URBAN POLICY AND PLANNING

PROSPER WASHAYA
R082352R
HRUP 4 3/20/2012

MR CHIRISA

Urban policy is complex and shifting. Planning has the role to shape places and spaces as it draws its strength from the aspirations, visions and reactions expressed by policy makers. In light of this statement, write a 2500 worded essay on sustainable building in Zimbabwe

A policy can be defined as a direction from a Council of what their intentions are in terms of governance. Today, the test of any policy is whether, and if so how, it preserves the opportunities available to future generations1. Therefore, for any policy to see the light of day it has to be able to meet the needs of present generations without compromising those of future generations. The concept of sustainability has been in such terms2. Sustainability can be divided into social, economic and environmental sustainability. Consequently, building and construction policies have to be crafted with sustainability in mind bringing in the concept of sustainable building. However it is important to note that urban policy is always shifting therefore making it complex. Furthermore, planning decisions in shaping spaces and places is largely influence by visions and reactions expressed by policy makers hence sustainable building policies in Zimbabwe have to be constantly reviewed taking into account the fact that sustainability is now central in governments of most countries. Local governments own and maintain a wide range of buildings and facilities, including administrative and office buildings, park facilities, health clinics and hospitals, fire and police stations, convention centers, wastewater treatment plants, and airports3. In addition, local authorities have the administrative tools to operate and manage these resources in a sustainable manner by initiating policies on how to create buildings that are economically, socially, and environmentally viable. In Zimbabwe, sustainable building policies can be a first step to helping local stakeholders policymakers, businesses, citizens, financiers, homeowners, and building owners understand the economic and environmental importance of adopting sustainable buildings in their communities and the country at large. Buildings have a life cycle which is made up of 5 stages; inception stage, design, construction, in use and ultimately the demolition stage. The major aims of sustainable building include, achieving economic efficiency, improving social amenity and at the same time minimizing the consumption of energy and resources for all phases of the life-cycle of buildings - from their planning and construction through their use, renovation and to their eventual demolition (Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning 2001:1). In crafting policies for sustainable building in Zimbabwe policy makers need to consider all the stages of the building life cycle if comprehensive sustainability is to be achieved. The initial stage of a construction project is the inception stage where the objectives of the project are determined. At this stage, a selection of the design team is done to determine the technocrats to be involved at the design stage. This is an important consideration to be made if sustainability is to be achieved since there is a need to direct the design team towards the idea of sustainability. Policy makers should consider involving users and operators of the building in the design process. Furthermore, the design team should consist of experts from the various disciplines under the leadership of the planner responsible for the overall co-ordination, and they should work closely together towards the aims of sustainability (Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning 2001:2). Policy makers in Zimbabwe
1 2

Preface to the guideline of sustainable building January 2001 The Brundtland Commission, (1987) from the World Commission on Environment and Developments report Our Common Future Oxford: Oxford University Press 3 SUSTAINABLE BUILDING Technical Manual: Green Building Design, Construction, and Operations, Produced by Public Technology Inc.

need to be conscious of the fact that incorporating green building practices into the project at the inception stage of the building project is critical. According to Bernheim and Reed (1996), decisions made during pre-design not only set the project direction, but also must prove cost-effective over the life of the project. At the design stage schematic designs are first produced then detailed designs will follow. At this stage, documentation required for tender purposes is prepared. In Zimbabwe, the design stage is considered to be very important since certain questions need to be answered such as site development as well as planning law, function, urban planning, architecture and building regulations. Various legislation has been put in place to ensure that designs are up to speed with policies on sustainability, this incudes; the Regional Town and Country Act, the Environmental Management Act, the Health Act to mention but a few. According to Gottfried (1996) sustainable building designs need to be optimized in terms of ecology, economy, functionality and configuration. The Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (2001), suggest that the following needs to be taken into consideration when designing a building: health and comfort are guaranteed during the period of their use, costs for energy, operation and maintenance are minimized, the building can be operated with only low cleaning costs, or is partially self-cleaning (e.g. roofs and facades), the costs for inspection, maintenance and operation are kept at a low level and these items can be economically performed whilst also conserving resources and the environment as well as generating as little user-dependent traffic flow as possible.

There have been resource exploitation and pollution issues surrounding the construction sector, hence the construction stage of the building life cycle is one of great importance. The construction stage commences as soon as work on the site has been initiated. There is no denying that construction plays a huge role in degrading the environment. With this in mind, policy makers have been alert of the consequences of a construction project in and on the ecological environment. The year 2002 saw the promulgation of the Environment Management Agency (EMA) in Zimbabwe. This saw the introduction of the Environmental Management Act which contains guidelines on the legal procedures of initiating construction projects through an Environmental Impact assessment (EIA). Policies for achieving sustainable buildings in Zimbabwe have been greatly assisted by EIAs. The environmental dimension of building construction also requires that there is need to use as little technology as possible, just as much as needed. In this way, the construction and operational/utilization costs can be considerably reduced therefore achieving sustainability. The in-use stage is the longest stage of a construction project. At this stage the immediate aims of the building are met hence the social dimension of the sustainability of a building is critical. Various activities are involved at the in-use stage, these include; maintenance operations, cleaning operations, renovations and the actual intended use of the building. According to Kats and Capital (2003) materials for maintenance and or renovations need to be assessed just as in a new construction project. Furthermore, during the in- use stage of its life cycle, a building may require electricity for lighting, 2

heating and cooling. Consequently, there is use of energy in the building which may have negative effect on the sustainability of the building both economically and environmentally. Sustainable building policies in Zimbabwe need to be crafted with considerations of the activities that take place at the in-use stage of the building life cycle. The eventual demolition of a building is the final stage of the building life cycle before it can be reconstructed. The main risk at this stage is that of eventual wastage of material. For this reason there is need to take into serious consideration the recycling and re- use of material. The demolition and clearance of a building are governed by the requirements for the most extensive and valuable reuse and recycling of materials and the minimization of the resulting waste4. In some countries, requirements are that there is need to recycle at least 50% of the waste from the demolition of a building. In line with the sustainable building policies in Zimbabwe there is need to consider reuse and recycling as central to any part of a building project. THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDING LIFE CYCLE

INCEPTION
Determine the technocrats to be involved at the design stage

serious consideration the recycling and re- use of material.

DEMOLITION
social dimension of the sustainability of a building critical

DESIGN
is

INUSE

be answered such as site development as well as planning law, function, urban planning, architecture and building regulations

consequences of a construction CONSTRUCTION project in and on the ecological environment

SOURCE: AUTHORS CONCEPT

Once a well-founded decision or policy has been made in favor of a building project, in each of the stages of the building life cycle certain factors need to be taken into consideration if sustainable building is to be achieved. These factors are ecology, the economy and social effects (Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning 2001). According to Gottfried (1996) the industrys growing sustainability ethic is

Sustainable building and construction: facts and figures

based on the principles of resource efficiency, health, and productivity. These three aspects of sustainability are particularly important especially in crafting policies to achieve sustainable building. The ecological aspect of sustainable building is important when addressing the environmental challenges face in the construction of a building. Certain values and codes need to be instilled in building projects if ecological sustainability is to be achieved. The protection of the ecological environment can be achieved in two ways, that is, the protective use of: the building land and natural resources (Reinhart et al 2006). For this to be achieved the following needs to be achieved; Integration of the urban environment or into the natural landscape, use or protection of groundwater and avoid air, water and noise pollution. In addition, a building project should include consideration as to how far the framework of planning laws and building regulations should be utilized to the maximum for the conservation of resources. In Zimbabwe building codes and regulations were improved in 1992 to advance on sustainability of buildings. The Model Building By-Laws is a handbook containing some of the guidelines to achieve sustainable building in Zimbabwe in line with the policies being adopted by the country. To achieve sustainability one cannot ignore the role of that economic forces play. Building economics plays an important role in measuring economic performance of a building. Measuring the economic performance of building materials is more straightforward than measuring environmental performance5. However, these two need to be balanced if sustainability is to be achieved. Modern methods of balancing between economic sustainability and environmental sustainability have been employed with software programs being developed. An example is the BEES software which has been developed to achieve a balance between economic performance and environmental integrity of a building6. In Zimbabwe policies need to be put in place to be able to balance between economic and environmental sustainability. Additionally, technologies like BEES can be useful if adopted in achieving economic gains without compromising the environment. Social and cultural aspects complete the assessment of the sustainability of buildings (Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning 2001). The social dimension of buildings dictates that buildings in which people spend their time must correspond to the needs of their users and should guarantee a high level of well-being. According to Reinhart et al (2006), buildings should guarantee health, comfort and sociocultural aspects of human well-being. Reinhart et al (2006), adds that factors that have influence on people's well-being and productivity include: building architecture, geometry of the building and rooms, good design, materials, color scheme, perceived room temperature, humidity in the room, air quality in the room (contents of the air in the room/hazardous substances), external air ventilation/air circulation, natural and artificial lighting, building acoustics/noise emissions, technical installations and furnishing. For sustainable building policies in Zimbabwe to take effect there is need for local authorities to consider the socio-cultural dimension of sustainability.

SUSTAINABLE BUILDING Technical Manual: Green Building Design, Construction, and Operations, Produced by Public Technology Inc. 6 SUSTAINABLE BUILDING Technical Manual: Green Building Design, Construction, and Operations, Produced by Public Technology Inc.

The term sustainable building is sometimes used synonymously with the term green building. In Zimbabwe, green buildings have been constructed in line with the notion of sustainability, one such building is the Eastgate mall. The Eastgate center typifies the best of green architecture and ecologically sensitive adaptation7. The office and shopping complex uses a biomimicry technique. In this technique the building imitates the natural air-conditioning and heating done by termites and avoids the conventional air-conditioning or heating system which uses energy. This air conditioning technique has saved Eastgates owners $3.5 million alone in air conditioning. Furthermore, the low costs of operation have trickled down to tenants of the building who pay rents that are 20% lower than tenants of surrounding buildings. In terms of sustainability the Eastgate has proved to be in a healthy situation, economically, environmentally and socially. Taking the Eastgate building as a model, future buildings in Zimbabwe could be constructed in such a way that they are efficient socially, economically and environmentally. The 2009 world recession and a decade of national economic meltdown that was experienced in Zimbabwe until early 2008 left many construction projects around the country undeveloped. During this period local demand to building materials and construction services declined. This affected the local economy by reducing productivity in the country. One of the major reasons for the failure of the economy was the inability of the companies to provide building materials. As a resulted, construction companies were compelled to import some of the materials. Policies to allow importation of construction materials were put in place so as to allow construction activities to continue. Economically the building sector plays an important role, failing to achieve sustainable building affects the economy negatively. In a fragile economy like Zimbabwe, there is need to formulate urban policy that helps in achieving sustainable building. One subject the country cannot afford to ignore is the issue of reconciling the green and brown agendas in urban policy. According to Adriana (2001) the green and brown agenda symbolize tensions - and apparent contradictions between the environment versus development. Proponents of the green agenda advocate for ecosystem protection (Satterthwaite 2006). On the other hand, the brown agenda is seen as focusing upon human well-being and social justice. In Zimbabwe, reconciling the green and brown agendas has been achieved in many ways. One example of efforts to link environmental objectives with social goals is the Local Agenda 21 efforts of the city of Mutare in Zimbabwe. Such efforts could inspire polices on sustainable building through the reconciling of the green and brown agendas. From the foregoing, it is clear that sustainable building policies in Zimbabwe should be concerned with achieving sustainability on all stages of the building life cycle, that is, from the inception stage to the demolition stage. Furthermore, the various dimensions of sustainability (social, environment and economic) need to be addressed and balanced in a sustainable manner. Therefore, it is now feasible to conclude that Zimbabwe needs to formulate policies that go in line with global views on sustainable building.

Abigail Doan, InHabitat Green Design Will Save the World: Termite Mounds 12/10/07

REFERENCES 1. Adriana (2001) Urban sustainability under threat: the restructuring of the fishing industry in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Development and Change. UN-Habitat, London 2. Bernheim A and Reed W (1996): Green Building Design, Construction, and Operations, Public Technology, Inc., New York 3. Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (2001) Guideline for Sustainable Building

4. Gottfried A. (1996): the Economics of Green Buildings. Public Technology, Inc., New York.

5. Greg Kats, Capital E (2003): The Costs and Financial Benefits of Green Buildings, A Report to Californias Sustainable Building Task Force, California 6. Reinhart C.F, Mardaljevic J, Rogers Z (2006): Dynamic daylight performance metrics for sustainable building design, national research council, Canada 7. Satterthwaite (2006): Reconciling the brown and the green agenda, International Institute for Environment and Development, Bundesministerrim, Germany