KKKH 4284

URBAN PLANNING AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

TASK 5

LOCAL AGENDA 21

JULIANIZA ARIFFIN

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MALAYSIA

JUN 2014

INTRODUCTION

Over the last 10 to 20 years, particularly in the West, there has been a growing awareness of our

need to change the way we live, or face an increasingly poor outlook for our environment.

Phrases like "eco-friendly", "climate change", "recycling" and "alternative energy" are now

familiar to everyone.

All this time the global problems affecting our planet can all seem overwhelming and can

lead to a sense of powerlessness and apathy. However, there are many simple, ordinary things

that we can all do locally to ensure a better quality community for the future, such as recycling

more of our rubbish, reducing wastage, and minimizing our contribution to pollution. We can

also make choices about influencing global problems, too. For instance, we can buy Fair Trade

produce to help ordinary people in the developing world, we can buy recycled products to help

make recycling cost-effective, and we can lobby our councillors and MPs about these wider

issues.

This is what Local Agenda 21 is all about, act local and think global. If all of us acted

responsibly locally, global problems would be reduced, if not eliminated. The concept of Local

Agenda 21 really began in 1987 at a meeting of world leaders in Norway, where they agreed that

the way forward for the planet was to adopt policies of "sustainable development". In other

words, the kind of development that meets our present needs without compromising the ability of

future generations to do the same. This probably seems like simple common sense, but such

policies have been far from common in most western European countries. Later, at the Rio Earth

Summit in 1992, these ideas were further developed under the term Local Agenda 21, the

strategy for implementing sustainable sustainable development at local level. Each country

represented was urged to develop an Local Agenda 21 strategy which developed in close liaison

with local communities and organizations.

In 1996, Aberdeen City Council signed the Aalborg Charter for Sustainable

Development. Since then Aberdeen City Council has undertaken a wide range of programmes

towards achieving sustainable development and is seen as one of the leading local authorities in

the United Kingdom in this field. In 2004, Aberdeen signed the Aalborg Commitments. The

Commitments are a clear set of actions that should be taken to ensure sustainable development at

local authority level. They cover:

1. Governance

2. Local Management towards sustainability

3. Natural common goods

4. Responsible consumption and lifestyle choices

5. Planning and design

6. Better mobility, less traffic

7. Local Action for health

8. Vibrant and sustainable local economy

9. Social equity and justice

10. Local to global - The Council is currently undertaking a review of our progress with both

the Commitments and our Local Agenda 21.

OPERATINALISATION

1. Internal to the local government

The basic principles laid out in the Agenda 21 can be activated by the many organizations

and operations of a local government. These include local policy and programme

development; planning and management procedures in local projects, including preparing

of development plans; purchasing decisions in development and construction of public

projects; development of network (electricity, gas, water, roads) and social (community

services, education, health) infrastructure; day-to-day maintenance, including waste

collection and disposal

2. Local government's interaction with its citizens

A local governments' interaction with its citizens in implementing plans to realize the

goals set forth in its LA21 Plan is key to the success of the plan. Changes in urban

lifestyles have far reaching consequences, positive and negative, on the local and global

environment. Thus education and training in environmental issues; information

campaigns and awareness building - using both formal and informal channels; monitoring

and evaluation - including opinion surveys, referandums; action plans involving the civil

society, for example, in the 3Rs - reduce, reuse and recycle; can be various ways in which

the local government sensitizes its citizenry towards environmental protection.

3. External to the local government

There are some actions that local governments can only influence, but where the essential

decision-making process is outside their control. Here issues such as green business

proactices, product and safety standards, green tourism, labour practices etc. play an

important role. Activities of the civil society at large, including community groups,

NGOs, and other institutions, also fall in this category.

Six Key Element In LOCAL AGENDA 21

1. Managing and improving the local authority's own environmental performance

• Corporate commitment

• Staff training and awareness raising

• Environmental management systems

• Environmental budgeting

• Policy integration across sectors

2. Integrating sustainable development aims into the local authority's policies and activities

• Green housekeeping

• Land use planning

• Transport policies and programmes

• Economic development

• Tendering and purchase/provider splits

• Housing services

• Tourism and visitor strategies

• Health strategies

• Welfare, equal opportunities and poverty strategies

• Explicitly 'environmental' services

3. Awareness raising and education

• Support for environmental education

• Awareness-raising events

• Visits and talks

• Support for voluntary groups

• Publication of local information

• Press releases

• Initiatives to encourage behaviour change and practical action

4. Consulting and involving the general public

• Public consultation processes

• Forums

• Focus groups

• 'Planning for real'

• Parish Maps

• Feedback mechanisms

5. Partnerships

• Meetings, workshops and conferences

• Working groups/advisory groups

• Rounds Tables

• Environment City Model

• Partnership initiatives

• Developing-world partnerships and support

6. Measuring monitoring and reporting on progress towards sustainability

• Environmental monitoring

• Local state of the environment reporting

• Sustainability indicators

• Targets

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

• Strategic environmental assessment

LOCAL PLAN

Local plan is a written statement including policies and proposals, and the reason for those

policies and consists of Proposals Map which illustrates the proposals of the plan and where

policies apply. The Proposals Map consists of a city wide plan, a city centre inset and an

accessibility map.

1. Improving quality life of the citizen

All new development should contribute to this aim. Health should not be adversely

affected by pollution or by detrimental impacts on quality of life such as noise or visual

disturbance or by the loss of opportunity for recreation through the loss of open space

Development should not pollute the natural environment. There is a need to maximize

public access to open spaces and other natural areas due to their importance for informal

recreation, while at the same time protecting the nature conservation interests of

designated areas.

2. Involvement of citizens in the development process

Good design should be the aim of everyone involved in the development process and it

will be encouraged throughout the City. Good design can help create lively places with

distinctive character; streets and public spaces that are safe, accessible, pleasant to use

and human in scale; and places which inspire and reinforce pride in the city. This policy

applies to change of use and refurbishment schemes as well as redevelopment.

3. The setting and character of buildings of architectural and historic interest

Local characteristics which are considered detrimental in terms of urban design and

which undermine the overall character of areas should not be used as a precedent for the

poor design of new development. The proposals should maintain and enhance the setting

and character of buildings of architectural and historic interest and conservation areas.

There should be a role for innovative design in all areas of the city. Also, there should be

opportunities for landmark buildings in suitable areas and sites such as the city centre,

district centres, prominent and corner sites and areas of regeneration to help raise the

profile of the area to be regenerated. New development should also take account of the

latest building technologies.

4. Mix land-use development

Integrating housing with shops and employment opportunities – can make the most of the

potential for higher densities and intensive activity at locations with good access to public

transport. One of the main attractions of city living is the close proximity of work, shops,

social, education and leisure, cultural and sporting uses. The Local Plan policies will help

deliver the City Strategy aspiration for a vibrant mixed use city. Encouraging a diversity

of uses helps to maintain balanced communities by providing increased activity and

natural surveillance mixed used development can also help to improve personal safety.

Through the provision of local services as well as encouraging the provision of surgeries,

clinics, day care centres, nurseries and crèches to locate in areas of identified need,

sustainable communities are developed. Careful consideration shall be given to the range

of uses proposed within a single site/building to ensure that uses are compatible and that

any potential conflict is kept to an acceptable minimum through.

5. Integrating transport and development

Development should connect into existing transport networks to ensure it is convenient

for travel to the site to be achieved by all modes in order to provide genuine choice of

travel. It is not acceptable for proposals to be designed and located on the assumption that

the car will represent the only realistic means of travel for the vast majority of people.

Development should always be integrated into pedestrian, cycling and public transport

networks to ensure easy access to these modes of travel. Parking should be limited such

as providing car parking less than standard, provides parking for disabled persons, secure

cycle parking , lorry and motor cycle parking to encourage uses of public transport.

6. Public space

The design, location and function of buildings can help reinforce the identity of routes

and spaces within the public realm. Well-designed public spaces such as paths, streets,

squares, parks and plazas can help people find their way around the city and provide

informal, civic, or recreational space. When there is the opportunity to provide new or

improved public spaces as part of a development scheme, these spaces should be well-

designed, connected to pedestrian routeways and provide for the needs of all users.

Importantly, the layout and form of new development should enhance the comfort and

usefulness of open.

CONCLUSION

Sadly, relatively few Local Agenda 21 community forums have been set up to co-

ordinate these strategies, but Hammersmith and Fulham Local Agenda 21 is one that has been

successfully running since 1995 with representatives from local businesses, residents'

associations, schools, disability groups and many more. Many local people have attended the

community events and have informed the issues most important to the community. These led to

the development of ideas to improve quality of life in the area.

Now we have entered the 21st century, we should have a greater incentive to put a Local

Agenda 21 strategy into practice, helping every sector of the community Malaysia to improve

sustainable behavious and improve our environment. Despite our many inner city problems, our

greens, wildlife, rivers, beaches need to be conserved. We should manage a great public transport

links and a doorstep recycling scheme. Malaysians should ensure that future generations of

residents and our many visitors can enjoy a better Malaysia for years to comes.