The Auckland Draft Unitary Plan was launched today by Auckland Council and is now out for feedback. It will become the rulebook that shapes the way Auckland grows, setting out what can be built and where.
By 2050, the human population will have reached 9 billion; 75% of whom will be living in the cities. Until then, climate change, resource scarcities, rising energy cost and a preoccupation with preventing and minimising the effects of the next natural or man-made disaster will undoubtedly shape our vision for the built environment.
Message from Craig Price, NZGBC Chairman.
It has been suggested that during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), public sentiment about green initiatives faded, as costs were cut and risks avoided.
“Resilient Cities is the global platform for learning, cooperation and networking on all aspects of urban resilience and adaptation to climate change; where local impacts meet a world of solutions.”
Konrad Otto-Zimmermann, ICLEI Secretary General and Congress Chair
Current projections indicate that 70 percent of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050. Buildings form the fabric of these rapidly growing urban landscapes. Sustainable development objectives can only be met if we increase the energy and resource efficiency of our buildings, aligning economic, social, and environmental objectives.
Winston Churchill once famously said “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” But in the last decade, the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has provided a practical demonstration of how we can reshape our buildings and our built environment to support a better, greener future.
This year, the worldwide Green Building Community will meet in Stuttgart from 18 - 20 June. This international event will give you the opportunity to exchange ideas with experts from over 80 countries and make valuable new contacts.