Z-squared: enabling one planet living in the Thames Gateway

About the report

This report is the culmination of the first phase of work to justify a One Planet Community development in the Thames Gateway. It outlines scenarios for on-site infrastructure and strategies to achieve zero carbon and zero waste. 

The report is one of eight in our Z-squared research report series.

Published November 2004
Pages 72

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BioRegional is a registered charity – if you would like to make a donation for this report please visit www.justgiving.com to do so securely on-line – suggested donation £4.00.  

Your support will help us to continue developing vital solutions for sustainable living.

Executive summary

If everyone on earth consumed natural resources and polluted the environment as we currently do in the UK, we would need at least three planets to support us. Reducing our ecological footprint to one planet is crucial in terms of ensuring long term sustainability. To help communicate the challenge we all face in reducing our environmental impact and to facilitate change at local and global levels, BioRegional and WWF have launched a joint initiative "One Planet Living" (OPL), which aims to develop a global network of One Planet Communities to enable people to live within a fair share of the earth’s resources.

According to South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)’s Taking Stock report, shared services and infrastructure together are the largest component of our ecological footprint, followed by food, transport, energy and water, and waste. Therefore we need to address the impact of each of these, in order to reduce their ecological footprint and to develop truly sustainable communities.

The Z-squared project has produced an infrastructure-led concept design for a 2,000 home mixed-use, and mixed tenure development which takes tried and tested technologies and integrates them to achieve zero carbon emissions from the energy required for heating, cooling and electricity and close to zero waste to landfill.

The starting point for the project was to estimate the amounts of waste that would be generated by the homes, businesses and community facilities within the community, their energy demands for heating, cooling, lighting and appliances and their water consumption, in effect looking at the metabolism for the community. Working with a team comprising KBR building / infrastructure engineers and transportation planners, Fulcrum Consulting environmental energy and water engineers, a series of options were appraised. Cost estimates were produced by Cyril Sweett and an indicative masterplan was developed by Foster and Partners.

This report, Z-squared: Enabling One Planet Living in the Thames Gateway, is the culmination of the first phase of work to justify development of a One Planet Community in the Thames Gateway. It outlines scenarios for on-site infrastructure required to deliver zero carbon and zero waste and sustainable water use and treatment. It suggests the approach that should be taken to reduce the environmental impact of transport and food within a community. It proposes methods to reduce the environmental impact of construction materials and improve biodiversity. Incorporating strategies to increase equity and fair trade, and acknowledge culture and heritage, it offers a means by which people who live, learn and work in Z-squared can have happy and healthy lifestyles whilst living within a fair share of the earth’s resources.

Our research, including economic appraisals by KBR and Cyril Sweett, demonstrates that it is commercially viable to build to Z-squared standards when taking into account lifetime costs, but by taking this approach, a lead developer takes on more than would be required of him in a conventional development. This report highlights the next steps that should happen to see Z-squared developed. This includes recognition of the benefits compared with a conventional development delivered by Z-squared, in terms of carbon emission savings, reduced pressure on mains water and water treatment infrastructure, off-site generation and distribution capacity and landfill capacity. There is a need for a new approach to owning and operating infrastructure in such a development with waste, water and energy services integrated to optimise performance.

Central government, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Greater London Assembly, Regional Development Agencies, Local Authorities as well as Registered Social Landlords and developers all have a role to play in supporting development to Z-squared standards and thus delivering truly sustainable communities.

Download report PDF
........................................................................................................
BioRegional is a registered charity – if you would like to make a donation for this report please visit www.justgiving.com to do so securely on-line – suggested donation £4.00.  

Your support will help us to continue developing vital solutions for sustainable living.