials	p. 37
Specification and detailed design of soft landscape materials - vegetation	p. 52
Water management	p. 63
Enhancement of site ecological function and human well-being	p. 73
Site ecological function	p. 73
Providing for the health and well-being of residents	p. 79
References	p. 89
Creating a residential landscape sustainability checklist	p. 99
Introduction	p. 99
A review of sustainable checklist tools for residential development	p. 99
A detailed description of the template BRE EcoHomes method	p. 104
Adapting the EcoHomes method for landscape assessments	p. 106
The Energy Category	p. 106
The Transport Category	p. 108
The Pollution Category	p. 108
The Materials Category	p. 110
The Water Category	p. 112
The Ecology and Land Use Category	p. 113
The Health and Well-Being Category	p. 113
Adjusting the EcoHomes weighting factors	p. 116
Setting compliance standards	p. 116
Judging visual qualities	p. 117
General limitations of the checklist assessment approach	p. 118
References	p. 119
Case studies: applying the Residential Landscape Sustainability Checklist	p. 121
Introduction	p. 121
Greenwich Millennium Village, London	p. 122
Childwall, Liverpool	p. 125
Evaluation of the case studies against the Residential Landscape Sustainability Checklist	p. 126
The Energy Category	p. 126
The Transport Category	p. 127
The Pollution Category	p. 128
The Materials Category	p. 133
The Water Category	p. 142
The Ecology and Land Use Category	p. 142
The Health and Well-Being Category	p. 144
What factors encouraged and discouraged residential landscape sustainability?	p. 150
Factors which contribute to delivering residential landscape sustainability	p. 151
Factors which may undermine landscape sustainability	p. 152
Conclusion	p. 155
References	p. 156
Detailed Residential Landscape Sustainability Checklist	p. 157
Index	p. 193
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