aberdeen – city of old modern infrastructure

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Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland

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Aberdeen CITY OF OLD MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE

Lookman Oshodi © 2015

Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 2

“To those who city management tools ought to improve their lives, rather city resources have become

instruments of oppression and dispossession by the city administrators under the guise of urban renewal”


Aberdeen

CITY OF OLD MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE March, 2015


Contents

Contents 4

About this Report 5

Part 1 Aberdeen: An Evolutionary City 6

Part 2 Housing and Urban Development 13

Part 3 Infrastructure 23

Part 4 Energy Development 35

Part 5 Conclusion 42

Pictures Gallery 45

References 47


ABOUT THIS REPORT

This report is a study conducted by Lookman Oshodi on Aberdeen City. Lookman Oshodi was a

Commonwealth Professional Fellow at the Center for Understanding Sustainable Practice (CUSP), School

of Engineering, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen from January 26 to March 20, 2015. His focus during

the fellowship was “Sustainable Infrastructure Delivery in Developing Countries”. He worked closely with

Dr. Joanneke Kruijsen, a Research Fellow with CUSP and Dr. Ebun Akinsete who was helpful in accessing

publication materials and reviewing the report

The report looks into Aberdeen city’s architecture and infrastructural evolution over the years. It examines

the processes of renewing old infrastructure and bringing them to maximum utilization in today’s age of

technologically driven cities. Relying on secondary literature, observations and facilities inspection, and

discussions with some of the city’s residents, the report reviewed the development history of Aberdeen

from around 8th century AD through the years of granite, oil exploration to the present day of green energy.

Population, social and economic indicators as well as influence of weather conditions on the city were

appraised.

To understand the cohesive and compact nature of Aberdeen, its spatial concept, gro wth orientation and

components of urban development are the focus of part two of the report. In the same part, the spread,

quantum, quality and adequacy of housing in meeting the needs of the residents and visitors were

evaluated. The next part of the report spotlights the efficiency and functionalities of the city’s infrastructure .

Among the infrastructure analyzed are transport, water and sanitation and solid waste.

In recognition of Aberdeen’s recent status remodeling from “Oil Capital of Europe” to “Energy Capital of

Europe”, part four analyzes the components of energy delivery and efficiency in the city. It looks at

sustainability agenda and strategies of reducing impact of climate change and carbon footprint in the city.

Despite the overall admirable outlook of the city, the report highlights some gaps in the race to green

economy and makes recommendations on improvement approaches.

The report while taking note of the successes recorded by Aberdeen in creating comfortable, livable and

sustainable environment for the residents and visitors, it is envisaged to be a tool for other cities, especially

in developing countries on how to formulate a template that will ensure equality and fairness in accessing

urban resources and infrastructure.


PART 1- ABERDEEN; AN EVOLUTIONARY CITY

Castle Street (1890) © US Library of Congress

© Colin Milne 2015

Castle Street 2015 © Lookman Oshodi

© Lookman Oshodi, 2015


1.1 ABERDEEN AND HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT

The name Aberdeen probably comes from the word aber (meaning mouth of the river – Don). Aberdeen

was probably founded by the 8th century AD as a fishing settlement. However by the early 12th century

Aberdeen had grown into a town. One sign of this came in 1136 when the burgesses (merchants and

craftsmen) of Aberdeen were given the right to charge a tithe (a tax of one 10th of all goods) on ships

entering or leaving the harbor and by then it was a busy little port. Exports from Aberdeen included salted

fish, hides and wool. Then, in 1137 Aberdeen was given a bishop, another sign of its growing importance.

Finally in 1179 Aberdeen was given a charter (A document granting the to wnspeople certain rights).

Aberdeen continued to grow. By the year 1200 Aberdeen may have had a population of around 3,000 and

by 1264 it had a castle. The first mention of a provost of Aberdeen was in 1272 (Lambert, 2012).

In the early middle ages there were two settlements, Old Aberdeen, the university and cathedral settlement,

at the mouth of the River Don and New Aberdeen, fishing and trading settlement where the Denburn

entered the Dee estuary. In the late middle ages they merged together physically but they remained legally

separate (Lambert, 2012). River Don and River Dee have since continues to remained important land mark

in the geography and identification of Aberdeen. The growth and expansion of Aberdeen continues through

to early 17th century with population hovering between 8,000 and 10,000.

As at 19th century, new streets were built in Aberdeen. Union Street was built after 1801 and Union Bridge

was built in 1805. They were named after an Act of Union 1801, which unified Britain and Ireland. King

Street was built after 1804. Bon Accord Square was laid out in 1823. The facade in Union Street was built

in 1830. Several road improvement schemes began towards the end of the 18th Century. Most of the

buildings around that time were designed by John Smith and Archibald Simpson. This was when Aberdeen

got its name of 'Granite City'.

Also, 19th century witnessed improved transportation to and from Aberdeen and improved communal

amenities. A canal to Inverurie was completed in 1807. The railway arrive d in Aberdeen in 1850 making it

possible to 'export' cattle from Aberdeen to other parts of the country. Steam trawling arrived in Aberdeen in

1882. In 1824 Aberdeen gained gas street lighting which the people thought wonderful. After 1830, water

was pumped from the river into public wells. From 1866 this water was filtered. Then after 1865 a network

of sewers was built in Aberdeen. It became a much healthier city in the late 19th century.

The first electricity generating station in Aberdeen opened in 1894. The first electric trams ran in Aberdeen

in 1899. The old industry of granite production went into decline in the early 20th century. It ceased

altogether in 1971. However new industries came along. The fate of Aberdeen was changed by the

discovery of North Sea oil. After experimental drilling in 1970 the council set aside land for new oil related

industries. New industrial estates were built in and around Aberdeen at that time. The first North Sea oil

arrived in Aberdeen in 1975. Oil soon became the main industry in the city and it brought considerable

prosperity. Another new industry was information technology, which is flourishing in Aberdeen.


Housing in Aberdeen greatly improved in the 20th century. In the 1920s and 1930s serious slum clearance

took place. Between 1919 and 1939, 2,955 slum houses were demolished. Some 6,555 council houses

were built. The former slum dwellers were re-housed in the many council houses built in the city at that

time. Many private houses were also built in Aberdeen between the wars such as those in Kings Gate and

Aungusfield. The city's boundaries were extended in 1934.

In the late 20th century Aberdeen continued to expand. In the 1950's and 1960s thousands of new council

houses were built in estates at Mastrick, Cornhill, Northfield, Stockethill, Tillydrone and Hazelhead. Blocks

of flats were built as well as houses.

Moreover the centre of the city was redeveloped in the 1960s. St Nicholas House was built in 1967. In the

late 1960s Aberdeen harbor was modernized. The Fish Market was built in 1982 and Telford Dock in 1994.

The 1996 local government reform made Aberdeen a unitary authority with Aberdeen City Council as the

governance entity for the city. Aberdeen is bounded in the North and West by commuter towns and rural

settlements such as Inverurie, Ellon, Peterhead, Insch, Huntly, Kemnay and Alford. It is surrounded in the

South by Portlethen, Aboyne, Stonehaven, Banchory and Laurencerkirk, all in Aberdeenshire. The city is

bounded in the East by the North Sea.

Map 1.1; Regional Map of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray

Source: Electric Scotland.com


Map 1.2; Aberdeen City and Neighbouring Communities

Source: Grampian Opportunities, 2009

1.2 POPULATION, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INDICATORS IN ABERDEEN

In June 2012, Aberdeen population was estimated at 224, 970 accounting for 4.2% of Scotland’s population

and the 8th highest of all the council areas. The population consists of 111, 301 males and 113, 669

females. 30.8% of the population is within the age bracket of 25 – 44 years, 24.3% in the range of 45 – 74

years and 15.5% in the 16 – 24 age groups. While 14.7% are within 65 years and above, 14.6% are within

0 – 15 years age group. Between June 2011 and June 2012, Aberdeen’s population grew by 2,510 with

most of the net change coming from migration (1, 878) as change from births and deaths were

comparatively lower. In mid-2013, the population was estimated at 227, 130 with increment of 2, 160 over

2012 (Aberdeen City Council, 2014). The population is expected to reach 233, 796 by 2033.

The land area of Aberdeen is 186 square kilometer. With the population of 224,970, the density per square

kilometer is 1,209 persons. As at 2012, the rate of unemployment is 1.5% with 2,321 claiming government

support. Average weekly gross earning per employee in the city was 586.9GBP in 2013. In 2012, there

were 1,285 additions of new enterprises in Aberdeen, and 890 ‘deaths’ resulting in a net increase of 395 to

the stock of enterprises in the city.


Aberdeen is often referred to as the “Oil Capital of Europe” and recently being

changed to “Energy Capital of Europe”. To underscore the reality of this title, 23

businesses from Aberdeen were ranked among the top 100 companies in

Scotland in 2013. 20 of these companies are in the oil and gas sector of

Aberdeen’s economy.

From the Value Added Tax (VAT) registration in 2013 by the Office of National Statistics, professional,

scientific and technical businesses were the dominant businesses in Aberdeen with 33.6% while

agriculture, forestry and fishing are less dominant with 0.8% sectoral representation. Table 1.1 provides

overview of economy structure in 2013 based on VAT’s registration.

Table 1.1; No. of VAT Registered Enterprises in Aberdeen, 2013

S/N Industry Number Percentage

1 Professional, scientific & technical 3,700 33.6%

2 Retail 915 8.3%

3 Business administration & support services 845 7.7%

4 Production 705 6.4%

5 Construction 665 6.0%

6 Accommodation & food services 660 6.0%

7 Arts, entertainment, recreation & other services 655 5.9%

8 Health 535 4.9%

9 Wholesale 435 3.9%

10 Information & communication 430 3.9%

11 Transport & storage (including postal) 355 3.2%

12 Property 300 2.7%

13 Finance & insurance 245 2.2%

14 Education 210 1.9%

15 Motor trades 185 1.7%

16 Public administration & defence 90 0.8%

17 Agriculture, forestry & fishing 90 0.8%

Total 11,020 100%

Source: Office for National Statistics, 2013 and Aberdeen C ity Council, 2014


In the city, the life expectancy is high, 76.3 years for males and 80.9 years for females based on 2008-2010

data. Coming with this high standard of living, record shows reducing crime rate in the city over the years, a

total of 18, 749 crimes were recorded by the police in 2010/2011, 17, 877 in 2011/2012 and 15, 635 in

2012/2013. Regionally, this is lower than 53, 212 in Glasgow, 31, 310 in Edinburgh and higher than 8, 962

in Dundee in 2012/2013. In 10, 000 population, the crime rate is 709 with 58% of this number classified as

crime of dishonesty with fire raising and vandalism coming second at 21%. Non-sexual crimes of violence

are the least with 2% occurrence in the period under consideration, 2012/2013 (Scottish Government,

2014, Aberdeen City Council, 2014). Walking around the city and living in the city show no sign of crime

and or threat to everyday living conditions.

1.3 WEATHER CONDITIONS IN ABERDEEN

The dossier of activities in Aberdeen would remain incomplete without profiling its climatic and weather

conditions. The weather conditions in the city play significant roles in determining the movement of

residents within the city and visitors into the city through road closures, events cancellation and

rescheduling of planned transportation services.

The World Weather Online (2015) in its 2000 to 2012 weather chart for Aberdeen classified the weather

into four seasons; Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

Spring

The climate of Aberdeen changes very often throughout the year, with spring and

autumn more comparable to extended summers and winters than seasons of their

own. Spring begins in March and lasts through to May where the averag e high

temperature starts at 8.5°C in March before hitting the heights of 16°C in May.

Summer

During summer, the days become 18 hours long in Aberdeen, leaving 17 hours

and 57 minutes between sunrise and sunset. The nautical twilight lasts for the

duration of most summer nights and can make the view heavenly for visitors,

while temperatures hover at around 17°C between June and August. July is the

warmest month in Aberdeen, where the temperature stands at 20°C (World

Weather Online, 2015).

http://www.worldweatheronline.com/weather/United-Kingdom/806139/Aberdeen/806186/info.aspx


Autumn

Autumn sees the temperature decrease to average high temperatures of 12°C

during the day and lows of 5°C which generally are prominent shortly after

sunshine. Rainfall generally averages out at 80mm per month during autumn

which greets Aberdeen for between 22-24 days during September-November.

Winter

During the winter, the temperature drops below freezing point (up to -2°C) with

January bearing the brunt of the Aberdeen cold. Aberdeen averages just over six

hours between sunrise and set with the length of the winter days eventually

increasing back to eight hours by the beginning of February (World Weather

Online, 2015).

Changing Skyline on Union Street Snow Fall at Aberdeen

Changing Skyline on Guild Street

Changing Skyline on Wellington Road


PART 2 – HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT


2.1 INTRODUCTION

This part of the report provides the overview on composition, character and structure of housing and

development in Aberdeen city. In many urban centers of both developed and developing countries, housing

is regarded as strategic land use component which in most cases shows the level of sophistication,

cohesiveness and vitality of any city. Although, its depth, type, form and aesthetic appeal vary from one city

to the other, but its organization and level of accessibility must promote equity and qualitative living

conditions for the residents of the city. At the city’s operational stage, housing has significant influence in

determining the movement of resident during the peak and off-peak periods.

Based on this background, the report reviews architecture of the city in relation to housing component and

other physical development indices.

2.2 URBAN ARCHITECTURE AND DEVELOPMENT

A bird eye view of Aberdeen will reveal the dominance of grid pattern of urban interaction complimented by

Radburn design approach. In the allocation of uses, the city appears in the model of concentric zone

planning striped by multi nuclei development strategy. The city, in keeping with its history as a fishing

settlement, retained Aberdeen Harbour in the eastern part as its growth pole region. Within the harbour’s

axis are two industrial estates, Harbour and Harbour North, esplanade, transport terminal (Union Square

train station, two ferry terminals, and bus services depot), city center (comprising Market Street, Virginia

Street, Exchange Street, Hadden Street, College Street, Bridge Street, Deburn Road and Union Street

among other prominent access roads). The city center is the focal point of entertainment, shopping and

businesses. It is home to many major business organizations operating in the city and hub of transport

services. It is from this point that the growth and expansion of Aberdeen commenced in what can be

referred to as “headlamp expansion”. Harbour axis represents the headlamp while other axes within the city

represents guided ray of light beaming from the headlamp.

The city development concept is similar to that of Coventry, another city in the West Midlands of England.

The difference is in pattern, while Aberdeen maintain water-edge based city growth pole, Coventry adopted

city-central growth pole approach.

Relatively, Aberdeen is a low rise city. Most of the buildings in the city are below five floors. Save for the

multi-storey structures at Seaton, Tillydrone, Balgownie and city center axis, other buildings are in the

category of low rise. The city industrial vibrancy is well pronounced in the number of industrial estates

within its boundary. There are 31 industrial estates with large concentration in the Northern part of the city,

significant number in the harbor area and others such as Northfield, Mastrick, Hill of Rubislaw and P rime

Four in isolated locations in the mid-West. The new four proposed industrial estates/business areas,

Stoneywood Technology Park, Rowett, Berryhill/Cloverhill and Findlay Farm are all located in the North.


With the nestling of Aberdeen Airport among ABZ, D2, Dyce Drive, Kirkhill, North Raiths, Raiths, Pitmedden

Road and Wellheads industrial estates, one science and technology park, one science and energy park

and one proposed science and technology park, all in the North, it can be inferred that North is a major

science and economic development hub of the city.

Map 2.1; Grid Layout Complimented by Radburn Concept for Aberdeen City

Source: Aberdeen City Council, 2005

Map 2.2; Part of Aberdeen City in Headlamp Shape

Source: Destination 360, 2014.


In the city are two universities, University of Aberdeen established in 1495 located along King Street in Old

Aberdeen in the North before River Don and Robert Gordon University bordered by River Dee at Garthdee

in the South and Schoolhill. The two universities have contributed to the diverse population of the city by

attracting students from foreign countries. North East Scotland College is also attracting regional population

to the city.

While Union Street in the city center host many of the prestigious pedestrian malls in the city, Wellington

Road in the East and West Tullos Industrial Estates (South East part of the city) host the city’s automobile

industry.

Another key strength of Aberdeen’s urban

architecture is the rich historical buildings and

monuments. From the Marischal College building

housing Aberdeen City Council, the Tolbooth

Museum on Castle Street, Castlegate, Aberdeen

Maritime Museum on Ship Row, Aberdeen Art

Gallery at Schoolhill, His Majesty Theatre at

Rosemount Viaduct opened in 1906, Kirk of St.

Nicholas, housing the largest carillon in Britain,

on Union Street completed in 1520, Music Hall on

Union Street built in 1820 and renovated in 1986,

Provost Skene’s House (dating to 1545) on

Flourmill Lane/Broad Street, Arts Center and

Theatre (formerly North Church built in 1830) on

King Street to Sir Duncan Rice Library at the Aberdeen University, the city has demonstrated conscientious

acumen of preservation.

Sir Duncan Rice Library at the University of Aberdeen

Arts Center & Theatre on King Street Marischal Building housing Aberdeen City Council on Broad Street


2.3 HOUSING

The history of housing in Aberdeen is as old as the city itself, but gained significant improvement in the 20th

century. From the slum clearance and reconstruction of 6, 555 council houses in the 1930s and the

expansion of housing delivery in new estates by the council between 1950s and 1960s, the city has seen a

steady growth in the housing sector till date.

a. Housing Occupancy Ratio

In 2012, the number of households in Aberdeen was 103,371. This represents an average of 2 persons per

household in the population of 224, 970. Table 2.1 provides clear analysis of the number of persons per

household in the city;

Table 2.1; No. of Persons per Household in Aberdeen, 2011

All Households One Person Two People Three People Four or more People

103,371 39,219 35,942 14,620 13,590

100 38% 35% 14% 13%


With marginal majority of households within one person category, the rate of social interaction will remain

low as also the rate of population growth.

In the city, 57.3% of the households live in owner occupied houses while 24.4% l ive in social rented houses

as shown in Table 2.2 below;

Table 2.2; Household Tenure in Aberdeen

All Households Owner Occupied Social Rented Private Rented Other

103,371 59,209 25,184 17,582 1,396

100 57.2% 24.4% 17% 1.4%


With the 57.2% in owner occupied category, the city will enjoy good degree of stability and vibrant

economic growth. There is dynamism in the social housing market than the private rented market, hence

there is need to evolve strategies that will uplift the households in social rented houses into other

categories, especially owner occupied. This is to reduce the number of households in this category, reduce

the number of persons within social support bracket and increase the quantum of available fund for

investment in other infrastructure.


In March 2013, the Scottish Government statis tical bulletin shows that there are 22, 656 housing units

under the public sector stock comprising 5,501 house, 3,904 high rise and 13,251 others as depicted in

Figure 2.1


The figure shows that high rise units in the public housing are 17% which exert significant influence on the

low rise architecture of the city. Taking into consideration, the 103, 371 households accommodated in the

city, it can be inferred that private sector, social landlords and others have contributed 78% totaling 80, 715

housing units while public sector contributed 22, 656 housing units representing 22% of the city’s total

housing stock.

b. Housing Gap

Housing need and demand assessment updated by Aberdeen city and shire in 2011 estimated that the city

will require 1,145 units per annum from 2013 to 2018 five year band. Comparing this need to annual

supply, Table 2.3 provides further breakdown of need and the new supply.

Table 2.3; Housing Need and Supply in Aberdeen 2011 - 2013

Year Need New Supply Gap % Target

2011 1, 077 607 470 56%

2012 1, 077 527 550 49%

2013 1, 145 515 630 45%

Source: Aberdeen City and Shire, 2011 and 2014

The table has shown marginal rise in the gap between the housing need and new supply in the city,

however, the city has performed beyond average in meeting the needs. More robust options are required to

meeting the housing need.

Figure 2.1: No. of Public Housing Units by Types in Aberdeen

13,251 , 59%

5,501 , 24%

3,904 , 17%

House

High Rise

Others


Nonetheless, the outcome of Table 2.3 above, the city’s authority has been exploring different approaches

to increase the stock of housing in the city. One of the strategies is the development of inclusionary housing

through conversion of brown field in collaboration with the private sector. Example is the proposal to deliver

323 new homes comprising 89 houses and 234 flats on the site of former Royal Cornhill Hospital

(abandoned for some 12 years) on Berryden Road. The city council will make available the site to the

developers who are expected to demolish the former hospital and erect new housing units with 25%

secured under the affordable category.

c. Housing Affordability

Considering affordability for the segment of the population in the private rented housing sector, Table 2.4

compared the average weekly earnings to average weekly rent in the city in 2013.

Table 2.4; Comparison of Average Weekly Earnings and Average Weekly Rent in 2013

Average Weekly Earnings (GBP) Average Weekly Rent (GBP) % of Rent to Earnings

586.9 64.93 11


The table revealed that population in the private rented sector will devote 11% of their weekly earnings to

rent. This is well above the 30% global threshold for rent to earning. This position will continue to

strengthen the wealth of the city and see consistence mobility to the home ownership status.

d. Housing Quality

Visual observation of housing in Aberdeen showed that many houses have striking similarities in design

and external outlook. This gives the city overall monotonous aesthetic appeal. Many houses appear to be

old, but their design and specifications shows ambience use of space, high priority for safety concerns,

accommodation of services and overall consideration of environmental quality.

Although, many houses seem old, but their performances and functionalities in accordance with the 2004

Scottish Housing Quality Standard, are high. The five high-level quality criteria by the standard are as

follows;

Compliant with the tolerable standard

Free from serious disrepair

Energy efficient

Provided with modern facilities and services; and

Healthy, safe and secure


Aerial View of Part of Aberdeen Houses on Auchinyell Gardens

Houses on Auchinyell Road Houses on Broomhill Road

View of Houses from Auchinyell Bridge Mixed Use Buildings on King Street


Houses on Menzies Road

Houses on Menzies Road

New Houses at Den of Pitfodels, Garthdee Road

Houses on Pittodrie Street/King Street

Grampian Place

Roslin Terrace, Off King Street


View of Saint Nina’s and Seaton Place from the Bridge of Don

Linksfield Gardens

Multi-Storey Apartments at Saint Ninian’s Place, King Street

Bridge of Don over River Don Aberdeen Maritime Museum

Houses at Links View, Linksfield Road


PART 3 - INFRASTRUCTURE


3.1 INTRODUCTION

American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 defined infrastructure as the substructure or

underlying foundation or network used for providing goods and services; especially the basic installations

and facilities on which the continuance and growth of a community, city or state depend. Examples include

roads, water systems, communications facilities, sewers, sidewalks, cable, wiring, schools, power plants,

and transportation and communication systems.

Economic vitality, private sector’s mobilization and community stability in a large ci ty cannot be sustained

without a coherent, effective, functional and supportive public infrastructure . Aberdeen’s growth and

development has largely been enhanced by the availability of functional public infrastructure. This section

will review transportation, water and waste management infrastructure. It will look at the existing situation,

functionality and effectiveness of these facilities in meeting the overall goals of prosperity in Aberdeen.

3.2 TRANSPORTATION

Aberdeen is a city with a mix of different transport infrastructure. It is served by air, water, rail, road and

walking transport infrastructure.

a. Air Transportation

The airport located at Dice in the Northern part of Aberdeen dates from 1934 as a public aerodrome. It was

used as a military air base during the Second World War and commenced oil-related helicopters movement

in 1967. The current main terminals and associated facilities were completed in 1977. The airport handled

1.47 million passengers per annum as at the time of privatization in 1987 (Aberdeen International Airport

Limited, 2013).

As at 2011, the annual passenger turn-over was 3.1 million with 20 airlines connecting to about 40 different

destinations and 56% business usage. The airport, as a strategic national infrastructure, provides 5, 000

jobs to people across Scotland and generating over GBP125 million, annually for the economy. The airport

has a total of 2, 254 parking spaces.

At a growth rate of 2.8%, the airport is expected to handle 4 million passengers in 2020 and 5.09 million in

2040. By 2030, it will create additional 1,100 jobs and additional GBP42 million to the economy.

The 2013 Aberdeen International Airport Master Plan is seeking further infrastructure expansion and

modernization to meet capacity requirements up to the year 2040, reduction in the airport’s carbon footprint

through the use of renewable energy technologies to meet its energy requirements and improving the

range of transport modes in accessing the airport, which currently depends majorly on private cars and

taxis.


b. Water Based Transportation

The water based transportation in Aberdeen is

international in its outlook operating within and

outside Scotland. The water transport sector

revolves around Aberdeen Harbour, which has

been described has the Europe's principal

marine support centre for the energy sector in

the North Sea and Atlantic Margin. It is the main

commercial port serving North-East Scotland

with shipping links to around 41 countries

worldwide (Aberdeen Harbour, 2015).

Historically, the sheltered estuary of the River

Dee is a natural harbour and its first use is lost in

the mists of time. The first recorded reference was in AD 1136 when King David 1st of Scotland granted the

Bishops of Aberdeen the right to levy a tithe on all ships trading at the port. The arrival of the offshore oil

and gas industry in the mid 1960s resulted in a remarkable programme which was to virtually rebuild the

harbour in the following decades, transforming it into one of the most modern ports in Europe.

Today, Aberdeen Harbour handles around 5 million tonnes of cargo annually, with some GBP1.5 billion,

and inputs over GBP1.5 billion a year into the local economy (Aberdeen Harbour, 2015). The city has the

world’s largest concentration of subsea engineering capability at Westhill (World Energy Cities Partnership,

2015).

Apart from the cargo movement from the harbor, Aberdeen water is prominent for its ferry services to the

northern archipelagoes of Kirkwall, Orkney and Lerwick, Shetland by Northlink Ferries as the operators.

Visual observation revealed non utilization of inland water ways of River Dee and River Don for regular

transportation services within the city. Cities such as Osaka in Japan, Fort Lauderdale, South Florida,

United States and London integrated inland water transportation as part of wider city’s transportation

network.

c. Rail Transportation

Similar to the water based transportation, rail services in Aberdeen is inter-regional with the city as one of

the regional hubs between North and South of the United Kingdom. Apart from the rail stop at Dyce, there

is no internal rail networking or services within the city. Trams and light rail system are not part of the city’s

internal transportation network.

The rail station located in the city centre, Union Square, is part of integrated transportation hub of Aberdeen

comprising of bus, taxi and ferry services.

Aberdeen Harbor


d. Road Transportation

Road transportation is a major form of mobility

within Aberdeen. Under the road transportation,

walking, cycling, cars, High Occupancy Vehicles

(HOV) and the road infrastructure are the

identified components of mobility within the city.

Infrastructure for walking is fully

developed within the city. Walkways

beside the vehicular right of way in

almost every street and intelligent

access control system through traffic

lights are the major feature of walking

infrastructure in the city. Also, some

areas such as St. Nicholas Street,

Castle Street, Shiprow and Bon Accord Area are designated as pedestrian zone

while pedestrians’ malls are strategically located to encourage walking.

Although, outdoor seating arrangement which could have increased the motivation

for walking is not part of urban activities in the city, but the city overall walking

priority is good.

Cycling culture is at the infancy level within the city. Apart from pockets of cycling racks at the train station,

Universities, malls and few other places, and cycling road signs on few roads in the city, cycling

infrastructure such as segregated lanes, bike bridges and cycling access control are grossly lacking. When

compared to Copenhagen, Stockholm and Rotterdam cities, all in Europe, Aberdeen is yet to fully

conceptualize cycling as one of the key transport mode.

Cars and vans are some of the prominent modes of transportation in Aberdeen. In

this category are private vehicles and taxis. Gaining popularity in the city since

2012 is car club system where interested residents join organizations that have

pool of cars to be shared by their respective member s. The idea is to reduce

congestion and carbon footprint in the city. Members do not need to own a car

themselves, they can book a car when they need it and pay as you drive. No need

for parking permits, maintenance, taxes or insurance by members.

High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) often described as bus journey are the major backbones of road mobility

within the city with average of 50,000 passengers movement per day (First, 2015). Vibrant players in this

Pedestrian Only Route at Shiprow


sector are First Aberdeen which provides inter-city services and Stagecoach which connects the city to

hinterland.

The quality, efficiency, safety and reliability of bus journey in the city are impeccable and could possibly

rank as among the best in the world. Like bus journey in other cities of the United Kingdom, the service is

predictable and on-time.

d. Road Infrastructure

Road infrastructure consists of right of way,

intelligent traffic management equipment, traffic

signs, road markings, bus stops and parking

facilities. In the city, the roads appear to be old

but in good condition, well maintained and

efficiently linking one part of the city to the other,

in its maximum capacity.

However, observation of traffic pattern revealed

that the current capacity of the road is

inadequate to meet the traffic demand for the

city’s population of 224,970. In the hours

between 05:00pm and 07:30pm, traffic journey

of 8 minutes on King Street from Seaforth Road

junction to Bridge of Don could delay for more than 35 minutes.

With few exceptions of few dual carriage roads such as A93, Denburn Road, Beach Boulevard, Virginia

Street, Great Southern Road, Stonehaven Road and Esplanade among others, majority of the road network

within the city are single carriage. Some of the strategic long span single carriage roads such as Holburn

Street, Union Street and King Street were marked with segregated bus lanes .

Despite the old age and inadequacy of road network, all parts of the city were fully retrofitted with intelligent

traffic management equipment including traffic control lights, pedestrian access buttons and traffic

monitoring cameras. Bus stops were made of translucent construction materials and each fully equipped

with name of bus stop, detailed information on bus routes and electronic bus timing board. The traffic signs

are well positioned on the city’s road network while the adequacy of road markings projects the roads as

new construction.

Traffic Build-Up & Dedicated Bus Lane on King Street


3.3 WATER AND SANITATION

Regionally, the Scottish Water, constituted under the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, has the

responsibility of delivering water to Scottish cities and communities, including Aberdeen city. Scottish Water

is a public sector body, classified as a public corporation, and answerable to Scottish Ministers . Its duties to

provide a wholesome supply of water sufficient for domestic purposes are set out in the Water (Scotland)

Act 1980. It also has obligation to connect customers, at reasonable cost. The corporation’s activities are

being regulated by the independent Drinking Water Quality Regulator (DWQR), appointed by Scottish

Ministers under the 2002 Act. DWQR has the duty to ensure that Scottish Water complies with the

legislation to provide wholesome drinking water. The regulator has powers of enforcement to obtain

information from Scottish Water and to enter and inspect Scottish Water premises such as water treatment

works (Scottish Water, 2014).

The water supply system serving Aberdeen city is part of a complex and sophisticated network that has

evolved over a significant period of time in response to the growth of Aberdeen and the communities of

Aberdeenshire with more stringent social and environmental requirements. In some cases infrastructure

built at the end of the 19th century is still fully operational and works with much more recently install ed

assets (Aberdeen City and Shire, 2010).

Aberdeen City and the area along Deeside, south to Stonehaven, northwest to Alford and Gartly and north

to Ellon is all served by water abstracted from the River Dee or immediate tributaries. The licensed

abstraction from the Dee is 145 megalitres per day (mld). This abstraction currently takes place at Glen

Dye (scheduled for closure as at 2012), Invercannie and Inchgarth. In total, Scottish Water abstract on

average about 110mld from the Dee catchment (including the water abstracted at Glendye).

Aberdeen City is served by water treated at Glen Dye, Invercannie and Mannofield Water Treatment Works

(WTW). Each of these WTWs has different capacities (measured in mld) to treat and release water into the

network as shown in Table 3.1 below;

Table 3.1; Capacity of Water Treatment Works serving Aberdeen City as at 2010

S/N Water Treatment Works Location Capacity (mld)

1 Glen Dye Aberdeenshire 4.5

2 Invercannie Banchory 49.5

3 Mannofield Aberdeen 70

Total 124

Source: Aberdeen City and Shire, 2010


The reticulation of water system in the city is underground and the connection from mains to buildings is

through conduit piping. The rate of coverage for water supply within the city is high with every household

connected while the quality of supply is exemplary.

Cost recovery mechanism is through Aberdeen City Council tax bill with average yearly payment of

GBP147.91 and monthly payment of GBP12.33 per household.

In addition to managing and delivering quality water to residents and visitors to Scotland, Scottish Water

has duties to drain, treat and deal effectively with domestic sewage, surface water and trade effluent as set

out in the Sewerage (Scotland) Act 1968 with obligation to provide customers’ connections, at reasonable

cost (Scottish Water, 2014).

The main drivers for improvement in environmental water quality have been, and continue to be, European

Directives that have subsequently been transposed into Scots law. The main European Directives are ;

The Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD)

The Water Framework Directive

The Revised Bathing Waters Directive

The Waste Framework, Industrial Emissions and Contaminated Land Directives

The Shellfish Directive

The Priority Substances Directive

Some of the European Union Directives such as the Water Framework Directive requires the integrated

management of Europe’s water bodies and for member states to improve water bodies to good status by

2027, unless it is disproportionately costly to do so. Scottish Ministers have set an objective that 97% of

water bodies should be at good status, or better, by 2027. To achieve good status, a water body must be

close to the condition that it would be in without the impact of human pressures.

In managing the waste water and environment, Scotish Water is being regulated by the Scottish

Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), constituted under the Environment Act 1995. The Agency

authorizes all Scottish Water’s water abstraction from the environment and discharges back to the

environment. SEPA has powers to obtain information from Scottish Water, enter land and/or inspect

premises owned and operated by Scottish Water, and to take enforcement action where necessary.

In Aberdeen, the treatment of sewerage and domestic effluents has been seamless and unnoticeable with

some of the residents claiming ignorance about the existence of the system. The reticulation is sub-surface

and completely hidden from the public glare.

The service cost recovery mechanism is, also, through Aberdeen City Council tax bill for onward remittance

to Scottish Water. Annually, the average bill for a household is GBP171.64 amounting to GBP14.3/month.


3.4 WASTE MANAGEMENT

Detailed scrutiny of Aberdeen revealed that the city has one of the best and efficient waste management

systems in the world. Regionally across Scotland, there is Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012, passed by

the Scottish Parliament in May 9, 2012, which aim to ensure that the minimum level of service on offer to

households and businesses across Scotland

is better than that of today and signal the end

of landfilling biodegradable municipal waste in

Scotland. It will help Scotland to become one

of the most resource efficient nations in

Europe (Scottish Environment Protection

Agency, 2013). Some of the key provisions in

the regulations are as follows;

Businesses to present metal, plastic,

glass, paper and card for separate

collection from 1 January 2014.

Food businesses (except in rural areas)

which produce over 50 kg of food waste per week to present that food waste for separate collection

from 1 January 2014.

Food businesses (except in rural areas) which produce over 5 kg of food waste per week to present

that food waste for separate collection from 1 January 2016.

Local authorities to provide a minimum recycling service to householders.

Waste contractors to provide collection and treatment services which deliver high quality recycling.

A ban on any metal, plastic, glass, paper, card and food collected separately for recycling from going to

incineration or landfill from 1 January 2014.

All incinerators must ensure that metals and dense plastics have been removed from residual

municipal waste prior to incineration.

A ban on biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill from 1 January 2021

In ensuring the success of the regulations, clear roles and responsibilities were set-out for the stakeholders

in the sector comprising Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), local authorities, waste collection

service providers and waste producers.

SEPA will support the development of sustainable infrastructure and ensure the transition is managed in a

way which delivers a high degree of environmental protection through advise, planning and regulatory

Waste Sorting Bins on Trinity Lane


roles. The agency will collaborate with local authorities to enforce the requirement for businesses to recycle

key dry recyclables and food waste (where

applicable). Local authorities will also provide

a minimum recycling service to householders

The 2012 Regulations require that all

commercial customers take all reasonable

steps to ensure the separate collection of

specific dry recyclable wastes: that is glass,

metals, plastics, paper and card (including

cardboard). Food businesses (such as cafés,

restaurants & food retail premises) generating

50kg or more of food waste per week must

procure a separate food waste collection

service.

Waste collection service providers are to take all reasonable steps to ensure that waste is managed in a

manner that promotes high quality recycling, and that their commercial customers have an adequate waste

collection service to enable them to comply with the Regulations. They must ensure that their commercial

customers have a general waste bin for non-recyclable materials and undertake regular checks o f recycling

bins for contamination and provide feedback to customers in order to maintain or improve the quality of

material collected among other roles.

Riding on the provisions of the regional regulation, Aberdeen City Council in 2013 revised its 12-year waste

strategic plan named Aberdeen City Waste Strategy 2014 – 2025. The document’s guiding principle is that

Aberdeen’s waste is no longer a problem, but a resource with the goal that Aberdeen will be a zero waste

city, providing long term social, economic and environmental benefits to all residents. In the strategic

document, the key elements are based upon:

Closed loop circular economy

The waste hierarchy

Waste is a resource not a problem

Precautionary principle

The proximity principle

Pragmatic and value for money

Equality of service provision policies

Contributions to wider Council

Waste Collection for Recycling at the Train Station, Union Square


The five key targets for the waste strategy by 2025 are as outlined below;

Target 1 Waste growth will be eliminated by 2015.

Target 2 Aberdeen will work towards the targets set in the Scottish Government’s Zero Waste Plan 2010.

Target 3 Introduce an organic waste collection for all households by 2016.

Target 4 Develop facilities within the Aberdeen area to recover our resources.

Target 5 No more than 5% of household

waste should be landfilled by

2025.

In compliance with the specified roles in the

Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 and

implementing the provisions of the City

Waste Strategy 2014 – 2025, the City

Council has established five household

waste recycling centers and 46 recycling

points across the city. Waste bins with label

for separations are well located in business

premises while waste storage areas in the

residential apartments are sited in a safe

area and well equipped with the adequate capacity of Mobile Garbage Bins. Within the public area such as

walkway or open spaces, self-opened waste receptacles are well positioned to serve pedestrians and other

members of the public.

Waste Storage Area at Residential Premises

Multi Purpose Bicycle Rack at Union Square College Street (Dual Carriage Road)


Queen Elizabeth Pedestrian Bridge over River Dee

Mobility Activities on Union Street Pedestrian Track at Robert Gordon University

Taxi Park at Back WYND Bus Stop at Broomhill Road

Waste Service Provider on Union Street


Car Park Facility at Aberdeen Airport

Train Station, Union Square

Train Station, Union Square

Aberdeen Internatinal Airport, Dyce Traffic Build –Up at A947

Activities on Broomhill Road


PART 4 – ENERGY DEVELOPMENT


4.1 INTRODUCTION

Globally, energy efficiency, management and sustainability are becoming key determinants in the success

or inadequacy of communities, towns and cities. In the next decade, energy will become a major indicator

to measure the prosperity, resilience and quality of living in the cities. This scenario is compelling as there

are intense efforts to reduce the impacts of human activities on climate change and saving humanity from

its own disaster. Recognizing this impending trend and accruable tremendous benefits to the city and its

residents, Aberdeen is taking measures to become one of the leading energy efficient cities in the world.

Part Four will look at the components and strategies adopted by Aberdeen to remain focus and keep track

of opportunities to diversify energy mix and reduce city’s carbon footprint. Some of the strategies reviewed

are changing of city’s slogan, green transportation and renewable energy delivery.

4.2 ENERGY CAPITAL OF EUROPE

The change of city’s slogan from “Oil Capital of Europe” to “Energy Capital of Europe” is a strategic broad

term to capture the direction of Aberdeen. The slogan symbolizes the status of Aberdeen as a leading city

in energy in Europe and the vision of leadership role at the global scale. It represents the guiding principle

that will drive the leadership of Aberdeen in global energy practice.

All energy policies, programs and projects are envisaged to revolve around this guiding principle. The

commitment of the city as energy capital of Europe is a vibrant motivation for the city to deploy adequate

resources and tools towards energy initiatives and innovations among other cities.

Adopting a name or slogan for a city has been known to be a compelling branding

strategy to attracting and retaining top institutions, skills and value for the core

competency area of the city. Americans have successfully used this planning strategy

to motivate development in their cities. California State in the United States adopted

the approach in 1971 when it named San Francisco Bay Area to San Jose in the Santa

Clara County as Silicon Valley. This resulted in the retainership and agglomeration of

leading microelectronics organizations and entrepreneurs in the world. Paris in

France has, consistently, been tagged as fashion capital of the world because of

concentration of top notch fashion outfits and regular hosting of global fashion

events.

With remarkable history of performance as “Oil Capital of Europe”, it is evident that Aberdeen can live up to

the billing of “Energy Capital of Europe” in the coming years.


4.3 GREEN TRANSPORT

In asserting its leadership in the Europe energy map, world leading city in low carbon technology and

improving the city’s environment and air quality, the city has commenced the implementation of GBP19

million green transport demonstrated project. The results of this project include the delivery of 10 Van Hool

hydrogen fuel cell buses to be operated by two major bus operators in the city, First Aberdeen (X40 route –

Kingswell to Bridge of Don Park and Ride) and Stagecoach (X17 route - Aberdeen city center to Westhill).

Also, the first UK hydrogen production and bus refueling station has been commissioned. The station which

will deliver hydrogen infrastructure in Aberdeen as well as a purpose-built hydrogen fuel cell vehicle

maintenance facility is coming under the funding from multiple stakeholders comprising government,

multilateral and private institutions highlighting the city’s collaborative approach in achieving its goals.

Earlier in 2014, First Aberdeen, had made GBP4.3million investment in 26 micro -hybrid vehicles, one of the

world's most fuel-efficient buses (Aberdeen City Council, 2015) while Stagecoach has deployed electric-

hybrid buses in its fleet.

As part of its involvement in the CARE North (Carbon Responsible Transport for the

North Sea Region) Project, Aberdeen had investigated number of carbon responsible

transport projects for the city including Low Emission Zone, Off -Bus Ticketing, Car

Club, Idling Strategy, Electric Vehicle Charging Points, On-Street Bicycle Rental,

Emission Based Parking Charges and Purchasing of Electric Vehicles by the Council.

Some of these initiatives are being implemented

while further studies are on-going on others. On

the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) of restricting most

polluting vehicles from accessing designated

zones, the 2011 revised Air Quality Action Plan

has reaffirmed the declaration of the city center

and two other zones (Anderson Drive and

Wellington Road) as an Air Quality Management

Area (AQMA). The city council is currently

undertaking a study on the installations of on-

street bus ticket machines for passengers to

purchase their tickets before boarding and the

ideal locations for the machines. This is to

reduce the boarding time, reduce the idling time

for the bus and consequently reducing pollution

in the city (Aberdeen City Council, 2011).

The idling strategy is focusing on awareness for the drivers on the need not to leave the car idling as it

emits 20 times more pollution than a vehicle travelling at 32 mph. Although, the council is relying on Road

Air Quality Monitor on King Street


Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (Scotland) Regulations 2003 with warning and GBP20 fixed

penalty for enforcement, but it places priority on the City Wardens who will distribute information and

educate drivers on the effects of vehicle idling on the environment. Car clubbing is already being

implemented as outlined in Part 3, infrastructure section, with operators being supported by funding from

Transport Scotland to acquire electric cars.

On-Street Bicycle Rental, Emission Based Parking Charges and Purchasing of Electric Vehicles by the

Council are the strategies under further investigation.

Preparing the city for the upsurge in the use of Electric Vehicle (EV), 12 electric vehicles charging point

funded by Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and Transport Scotland have been commissioned and

made available for motorists in the city.

4.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY

At the heart of renewable energy in Aberdeen is the goal of ensuring that citizens have affordable warmth

and light from sources which are the least damaging to the environment. In achieving this goal, renewable

energy cannot be totally isolated from overall power delivery in Scotland while Aberdeen ene rgy dynamics

cannot be analyzed without reference to Scottish aggregate demand and supply.

Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD) is responsible for delivering energy to 740,000

customers in the north of Scotland including

Aberdeen. All renewable energy resources

being exploited by wind and marine

generation depends on the Scottish Hydro

Electric Transmission (SHE Transmission)

transmission network for transportation to

load center (Scottish and Southern Energy,

2015).

In February 2015, WeatherEnergy analysis

revealed that wind turbines alone provided

an estimated 1,307,629MWh of electricity to

the National Grid, enough to supply, on

average, the electrical needs of 146% of

Scottish households (3.5 million homes) -

This represents an increase of 27% compared to January 2014, when wind energy provided

1,033,130MWh (WWF and Weather Energy, 2015). The analysis further provided the following data for

Aberdeen;

Roof Mounted Solar PV on Supported Housing at Auchinyell Road


Table 4.1; Analysis of Renewable Energy Supply in Aberdeen, January 2015

Production in kWh % of an Average Household Electricity Demand Provided

by Solar PV

140 kWh 37.9%

% of an Average Household Hot Water Provided By Solar Thermal 45%

Source: WWF and WeatherEnergy, 2015

The data provided were based on the assumptions outlined in Tab le 4.2;

Table 4.2; Assumptions for Energy Demand in Scotland, 2015

S/N Variable Value

1 Average annual Scottish household electricity consumption 4,435 kWh

2 Number of households in Scotland 2.42 million

3 Total electricity consumption in Scotland 25,873GWh,

41% - domestic

59% - non-domestic.

4 Average solar PV installation 3kW

5 Average hot water (thermal) installation 4.62m2

6 Average household daily hot water consumption 122 liters

Source: WWF and WeatherEnergy, , 2015

In Aberdeen, private sector is collaborating to drive the deployment of renewable energy in accordance with

the guidelines provided by the government. Among the on-going projects is the European Offshore Wind

Deployment Centre, a ground breaking new facility currently being developed by Aberdeen Offshore Wind

Farm Ltd (AOWFL) – a joint venture between Vattenfall and Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG) –

plus development consortium partner Technip. The innovative project which received Scottish Ministers

approval in 2013 with offshore construction envisaged to commence in 2015, is being supported with

funding under the Energy Programme for Recovery

The 11 turbine scheme located off the Aberdeen coast will have an installed capacity of up to 100MW and

over twelve months would be capable of yielding, on average, enough clean, green electricity to power the

equivalent of over 68,000 UK households (Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group, 2015).


Also, Rubberatkins, a private establishment based at Aberdeen Science and Energy Park, in 2012

commissioned on-site 300Kw wind turbine

which generate annual power requirements for

the organizations rubber moulding operations

and saving 450 tonnes of CO2 in a year

(Rubberatkins, 2015).

In 2002, Aberdeen City Council took a unique

approach towards developing local solution to

it’s city’s energy requirements and efficiency by

establishing Aberdeen Heat and Power

Limited, a not for profit organization that will

develop Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

schemes for the city. CHP is a system whereby

electricity is generated locally for sale and the

heat emitted by the generator is captured and

used to heat properties instead of being

released to atmosphere.

The system is currently supplying heat and power to 1,330 apartments and nine public building s from

Hazlehead, Seaton and Stockethill energy centers in the city while Tillydrone/Cairncry energy projects are

on-going. Carbon emissions from the buildings have been reduced by 45% and fuel costs to tenants have

been reduced by 50% over previous heating systems

300Kw Wind Turbine at Rubberatkins Premises, Energy Park

Electric-Hybrid Bus Deployed by Stagecoach


Wind Turbines Farm Outskirt Aberdeen

Energy Sub-Station at Langdykes Road

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Deployed by First Aberdeen


PART 5 – CONCLUSION


5.1 OBSERVATIONS

It is clear that Aberdeen has achieved tremendous progress in its sphere of influence, energy and research

and low-carbon technology, it has successfully delivered good and quality living conditions to its residents.

Nonetheless, there are areas for improvement, as outlined below, which the city may consider as part of

approaches to fully realizing the goal of Energy Capital of Europe.

Despite the prowess, success and pioneering efforts in the energy sector, relatively little is known

about Aberdeen at the global scale of development. In many ranking of cities on development

indicators, Aberdeen has been conspicuously missing on the list. However, an online business

magazine, arabianindustry.com, in 2014 ranked the city No. 8 after Omsk, Siberia-Russia in the top ten

of oil and gas cities in the world. Comparatively, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Malmo, Perth,

Helsinki, Calgary, Boston, Dubai and San Francisco among other small to medium cities have

continued to exert soft power, influence and value on the global social, economic and technology

indices.

Possibly, Aberdeen might have adopted a strategy of low global profile to keep the population at very

low annual growth rate. If the assumption is correct, this strategy may shrink the overall global

opportunities accruable to the city.

Findings have shown that there are many policies and plans formulated to guide the future direction of

the city by the Aberdeen City Council, Scottish government agencies, private organizations and trade

associations. The availability of all the plans to users appears disjointed and not in a common

accessible pool. The city council can create additional dedicated loop on its website containing a ll the

plans for the future of the city both from government and non-government entities. This is a one-stop

approach that will enhance accessibility by the users.

The waste management strategy of the city is impressive and exemplary, but detailed attenti on is

required in some aspects of cleaning the city, especially the track at the rail station (outward to Dyce).

This, perhaps, could be a dent in the overall success of the waste management efforts.

To enhance the drive of low carbon agenda for the city , priority should be accorded to expanding

bicycle friendly infrastructure. This with a view to promoting strong bicycle culture among the city’s

residents.

Complimenting and symbolizing the “Energy Capital of Europe” status, the city needs to explore energy

tourism as part of its approaches. Projects and programs that will utilize 100% renewable energy in its

processes and operations may be conceived around the energy tourism. This will generate local

businesses, diversify the revenue base of the city on long term basis, demonstrate to the global

community the possibilities and ideals of utilizing renewable energy in everyday activities, and further


strengthen the position of Aberdeen as a leading green city. Some of the iconic buildings or public

spaces in the city may be considered for this idea.

5.2 CONCLUSIONS

In the transformation bid of Aberdeen from fossil fuel economy to green economy, the city has

demonstrated resourcefulness and capability to articulating a roadmap and political will in implementation.

Although, there are noticeable aging and inadequacy in the infrastructure, but the efficiency and

functionality of the existing infrastructure has put the city in the frontline of cities with modern infrastructure.

Its compact urban development has shown dynamism and ability to respond to the needs of the residents

and visitors in the area of housing, water, energy, transportation and general living conditions.

The city’s strategy of logical implementation of plans, engagement of residents, collaboration and

partnership with multiple stakeholders and creating conducive business environment for the private sector

to execute tactical urban development projects has proved to be successful.

A fundamental observation in the overall growth of Aberdeen is that autonomy granted to the city in 1996

has not diminished the performance and ability of the city to deliver resilience, livable and sustainable

environment to the residents, rather it has seen the city taking a bold step to become a global benchmark in

green economy and reduction on the impact of climate change.

While the city need to be conscious of the issues observed in this report, the experience of Aberdeen in

going green is nevertheless, a pathway for other cities both in developed and deve loping countries.


PICTURES GALLERY

Robert Gordon University at Schoolhill Talisman Sinopec Oil Company, Holburn Street

University of Aberdeen, Old Aberdeen Soul Casino, Union Street

View of River Dee from Wellington Road Jurys Inn at Union Square


His Majesty’s Theater

St. Nicholas Kirk - View from Schoolhill

Pedestrians Crossing at Union Street Office Complex Opposite Aberdeen Harbour

Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Center, Energy Park

Vehicular Traffic at King Street


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Aberdeen CITY OF OLD MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE

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aberdeen – city of old modern infrastructure

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