Planning for sustainability

A new £1m research project will help UK cities incorporate energy sustainability as an integral part of the planning process for major projects.

As part of the programme, engineers at the University of Leeds and the University of Nottingham will develop the tools necessary for planners to make these decisions.

William Gale, a professor in the school of process, environmental and materials engineering at Leeds, said: ‘Traditionally, planners were concerned with issues such as the appropriateness of proposed buildings and transport infrastructure. Our cities have a huge impact on energy sustainability and economic competitiveness, so it is vital that future energy needs are considered in the planning process.'

The project brings together academics from a range of disciplines, working with the different strands of complexity science  a field concerned with the evolution of physical and organisational systems and decision making.

Gale added: ‘We’re not only looking at how much power will be needed and where it might come from, we’ll also be examining how decision-making by multiple stakeholders – as is common in high-density city areas – might affect the energy planning process.'