1. Climate change and Urban Environment Strategy
Antoaneta Yoveva, architect,
Director of Sustainable World Foundation (SWF), Bulgaria
tel ,
address: bul. Hr.Botev 37, Sofia 1606, Bulgaria

2. EU Policy document
For new EU member states (Bulgaria Romania and may be others) the document THEMATIC STRATEGY ON THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT is not yet poplar enough
Still some measures are in place and as good practices in Sofia are good examples and are worth to be shared

3. SWF projects and influence
Our projects deal with physical environment, urban policies, methodologies for local authorities (indicators), investment projects for urban development and planning, architecture and design, housing refurbishment and renovation, etc. , (more than 25 initiatives realized with EU funding and from other international donors, our good practices for climate change follow )

4. THEMATIC STRATEGY ON THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
Sustainable construction methods & techniques
Urban design
Sustainable Urban Management
Sustainable Urban Transport

5. Sustainable construction methods & techniques
Some of the most relevant recommendations included in this report are:
Compliance and responsibility to the Kyoto Protocol commitments.
Public money to be spent on projects that respect the requirements of sustainable construction
Development of Horizontal Standardised Methods for the Assessment of the Integrated Environmental Performance of Buildings
Taxes and all other regulatory mechanisms used to help motivate the stakeholders to achieve more sustainable construction

6. 1.Sustainable construction methods & techniques
The use of resources to become more
sustainable - decentralised utility systems (recycling of grey water, energy production, for waste collection)
Education and awareness raising campaigns must prepare all relevant actors to achieve a more sustainable built environment and a more efficient use of the built environment

7. 1.Sustainable construction methods & techniques
Objectives due to be defined at the European institutions level and adapted to each member state’s reality in terms of climate:
Improve indoor and outdoor air quality;
Improve indoor and outdoor comfort conditions (thermal, acoustic and visual);
Improve the energy efficiency of buildings by implementing appropriate construction methods and techniques (passive solar design) internalising the best of the local climate conditions;
Reduce CO2 emissions per capita and per sector;
Integrate renewable energy systems (active solar and wind) and energy management systems for permanent monitoring;
Specify systems to maximise efficiency in operation, making room for flexible performance
Reduce waste and facilitate waste separation;
Reduce water demand and implement grey water recycling systems at the local level;
Reduce running and maintenance costs.

8. 2. Urban design
The three main thematic objectives that this report addresse are:
Re-designing and retro-fitting existing urban areas to support sustainable development
Sustainable design for greenfield sites
Knitting the urban fabric together to achieve an integrated city wide vision, including viewing urban areas in relation to their hinterlands

9. 2. Urban design the re-use and regeneration of urban land
Key urban design themes as the focus of policy objectives, legislation, targets, guidance and research
the re-use and regeneration of urban land
density of new development
location of new development – relation to public transport and other accessibility factors
design of green structures and city landscape
streets and movement structure (pedestrian and cycle environment, public spaces, public transport)
promoting mixed uses
designing for affordable housing
accessible public amenities and services for all social groups;
appropriate conservation, renovation and use/re-use of cultural heritage
sustainable, high quality architecture and building technologies

10. 2. Urban design An appropriate urban density must allow for:
Efficient public transport systems
Affordable urban infrastructures and services
Easy access to collective facilities.
Creating community identity.
In order to achieve the former objectives, the following
actions should be taken: - Increase density in urban sprawl areas so as to avoid excessive land consumption; - Consider the use of ‘maximum standards’ to discourage low-density developments. - Adjust density in central areas to maintain acceptable quality of life levels. - Preserve green areas among existing and new urban areas. - Develop decentralised nodes in large urban areas. - Use available technologies to adjust densities to quality of life.

11. 3. Sustainable Urban Management
Most of the recommendations for the EC concern funding initiatives, due to be accomplished either in framework of existing programmes.
Dissemination and Promotion of Good Practice and Methods (Integrated Urban Local Plans by means of Local Agenda 21 Sustainable Cities Campaign)
Promoting the key role of active national policies as political and financial measures supporting Local Agenda 21 approaches and methods.
Good practice demonstration networks/handbooks to spread information on available tools.
Dissemination of information on LA21 and EMAS as urban management tools by strengthening the support given to networks of local and regional authorities,
Facilitating the exchange of information and through awards, eco-labelling and benchmarking. Training actions of both local authorities and representatives of NGOs should be part of this dissemination

12. 3. Sustainable Urban Management
Building Institutional Capacity – Increase
institutional capacity of local institutions
through Structural Funds and other forms of
financial support, environmental policies and
regulatory activities
A Sustainable Cities Civic Leadership Programme for local government officials and politicians should be sponsored
Adoption of urban environment management systems (EMAS)
MS to introduce Cumulative Impact Assessment and Territorial Impact Assessment as part of the impact assessment practices through the provision of guidance
Proposed An Urban Environment Framework Directive

13. 4. Sustainable Urban Transport
Air and Noise Pollution
Air pollution levels, especially sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulates, and
hydrocarbons, have been falling, and continue to fall, in many western European cities,
Safety
In the accession countries, traffic accidents are rising, and a decoupling between traffic growth and accidents still needs to be realised. Urban areas play a critical role in traffic accidents
Health
Vehicle emissions, such as carbon monoxide, fine particulates, hydrocarbons,nitrogen oxides, and sulphur oxides have severe effects on health. The whole range of effects includes premature death, illnesses, medical care, and reduced physical activity
Administration
inefficient integration between locally managed urban public transport
and urban road systems and often nationally managed railway and highway systems, or the interactions between private and public sector involvement

14. 4. Sustainable Urban Transport
Flexibility is a key condition given the uncertainty of the future. Overall, the EC should take action by:
establishing a clear EU vision on sustainable urban transport, and this vision should be consistent throughout all EU institutions and EU funding;
creating a framework for action, and offering guidance to promote sustainable urban transport at the local level.

15. 4. Sustainable Urban Transport
Specific recommendations to the EC for the following target areas:
Policy Coherence at the EU level;
Sustainable Urban Transport Plans;
Financial Policies;
Monitoring of Progress Towards Policy Objectivesby
Using Indicators and Conducting Impact Assessment;
EC Policy Initiatives;
Improved Governance;
Dissemination of Good Practices and Knowledge;
Promoting Awareness about Sustainable Urban Transport.

16. Sofia good practices
Alternative transport – SWF’s specific project “With a bike to school” biking lanes to several downtown schools, participation in the design of the Sofia master plan
Energy saving solar houses in suburban Sofia areas – SWF’s design work and urban plans
Projects for housing refurbishment in central city parts – technologies, renewable energy resources, etc.

17. Alternative transport – biking lanes specific project “With a bike to school”
The master city plan envisages a system of biking lanes all over the city as an alternative transport
Detailed plans for each district exist and will be realized at funding availability (EU structural funds)
Specific project for 4 Sofia schools – its results are : educated children and provided safe condition for biking to school – its achievements are good and are demonstrated bellow

18. With a bike to school project of SWF – 2002 Investment measures realized - safe condition for biking to school

19. Investment measures realized - safe condition for biking to school

20. Safe condition for biking to school

21. Investment measures realized - safe condition for biking to school

22. Energy saving architecture design
New technologies introduced
Energy conservation measures
Renewable energy resources use
Recycling of water
Life style improvement – less energy consumption
Presented is the design of single family house for the suburban areas, which will be constructed in a number of lots

23. Energy saving architecture design A single family house for suburban areas designed for energy saving and renewable energy resources use
Orientation
- south, east, windows , “throb walls” collecting solar heat

24. Energy saving architecture design A single family house for suburban areas designed for energy saving and renewable energy resources use
Green barriers – evergreen trees to north to protect from winds, deciduous to south to allow sun flow in winter

25. Energy saving architecture design A single family house for suburban areas designed for energy saving and renewable energy resources use
Innovative
technologies solar water heating
collectors,
voltaic batteries,
thermal pumps,
etc.

26. Housing renovation projects – private initiatives and donor's programmes are ongoing in Sofia Measures that contribute to climate change:
Introduction of renewable resources – geothermal heating
insulation and double glazing
ventilation systems will be replaced, with more energy efficient ones
district heating system - main supply of heat
smart control systems resulting in additional savings

27. THANK YOU FOR THE ATTENTION!
We referred to a EU document, which is popular among the EU countries and is still disputable.
However, its principles are important and there is no harm to repeat them again. Some of our projects support it practically and are worth sharing as good practices from Sofia.
Climate change will be slowed down and stopped, if reasonable architectural measures are implemented, alternative transport introduced wider, and lifestyle (daily behavior) for energy saving is made familiar to everybody…