ABSTRACT

The construction industry globally accounts for a significant amount of the world’s CO2 emissions. This puts considerable responsibility on the shoulders of architects and planners to design in good conscience. The West should be leading on this front, but land prices in central London, Paris, Melbourne, Amsterdam or New York are so great that architecture is often challenged financially, subject to cost and therefore less environmentally responsible. Certainly with less idealistic but profit-focused projects, the addition of sustainable elements can be challenging, but no less necessary. In public projects, which often remain in the ownership of a public institution, they might find a receptive ear to arguments focusing on maintenance and operational costs. In terms of convincing a public body, ‘green’ arguments that support the city’s particular mission can be integral to fast-tracking the project through planning, and garnering political support. A master plan for a district without parking, improving traffic flow through the city, can also be convincing.