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WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT    
London Thames Gateway Development Corporation commissioned Inspire Nation to lead a series of studies to successful waterfront developments. The Inspire Nation-led tour to the Scandinavian waterfronts of Gothenburg, Copenhagen and Malmo focused on the issues of Environmental Sustainability and Affordable Housing in the context of waterfront development. Inspire Nation delegates learned how Gothenburg’s energy company has developed a district heating system that uses energy from the sewage water, reuses waste heat from oil refineries and burns natural gas. By phasing out oil as a fuel, the city has reduced carbon dioxide emissions per capita and lowered sulphurous emissions by 94% since 1984* (source GDRC). The group also looked at other environmentally sustainable initiatives that the city has adopted, including wind power, solar power and green roofs. In Malmo, the delegation visited Western Harbor – one of the most creative and environmentally sustainable cities in the world – and met with city planning officials. The group met with BoKlok Modular Housing, an innovative collaboration between Skanska and IKEA to build low cost apartments, which is transforming the construction industry. Delegates also visited the controversial Orestad district in Copenhagen – a 6 kilometre long area that has been reclaimed from the sea and is now being turned into an exciting new city region. Orestad will act as a modern equivalent of the old centre of Copenhagen, and is planned to be both architecturally rich and environmentally sustainable. "Western Harbor is more than a collection of interesting projects — it is an entire district designed to become one of the most sustainable neighborhoods in the world. The city drew up a well-conceived program with real estate developers to establish targets for green space, energy use, parking and other considerations." Jayson Antonoff and Patricia Chase, International Sustainable Solutions Find out more about this tour: > Contact Us |