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urban land institute ARCHIVE

Tag Archive for: urban land institute

Spiral 926736 640

Towards the Circular Economy through Urban Innovation

November 16, 2018/in Insights/by Lucy Matchett

In an article featured by PLACETECH, Lucy Matchett, Senior Consultant at Hillbreak, shares lessons from Amsterdam on ways in which innovative design and technology are being deployed to advance the circular economy.

The Netherlands is renowned for innovation and creative responses to global megatrends. For example, and despite geographic constraints, The Netherlands has recently become the world’s second largest exporter of food by value, second only to the United States, which has 270 times its landmass’[i]. It has also been paving the way for high tech water management for a number of years, as much of the country sits below sea level[ii]. Now, its cities must respond anew to the opportunities and challenges posed by urbanisation and population growth, despite already being one of the most densely populated countries in the world[iii].

Is the circular economy the solution?

The circular economy offers The Netherlands a solution to these unprecedented challenges. Understanding that the current model of economic growth is unsustainable and detrimental to society, the circular economy is a restorative and regenerative alternative[iv]. Based on a system which decouples ‘economic activity from the consumption of finite resources’[v], the circular economy encourages value to be found in typical waste materials and products. The Netherlands see this approach as a viable alternative to economic growth and prosperity for its citizens. The growth in population and further urbanisation without this paradigm shift would otherwise lead to environmental degradation, pollution and, potentially, social unrest as people compete for limited space, food and commodities.

The Netherlands therefore have chosen to develop a circular economy by 2050[vi]. Within the geographic constraints of their cities, a circular economic model would help to ensure that growth is sustainable. For example, in Amsterdam and Utrecht alone, it is expected that population figures will be 150,000 greater in both cities by 2040 (growing to 950,000 and 450,000 respectively). Beyond the binary growth opportunities this will bring for the market, how this impacts the real estate sector will be realised in two key ways: first in the design of buildings and the products within them for re-use and longevity (otherwise known as cradle to cradle design[vii]); and secondly, in the shared use of space and amenities.

How is the Dutch real estate market responding?

The Edge Olympic[viii]and Bajes Kwartier[ix]in Amsterdam are two great examples of how the circular economy is being integrated as both projects are renovating and reactivating areas that are already part of the city fabric. The Edge Olympic is Edge Technologies’ 11,117 sq m Grade A office, whilst Bajes Kwartier is an exciting redevelopment of a 1970s prison into a mixed-use quarter. Both developments, although at different scales, have firstly considered the re-use of buildings already positioned within the city, and then additionally, the flexibility of that space once redeveloped.

The result is a modern ‘inspiring workplace’ at The Edge Olympic which has used a smart, digital infrastructure to allow occupiers of the building to optimally utilise the space in the building. This type of building management not only improves the accessibility of the space, but also leads to energy efficiencies too, with comfort control being demand-led, taking into consideration real-time occupational density and personal comfort preferences.

At Bajes Kwartier, the circular economic model is being advanced through a number of different approaches. One example of how flexibility will be achieved is through the planned shared amenities and sustainable mobility. Smart landscape planning, for example, will ensure adequate provisions of green space for all the occupants, despite limited private outdoor space. In addition, carefully curated transportation routes will ensure that shared vehicles and active alternatives (walking and cycling) are preferred.

Another example which has circular economy principles incorporated into the entire design, is The Circl, a novel gastronomic venture in Amsterdam[x]. Although a temporary use of space, this building shows what is possible when cradle to cradle principles are designed throughout a building. Built for future disassembly and re-use, this energy positive building worked with a number of suppliers to offer them long-term services rather than a one-off product which has enabled this building to use 60% fewer virgin materials. For example, Mitsubishi provided a lift service rather than a product which ensured they didn’t over specify the number of lifts in the building and have designed them to last with easily replaceable components.

The future of the circular economy within the real estate sector in particular will be enabled and will rely heavily on data. As this area evolves, the real estate sector will see exciting disruptions. MADASTER, based in Amsterdam, creates digital material passports[xi]which will allow manufacturers to give their materials an identity so that value can be recreated at the end of their current use. Applied successfully, this type of innovation could have implications from a regulatory perspective too, as authorities change from a system of taxing labour, to the taxation of materials to further reduce the use of virgin and non-renewable materials.

Is the circular economy the future?

The circular economy presents The Netherlands and other economies with a practical and desirable means of realising better growth and prosperity. What is already clear from the Dutch approach is that partnerships will form, and profitable business models will follow, once a compelling, overarching vision (to develop a circular economy by 2050) is in place.

These insights were gathered during a study tour of Amsterdam and Utrecht organised by the Urban Land Institute, a non-for-profit professional research body focused on creating leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities.

[i]https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/09/holland-agriculture-sustainable-farming/
[ii]https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/15/world/europe/climate-change-rotterdam.html
[iii]https://www.holland.com/global/tourism/information/facts-and-figures.htm
[iv]https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/concept
[v]https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/concept
[vi]https://www.government.nl/documents/policy-notes/2016/09/14/a-circular-economy-in-the-netherlands-by-2050
[vii]https://www.epea.com/cradle-to-cradle/
[viii]https://www.edge-olympic.com/
[ix]http://oma.eu/projects/bajes-kwartier
[x]https://circl.nl/themakingof/en/
[xi]https://www.madaster.com/nl
https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/spiral-926736_640.jpg 480 640 Lucy Matchett https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/hillbreak-green.png Lucy Matchett2018-11-16 09:26:072019-01-14 22:04:56Towards the Circular Economy through Urban Innovation

Hillbreak confirmed for Regen2017

February 22, 2017/in News/by Jon Lovell

Hillbreak Co-Founder and Urban Land Institute (ULI) UK Vice-Chair, Jon Lovell, will be speaking on the main conference programme at Regen2017. The event, to be held at the iconic St George’s Hall in Liverpool, brings together renowned thought-leaders in UK regeneration and economic development.

Representing the ULI, Lovell will join UK-GBC Campaign & Policy Director, John Alker, and the Chief Executive of The Land Trust, Euan Hall, on a session focusing on Sustainability & Growth. He will address the topic of “Leadership in the responsible use of land and investment” through which he will highlight how the burgeoning momentum of the Responsible Investment agenda is shaping investor and developer attitudes to the creation of places and communities with lasting appeal. He will illustrate how a clear focus on futures thinking and strategic foresight is an essential hallmark of the civic and business leadership needed to shape and nurture successful cities and communities in our rapidly-changing world.

The conference, exhibition and networking event, now in its third year, is free to attend and features participants including the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy & Practice, Peel Group, Urban Splash, Triodos Bank and the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Delegates can register for the event here.

https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/architecture-2083684_1280.jpg 400 600 Jon Lovell https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/hillbreak-green.png Jon Lovell2017-02-22 09:34:002017-03-02 11:04:36Hillbreak confirmed for Regen2017

Looking back at 2016

December 21, 2016/in Insights/by Jon Lovell

This article was first published on the Urban Land Institute website.


Well, that was some year! A year of extraordinary paradoxes and contradictions. In truth, I’m still trying to get my head around it, such was the peculiarity of the many events which unfolded. Hot on the heels of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, I headed in to 2016 with a renewed sense of hope and determination.

Finally, after years of effort, the world had taken a unanimous stand against one of the defining threats of our time. Political resolve unparalleled in living memory, emboldened by the clarion call from the world of business, investment and civic governance. The implications for real estate were (and remain) profound, clarifying a new imperative for our industry and those who invest in it. Importantly, the momentum continued with ratification of the Treaty being secured much earlier than expected. It was complemented too, by another ground-breaking Agreement: that struck by 170 nations in Kigali to phase out the use of hydroflourocarbons.

A ULI highlight of mine within this context was the publication of L’Accord de Paris: A Potential Game Changer for the Global Real Estate Industry. My firm, Hillbreak, was honoured to have been asked by ULI to author the Report, supported by an exemplary global steering group. Together, we sought to draw out the key considerations for real estate owners and developers arising from the Agreement and we were rewarded with overwhelmingly positive feedback from across the world.

The Report highlighted, I think, the very unique place which ULI holds in the real estate universe. No other organisation in our sector has quite the reach or depth of insight to be able to take a topic of such pervasive significance and distil it into something resonant across all the major market geographies.

The optimism with which I started the year was soon tempered by a cascade of political shockwaves: a deluge of populism; uprising at the hard ends of the political spectrum; Brexit; the murder of Jo Cox MP; the vitriol of the US Presidential elections.  Not in my lifetime have the forces of progress and disorder been pulling against each other so forcibly.

All these things and more throw a heavy veil of uncertainty over many of the issues with which our ULI Sustainability Council is concerned; social cohesion, tackling climate change, energy policy etc. Despite the upheaval around us, we’ve tried as a Council to address these themes with the balance, rigour and inquisition that they deserve, and I think we’ve been successful in that. Certainly, the feedback which we received from the many ULI members and friends that have attended our events throughout this year suggests that we are.

The Sustainability Council has, I believe, now reached an inflexion moment and we need to reflect carefully on what we have achieved and how we can operate with maximum impact and effectiveness into the future. Many of the events that unfolded around us in 2016 suggest that we need to reappraise the issues which require our focus.

Meanwhile the continued success and maturing of ULI UK means that the organisation is broadening and deepening its activity and its reach (the advent of the Development and the Technology Forums are good examples of this). This is unquestionably brilliant, but also means we need to act smartly to ensure we are delivering nothing but the best experience for our members. With all this in mind, my first priority as Chair of the Sustainability Council for 2017 will be review our form and function. I’m determined that ULI UK continues to be a leader of the organisation’s global efforts on sustainability matters, and I’m looking forward to working with our Committee to define the next phase of growth and development for the Sustainability Council.

As ever, I’d welcome any suggestions on how we enrich our programme and enhance our usefulness for members.


Jon Lovell , Founding Director, Hillbreak and ULI UK Sustainability Chair

https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/glass-200888_640.jpg 417 640 Jon Lovell https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/hillbreak-green.png Jon Lovell2016-12-21 22:20:412017-01-25 16:34:44Looking back at 2016
ULI Connect

Jon Lovell…in conversation with ULI Connect

November 21, 2016/in Insights/by Jon Lovell

Jon Lovell, co-founder of Hillbreak, was recently interviewed by ULI Connect, the official newsletter of the ~40,000 worldwide members of the Urban Land Institute (ULI). He discusses the impacts of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change for the global real estate industry, the risks and competitiveness drivers of climate change and evolving market expectations, and what motivates him to challenge convention in the industry.

The interview was prompted by Hillbreak’s recent authorship of the major ULI report, L’Accord de Paris: A Potential Game-Changer for the Global Real Estate Industry.

Jon is a long-standing member of ULI and is currently vice-Chair of ULI UK and chairs its Sustainability Council.

You can read the article here.

https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/photo-1442406964439-e46ab8eff7c4.jpg 667 1000 Jon Lovell https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/hillbreak-green.png Jon Lovell2016-11-21 21:45:252016-11-28 14:22:42Jon Lovell…in conversation with ULI Connect
Urban City

Real Estate Industry Must Address Climate Change to Maintain Competitiveness

September 21, 2016/in Insights, News, Resources/by Jon Lovell
ULI Report L'Accord de Paris

L’Accord de Paris

Hillbreak was the principal author on a major new report on the global real estate implications of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, published today by the Urban Land Institute. The publication of the report coincides with the gathering of world leaders at the United Nations in New York, during which progress on the ratification of the Paris Agreement gathered significant pace.

The central element of the Paris Agreement is the aggressive scientific objective of holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and of pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C.  The agreement is expected to have significant and far-reaching implications for national and municipal policy making and for business and investment decisions.

Here’s today’s press release on the report:

REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY MUST ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE TO MAINTAIN COMPETITIVENESS, SAYS NEW RESEARCH FROM THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE

Paper analyzes the real estate implications of UN Paris Agreement on climate change

WASHINGTON (September 21, 2016) – As world leaders gather at the United Nations this week to ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change, a new paper released today by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) argues that many real estate organizations are not adequately prepared for the implications of the agreement, which was made at last year’s 21st annual Conference of the Parties in Paris (COP-21).

Entitled L’Accord de Paris: A Potential Game Changer for the Global Real Estate Industry, the paper provides an overview of the key issues that arose from the COP-21 agreement and outlines steps that the real estate industry can take in response. Since buildings account for nearly one-third of global climate-changing carbon emissions, the agreement could trigger significant changes in requirements for building design, development, operations and management. In order to remain competitive, the industry must proactively limit and respond to the effects of climate change, the paper says.

It notes that from a business perspective, taking action to address climate change can help real estate organizations manage risks and capitalize on new opportunities. Investors and developers who proactively respond to impacts of the Paris agreement can ensure that their buildings remain competitive within changing policy, market, and climate conditions. They are also likely to see bottom-line benefits, as improving energy efficiency to reduce the carbon impact of buildings is one of the most cost-effective solutions to mitigating climate change.

“As leaders in the responsible use of land, ULI’s global members have a pivotal role to play in addressing some of the greatest challenges facing our rapidly urbanizing world, including the pressing threat of climate change,” said Patrick Phillips, ULI’s Global Chief Executive Officer. “The Paris Agreement on climate change will have important implications for both developed and emerging real estate markets, including new business and investment opportunities. ULI has published this paper to support our members in navigating the implications of this agreement, and charting strategies for success.”

ULI leader Jon Lovell, cofounder of Hillbreak and principal author of the report, said, “the Paris Agreement was undoubtedly a landmark diplomatic success, but was only possible because of the groundswell of demand, action and support from business leaders, investors, mayors and industry bodies from across the world.” He added, “Given the value at stake and the weight of evidence collated by this paper, it would be naive to think that investors, tenants and regulators won’t all begin to turn the screws on real estate companies and asset owners. The message is clear — act now to address the implications of the Paris Agreement or face irrelevance in the market.”

According to the paper, the Paris Agreement has catalyzed a change in attitudes and expectations surrounding the real estate market.  Organizations are under increasing pressure to divest from carbon-intensive companies and assets, and to engage with policymakers and stakeholders on sustainability issues. Furthermore, they are expected to demonstrate a heightened disclosure of carbon performance and the risk posed by climate change to their assets, and to retrofit development standards through new technologies and financing models.  Assets that do not conform to these new standards risk low demand and suppressed value.

The first priority for real estate organizations, says the report, should be to audit their resilience against post-COP-21 impacts.  The audit should include a review of the risk exposure of their assets and the capabilities and expectations of their stakeholders.  The paper suggests a list of specific questions on the topics of climate risk, client and stakeholder expectations, competitor approaches, policy change, asset performance, value chain, people and processes.

L’Accord de Paris: A Potential Game Changer for the Global Real Estate Industry is a precursor for a more detailed report, including case studies, scheduled for release in October.

About the Urban Land Institute

The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has nearly 40,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines. For more information, please visit uli.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

For more information, please contact Trish Riggs Senior Vice President of Communications at 202-624-7086 email: trisha.riggs@uli.org or Peter Walker, Vice President of Strategic Communications: +44 (0)20 7487 9586 or e-mail peter.walker@uli.org

About Hillbreak

Hillbreak is the new name in training and advisory services for organisations seeking competitive advantage in a changing urban world. Its mission is to expedite the transition to a sustainable policy, business and investment environment by bringing intelligence, challenge and inspiration to its clients and stakeholders. Please visit hillbreak.com for further information of follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

For more information, please contact Jon Lovell, Co-Founder & Director at +44 (0)7825 531031 or e-mail: jon@hillbreak.com, or Miles Keeping, Co-Founder & Director at +44 (0)7971 457959 or e-mail miles@hillbreak.com

 

https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/urban-city-1245777_1280.jpg 400 600 Jon Lovell https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/hillbreak-green.png Jon Lovell2016-09-21 12:00:502017-08-04 15:24:40Real Estate Industry Must Address Climate Change to Maintain Competitiveness
Paris

Summary of ULI Event: Implications of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change

April 5, 2016/in Insights/by Jon Lovell

Hillbreak Director, Jon Lovell, recently chaired an Urban Land Institute event on the implications of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change for the real estate industry. It featured an outstanding keynote speech from Sir David King, the UK’s permanent Special Representative for Climate Change, and panelist contributions from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, K&L Gates LLP, Hammerson, Willis Towers Watson and the World Green Building Council.

Here’s a summary of what went down.

https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/paris.jpg 450 800 Jon Lovell https://www.hillbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/hillbreak-green.png Jon Lovell2016-04-05 15:47:302016-05-06 11:21:56Summary of ULI Event: Implications of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change

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