Liveability & Sustainable Development: Bad Habits & Hard Choices Final Report for the ODPM

Abstract:

<p>The New Horizons programme aims to introduce new research ideas, develop innovative, cross-cutting approaches to research and offer a forward-thinking perspective on medium- to long-term policy issues pertaining to the ODPM.</p> <p>The purpose of the research was as follows: <bl> <li>To identify and highlight emerging areas where there appear to be conflicts & synergies between "liveability" and "sustainability";</li> <li>To explore and understand the behavioural underpinnings of these conflicts - considering (different kinds of) consumers, citizens and organisations;</li> <li>To place these behavioural underpinnings in the context of the emerging research and policy discussion of "sustainable consumption & lifestyles";</li> <li>To identify tools available to policy makers to manage conflicts and promote synergies;</li> <li>To identify potential research and policy avenues - including those associated with the planning of towns and town centres - for further work.</li> </bl></p> <p>The research has been approached from the perspective of liveability; specifically, in terms of how it can be developed as a concept to improve both its own outcomes and contribution towards the pursuit of sustainable development. This decision has been taken to ensure the study highlights the policy implications for the ODPM in their pursuit of the 'liveability', 'Living Places' and 'Sustainable Communities' agendas. </p> This report is divided into the following sections: <ol> <li>Introduction</li> <li>Liveability and Sustainability - Context & Concepts</li> <li>Bad Habits and Hard Choices - Behaviour & Policy</li> <li>Making Liveability Work for Sustainable Communities </li> <li>Outstanding Issues and Questions</li> </ol>

Author(s):

Brook Lyndhurst