Digital Platform To Reveal Environmental Impact Of Building Developments
Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire, business consultancy Pröject EU and St Albans City & District Council are working together to create a new tool which gives local people a better insight into the environmental impact of building developments in their area. Housing Industry Leaders looks at the project and the benefits it will bring.
The City Net Zero Tool (CINT) project aims to develop a digital platform that will enable the local community to engage with proposed changes to building developments in their local area.
It will offer insight into the impact a new building development could have on carbon emissions and other environmental factors.
A Better Understanding Of Our Current Decarbonisation Challenges Is Needed
Councillor Chris White, Leader of St Albans City and District Council, explained why the council are keen to create a public-facing platform: “Tackling the climate emergency is our top priority, and we are working towards making the district carbon neutral by 2030.
“To achieve that goal, we need the support of our residents, and this exciting project that we have embarked on with our partner organisations will help them to become more involved.”
Our residents will be able to use this tool to assess the environmental impact of developments in their neighbourhood to get a better understanding of the decarbonisation challenges that we are all faced with.
Local Communities Must Engage In Conversations On Sustainable Planning
Bringing together expertise in data analysis, data visualisation and urban planning, the project hopes to give individuals the ability to understand and influence net zero targets in their local area and maximise sustainability and decarbonisation in new developments.
Associate Professor and lead researcher on the project for the University of Hertfordshire, Silvio Carta has said that this opportunity will highlight the importance of public understanding: “It’s important that communities understand how net zero targets can be achieved in their local area, and what this looks like in practice.
“New buildings in urban areas aren’t necessarily a bad thing for the environment; by providing people with accurate data in a really accessible tool, they are able to see for themselves the impact that a proposed project would have, and engage in important conversations around sustainable planning for their home town.”
While Director of Pröject EU, Marc McGurk, said: “We are pleased to be involved in the CINT project. It allows us to utilise our experience in data analysis and data visualisation, together with our growing carbon knowledge.”
The result of this project will make a difference to how local communities engage with their environs.
Initial work is happening to understand the carbon data currently available, and how it can be adapted into a user-friendly tool that allows people to envisage the carbon impact in an accessible way.
