Sustainable Urban Development

SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT 1
SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT
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SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT 2
Introduction
Economic growth is every countries goal. However, economic growth should not
compromise the social and environmental setting of the country. The term ‘sustainable’ has been
widely used globally to represent an ecosystem where both nature and human systems co-exist
peacefully. Sustainable development refers to development that can meet the present needs
without compromising the ability of future generations (Carley & Christie, 2017). Its three major
pillars are social, economic and ecological systems. The economic development involves the
financial goals and increased competitiveness, national income and national output. Social
systems, on the other hand, encompasses the contribution to societal growth and ethical
agreement while the ecological systems involve minimization of negative environmental impacts
and protection of natural resources (Assadourian et al., 2012).
This concept is drawn heavily from the Bruntland report named ‘our common future’.
The United Nations general assembly asked the World Commission on Environment and
Development (WCED) to formulate global agendas in sustainable development. All the three
pillars are focused simultaneously since they are interconnected but individually important
(Borowy, 2017). This report will analyze the key areas affecting sustainable urban development
and propose a sustainable retrofit for building 15 based on UTS sustainability strategy 2017 –
2020. As a sustainability consultant, the goal is to advise UTS on the best measures to integrate
development and sustainability in their planned retrofit with an objective of protecting and
restoring the natural ecosystem in the area, using land and resources prudently and creating
community environments that cultivate human potential. The proposal will include designs,
housing styles, and size settings considering feasibility factors.

SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT 3
Sustainable retrofit of building 15
The retrofit of building 15 in UTS will aim at developing this building by enhancing the
economic opportunities and community wellbeing while protecting and restoring the natural
environment depended by the economies and societies. As a team of experts and sustainability
consultants named the Green team, we aligned our retrofit proposal with the UTS sustainability
vision. Below is a tabular representation of the sustainability indicators that were considered.
Sustainability factors Indicators
Economic system  The investment costs.
 Operation and maintenance costs.
 Damages costs to be incurred and the comparison to benefits.
 Level of equitable competitiveness.
 Wages and labor costs paid.
Environmental systems  The total energy consumed.
 The ratio of the total renewable energy used to the total
energy consumed.
 The rate of renewable and non-renewable energy consumed
 Waste management from the building.
Social system  The level of participation in social and democratic processes
and general morale.
 The number of people affected by the retrofit.
 Public acceptance.
 Overall health impact.
 The number of people willing to attend development and
communal meetings affecting the area.

SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT 4
Considering the above indicators of sustainable development, our team was tasked with
developing a proposal for building 15 retrofit. Several assumptions regarding this proposal
include
1. The building has the structural capacity to build additional levels – Green team assumed that
building 15 structural design for the existing structure has structural capabilities to guarantee
additional dead and imposed loadings. It is assumed that the initial beam, column, slab, and
foundations of the building can withstand the construction of other levels.
2. UTS own the car park adjacent to Building 15 – Our team assumed that UTS owned and
controlled the operations of the car park adjacent to Building 15. Vehicles have a big role in
sustainability, regulating their operations and use is essential to achieve environment
preservation.
3. Ducting on the roof is removable –Ducting influences the energy losses thereby influencing
the total energy consumption and efficiencies. The green team assumed that the ducting on
the roof is removable in a case where there is a need to enact a new ducting system on the
building to enhance energy efficiencies.
4. We aim to meet UTS's sustainability vision; however as it is a university building which will
be retained by the university we do not believe there is a need to obtain formal certification.