GREENING TROPICAL URBAN ENVIRONMENTS: utilising social housing policies, Caribbean raw materials, and smart technologies to build healthy and safe communities

poverty social exclusion Urban threat to food security lack of tenure lack of affordable housing vulnerability to natural disasters

informal economic sector tenure insecurity low-lying urban coastal settlements inadequate supply of affordable housing Critical Urban Issues low-lying urban coastal settlements

water stress / scarcity over-dependence on fossil fuel Critical Urban Issues urban sprawl inadequate implementation and enforcement colonial urban planning and management

Green Vision water efficiency sustainable site selection raw materials that support resource conservation and sustainability indoor air quality

Green Vision (contd) integration of biological diversity (green spaces) community living energy efficiency in materials and design

Green Vision (contd) reduce role of private vehicle building infrastructure for pedestrian an cyclists improve public transit using existing vehicular infrastructure

Green Vision (contd) introduction of mode switching implementing vehicle emission standards integrating transport and overall planning policies

Green Vision (contd) integrated disaster risk and climate change adaptation

Barbados Green Building Vision EconomicSocialEnvironmental Supply and use of energy efficient building materials Redesign of community living; building homes and communities not houses and developments Reduced footprint on land (building upwards, space efficient) Economic building practicesPlaces instead of spacesHigh-tech recycling systems Shift from wood to more plastic in construction Greening our way of life by educating stakeholders Use of reusable materials Efficient building designMore green spaces Use of natural ventilation; climate specific design Fully integrated cadastre system Cultural shift towards more communal living Energy efficiency with land, sea, sun and wind turbines generating energy for street lights, homes and other buildings Fully motioned sensored lights for neighbourhoods Streamlined, computerised, energy efficient, interactive, prefabricated, mass produced buildings Application of smart technologies across home systems

Challenges to Green Urban relatively high costs of newer technologies absence of an overarching policy framework lack of training programmes Barbados Building Code not yet operationalised lack of standards for building contractors over reliance on fossil fuel chronic traffic congestion unsustainable annual growth rates no national standards for air and noise emissions poorly integrated public transport services constraints on financial and human resource capacities public perceptions of green initiatives and cultural preferences

Enabling Environment: Supporting legislation and regulations Policies and programmes Demonstration projects

Opportunities: Social housing policies Caribbean raw materials Smart technologies

Social Housing Policy Opportunities include: refinement /development of underlying principles, policies and standards for green housing introduction and training towards green building certification e.g. LEED promotion of private – public sector green community demonstration projects e.g. Eckstein Village

Social Housing Policy Opportunities (Contd): revision of green building guidelines based on experiences with pilot projects community sensitisation, participation and ownership of green building outcomes approval of the Barbados Building Act and operationalisation of the Barbados Building Standards Authority

Social Housing Policy Opportunities (Contd) adoption of the Barbados Building Code 1993, update with standards for green building approval of the Water Reuse Act and establishment of standards for grey water use refinement of solid waste management policies to promote waste reduction and sorting at the household level

Location Design Green Focus Construction Monitoring

Caribbean Raw Materials Construction raw materials include: Cement and concrete blocks Wood Clay

Smart Technologies A central system to control the home environment – heating, lighting, security

Summary Enormous potential for move towards the required integrated approach for green economy A highly participatory process is required

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