EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Scottish Sustainable Communities Initiative

Scottish Sustainable Communities Initiative

Introduction

Creating sustainable communities, where people can live and work in attractive, healthy and accessible environments, can also assist in the achievement of all of these aims. The Scottish Sustainable Communities Initiative sets the bar high, encouraging landowners, developers, and the people of Scotland to work together to create places where a better quality of life is achievable now and for the long term. The Scottish Government is committed to creating an enduring legacy of high quality, distinctive new development which meets people’s needs and aspirations today, protects and enhances the unique natural and built heritage of our country and contributes to a more sustainable future.

Proposition

The Initiative is primarily focussed on the results that can be achieved. The delivery of some projects may take a number of years, however, a clear picture of the intended outcomes at the inception stage of a project will help to clarify how they can be realised.

An SSCI development should:

contribute to meeting identified housing requirements in the area;
demonstrate a level of innovation and quality of design which will lead to the creation of successful places and serve as an inspiration to future development in Scotland;
make a significant contribution to reducing emissions of carbon dioxide both in construction and throughout the community’s life;
minimise pollution;
create opportunities to live healthier, more active and environmentally responsible lives and so influence behaviour and attitudes;
demonstrate that the delivery of high quality sustainable forms of new development is achievable within reasonable timescales;
incorporate provision for evaluation of the success and benefits of the approach and outcomes, so that future developments can benefit by learning from innovation.

Description

Climate change sets a challenging context for all future development. Scotland’s communities, old and new, will have to adapt to the impacts and play their part in reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. We are committed to introducing a Scottish Climate Change Bill which will embed a more sustainable way of thinking and create certainty to support investment in new technologies, as we move Scotland towards a low-carbon economy. To deliver our emissions reduction targets more environmentally responsible development must become the norm, designed to higher standards and capable of minimising impacts on the environment, whilst also adapting to the unavoidable consequences of changes to our climate.

Scotland has a close affinity with our neighbours around the North Sea, with shared challenges in designing built environments suitable for climates that vary from cold, wet and windy to warm and sunny. Countries such as Finland, Sweden and Denmark provide examples of innovative approaches to development which demonstrate high environmental building standards. We can learn from this experience and develop a Scottish response. There are a number of potential benefits: for property owners and occupiers through reduced energy costs and adaptability, for the environment through reduced negative effects, and for the housebuilding industry through creation of a modern, attractive and marketable product.

The Scottish Sustainable Communities Initiative aims to bring innovation into our settlements and promote exemplars of how communities could live in future. We hope Local Authorities, landowners and developers are inspired to play their part and contribute to the future sustainable growth of Scotland. We invite you to be among the first to take the necessary steps now and submit proposals which lead the way in the development of new sustainable communities.

ISBN: 978-0-7559-5773-6

Contact info

The Scottish Government
Scottish Sustainable Communities Initiative Team Area 2 H (south) - Victoria Quay
EH6 6QQ Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Nicola Hay (Senior Planner), tel. +44 (0)131 244 7087

Publication date

27/06/2008

Article info
Author: Scottish Sustainable Communities Initiative Team
Organisation: The Scottish Government

Links

Click here to visit the website of the Scottish Government Click here to visit the website of the Scottisch Urban Regeneration Forum

Click here to download the Scottish Sustainable Communities Initiative policy document (PDF, Eng, 530 kB)

Document type

policy

Themes

Urban Policy > Urban environment

Keywords

Environmental sustainability