GREENING TROPICAL URBAN ENVIRONMENTS:

utilising social housing policies, Caribbean raw materials, and smart technologies to build

healthy and safe communities

poverty

povertysocial

exclusion

social exclusio

n

Urban

threat to food securit

y

threat to food securit

y

lack of tenurelack of tenure

lack of affordabl

e housing

lack of affordabl

e housing

vulnerability to natural

disasters

vulnerability to natural

disasters

informal economic sector

tenure insecurity

low-lying urban coastal settlements

inadequate supply of affordable housing

Critical Urban Issues

low-lying urban coastal settlements

water stress / scarcity

over-dependence on fossil fuel

Critical Urban Issues

urban sprawl

inadequate implementation

and enforcement

colonial urban planning and management

Green Vision• water efficiency

• sustainable site selection

• raw materials that support resource conservation and sustainability

• indoor air quality

Green Vision (contd)• integration of

biological diversity (green spaces)

• community living

• energy efficiency in materials and design

Green Vision (contd)• reduce role of

private vehicle• building

infrastructure for pedestrian an cyclists

• improve public transit

• using existing vehicular infrastructure

Green Vision (contd)• introduction of

mode switching

• implementing vehicle emission standards

• integrating transport and overall planning policies

Green Vision (contd)• integrated

disaster risk and climate change adaptation

Barbados Green Building VisionEconomic Social EnvironmentalSupply and use of energy efficient building materials

Redesign of community living; building homes and communities not houses and developments

Reduced footprint on land (building upwards, space efficient)

Economic building practices Places instead of spaces High-tech recycling systemsShift from wood to more plastic in construction

Greening our way of life by educating stakeholders

Use of reusable materials

Efficient building design More green spaces Use of natural ventilation; climate specific design

Fully integrated cadastre system Cultural shift towards more communal living

Energy efficiency with land, sea, sun and wind turbines generating energy for street lights, homes and other buildings Fully motioned sensored lights for neighbourhoodsStreamlined, computerised, energy efficient, interactive, prefabricated, mass produced buildings Application of smart technologies across home systems

Challenges to Green Urban

•relatively high costs of newer technologies•absence of an overarching policy framework• lack of training programmes•Barbados Building Code not yet operationalised•lack of standards for building contractors•over reliance on fossil fuel•chronic traffic congestion•unsustainable annual growth rates•no national standards for air and noise emissions•poorly integrated public transport services•constraints on financial and human resource capacities•public perceptions of green initiatives and cultural preferences

Enabling Environment:

• Supporting legislation and regulations

• Policies and programmes

• Demonstration projects

Opportunities:

• Social housing policies

• Caribbean raw materials

• Smart technologies

Social Housing Policy

Opportunities include:• refinement /development of underlying

principles, policies and standards for green housing

• introduction and training towards green building certification e.g. LEED

• promotion of private – public sector green community demonstration projects e.g. Eckstein Village

Social Housing Policy

Opportunities (Contd):• revision of green building guidelines

based on experiences with pilot projects

• community sensitisation, participation and ownership of green building outcomes

• approval of the Barbados Building Act and operationalisation of the Barbados Building Standards Authority

Social Housing Policy

Opportunities (Contd)• adoption of the Barbados Building

Code 1993, update with standards for green building

• approval of the Water Reuse Act and establishment of standards for grey water use

• refinement of solid waste management policies to promote waste reduction and sorting at the household level

Location Location DesignDesign

Green FocusGreen Focus

Construction Construction MonitoringMonitoring

Caribbean Raw Materials

Construction raw materials include:• Cement and concrete blocks• Wood• Clay

Smart Technologies

A central system to control the home environment – heating, lighting, security

Summary• Enormous

potential for move towards the required integrated approach for green economy

• A highly participatory process is required

Thank You