Is density a dirty word?

| olivialealwalker
This is the future we’re heading towards unless we change the way we deliver housing. Let’s not make the same mistake as America.
Image credit: Yann Arthus-Bertrand

My grandparents moved to Sydney’s North West because they wanted to farm and the particular rural lifestyle that goes with it. Over the last few years, there has been a massive shift in the area, with 5 acre lots turned into 300 m2 blocks. People still have a dream to live in a massive house with a backyard, but this dream has become unaffordable for many, and so they are creating demand in the suburbs of Western Sydney.

What this has essentially created is a suburban desert. Rather than a more affordable home, some sprawling, unconsidered developments are locking people into a less affordable lifestyle. There are no jobs nearby, so families need two cars to complete the hour long journey to work. There are no parks or shops to walk to, but even if you could, there is no protection from the sun on your walk, meaning people are feeling less healthy and more isolated. The homogeny of these developments means that people won’t be able to grow old in the same community they lived in, as there are no options to downsize.

The future that I’d like to see – density done well

Development that considers the local context, provides a diversity of offerings, is of a high quality, and with increased access to quality parks can be the future.

We know our population is growing, and we will need to build more homes. But rather than sprawling, disconnected spaces, imagine a future of medium density, quality communities where you can walk to most of the things you need. This model allows you to:

  • Have the space you need to kick a ball or walk the dog
  • Have a diversity of building types and sizes within a smaller area, meaning you can grow old surrounded by the same community
  • Walk to the shops or Saturday soccer, rather than having to jump in the car, and doing so on cooler, tree-lined streets
  • Going up, rather than out allows for better public transport services
  • With the right type of mixed use, work within your local community

There is certainly a place for suburbs, and I’ve seen them done really well. This is my vision for the future, because it means we can live in connected, healthy communities and not be disadvantaged when it comes to getting to work and education. Density doesn’t necessarily mean high-rise apartments, although every building typology has a place somewhere, but may be terraced houses as an example, each within walking distance to the amenities they need.

Let’s just do it

I know what it’s like to live in an area that isn’t connected and the impact that can have on everyday life. I also know what good development looks like, and how it can enable people to lead healthier, happier, more connected lives. Connection is both literally through digital and transport infrastructure and employment opportunities, as well as a feeling of being part of a community, which is incredibly important for mental health.

Those who say density is a dirty word are those who have had the privilege of living on a large block close to the city. When density is done well, it can build communities, enable people close access to work and all the recreation they desire. It also creates more space for parks, nature and to grow our food locally. Stop saying density is a dirty word and start thinking about smarter ways to deliver good outcomes for the residents who will inevitably live there.

Are you paying more?

| olivialealwalker
Nothing describes the emotional journey you go on when your skin sticks to the seats in these during Summer.
Image source: https://hiveminer.com/

I recall the commute, first to university, and then to work. I’d leave home before my colleagues had even woken, to start a two hour journey. Sometimes the second train lined up perfectly, and other times, as the door closed in my face, I walked head bowed to the snack station to give myself something to do for another half hour.

I recently drove to Sydney from the far side of the Blue Mountains at five in the morning. To my horror, by the time I reached Penrith at 6 am, the traffic generated by people heading to work had built to an unsightly level.

The only ones who benefit from long commutes are vending machines and fast food joints.

Financial cost

Western Sydney is seen to be more affordable, yet the urban sprawl that we’ve created is locking its residents into a financial disadvantage. Seventy-five percent of people in Western Sydney are forced to rely on private cars to get to work. For a family not located near public transport, owning two cars can cost an additional $20,000 per year.

Similarly, my Opal card bill was $3,000 a year, compared to $1,500 living closer to work.

Social cost

There’s a hidden cost to this. An extra hour per day travel means ten less hours a week to spend with your family. It’s the little things, like needing to leave uni early, rather than hang out with friends, and missing that social connection. Or leaving work at 5pm to get home by 7 in order to feed your children. That extra two hours a day is the time that others use to go to the gym or do the washing or relax.

What is the solution?

You may not need to do a long commute yourself, but you certainly know people that do. Fortunately, there are some solutions.

For business, providing all of your employees with flexible working opportunities has been proven to produce more productive employees. By allowing staff to work from home, those that live in Western Sydney can save four hours a day. Companies such as WeWork or OfficeHub can provide a mid-way solution. Could you provide a satellite office space in major Western Sydney hubs such as Penrith and Campbeltown?

For developers, consider your own definition of mixed use. In addition to retail and residential, creating spaces for people to come together and work communally ensures that investment stays within the local communities that you develop, and supports social cohesion.

For yourself, consider what the true cost of living far from public transport is for you and your family. Housing is expensive, but it is important to factor in the cost of your commute. If you find yourself on a long trip, read more The City I See!

Did the government just waste billions of dollars?

| olivialealwalker
Will Sydney’s new road infrastructure be redundant?
Image credit: The Daily Telegraph

In Norway, electric vehicles outsold petrol and diesel cars combined this year. In Australia, the government spent billions of dollars building new roads for existing vehicles. We’re spending big money locking in our current infrastructure system, but the world is moving on rapidly. What happens when electric vehicles (EV) and autonomous vehicles (AV) come in the next 5-10 years? Will our new roads be made redundant?

Data’s not actually your solution

At a building level, data is collected almost constantly, whether from heat sensors to improve the building’s efficiency to who enters the doors and how much water they consume. Sentiment in the industry is that we need to collect more data, but there’s a difference between smart buildings and smart people. You can collect as much data as you like, but it is only a solution when something is done with it.

Crown Casinos are an example of using tech well (the irony is not lost). By using a data analytics system to solve issues in the building, they’ve saved a massive 2.6 Gigawatt hours of electricity (equivalent to powering 2,200 homes) (and a lot of money).

What do bitcoin and buildings have in common?

Blockchain, the technology behind bitcoin, has the potential to transform the industry, and it’s starting to show legs. Power Ledger has made peer-to-peer electricity sales possible using this technology. I can by excess solar from my neighbour when I need it, and they can do the same from me, all managed automatically online, and potentially without the need for the traditional electricity grid.

Power Ledger is using blockchain technology to sell power between neighbours and could be the future of electricity.
Image credit: Power Ledger

What does this mean for you?

Technology is changing rapidly, and it is important to be prepared for what is coming next. How are you preparing for future technology changes, to ensure your work won’t become redundant? Publications like The Fifth Estate are a great way to keep up with what is happening in the industry.

Three things your customers really want

| olivialealwalker
Customers want to work with businesses that have purpose, such as protecting the Great Barrier Reef through their carbon offsets.
Image credit: WWF

Everyday Australians are prioritising the environment over the economy. A recent survey undertaken by nearly 200,000 voters indicated the environment as the deciding factor for 29% of people in the upcoming Australian election. Since 2016, when this survey was last undertaken, this number has grown exponentially, indicating the environment is very real on their radar.

What does this mean for your business?

Clear alignment of purpose

A recent report by QANTAS Future Planet Program shows that 76% of consumers are very aware of environmental issues and that 83% believe business plays a key role in protecting the environment.

Your customers believe in purpose, and believe that you should have one too. Organisations that work for purpose over profit ironically make more profit – up to six times more!

It is easy to spot in-authenticity and your customers are not naive. If your organisation hasn’t had purpose at the front of mind, take this as an opportunity to do some soul searching and identify what it is that your business stands for. Simon Sinek’s video on ‘why’ is a great place to start.

Marketing material

We know your customers actually care about what you’re doing, but how are you letting them know? Is your marketing strategy actually giving customers a chance to know that you care and what it is that you do in relation to sustainability? Considering two thirds of respondents always think about the impact their actions have on the environment, how are you addressing the needs of this audience?

Take the opportunity to review your marketing material through your customer’s eyes – they’re more knowledgeable than you think and want to know what you’re doing. If you’re not sure what they’re after, try talking to them.

Walk the talk – carbon neutral organisations

A clear action that you can take is to become a certified carbon neutral organisation, under the Australian Government’s National Carbon Offset Standard. Carbon neutral organisations are already starting to reap the rewards, such as wineries getting their product on flights because of their certification. Becoming carbon neutral means that all of your business’ carbon impact is offset through verified offsets, which often have meaningful social co-benefits attached to them, such as supporting renewable infrastructure in emerging economies. It is simpler and cheaper than you think!

National Carbon Offset Standard
Carbon neutral organisations are reaping the rewards.
Image credit: Department of Environment and Energy

Pangolin Associates can help measure your companies’ carbon footprint, and are a great place to start.

Your three steps

Make the most of this holiday season and:

  1. Review your company’s purpose;
  2. Review your marketing material to make sure that purpose is clear; and
  3. Investigate becoming a carbon neutral organisation

Best wishes on your journey, and get in touch if you’d like help.

Are green buildings bad?

| olivialealwalker
The Hawaii Preparatory Academy Energy Lab is one of the many beautiful Living Building Challenge certified projects.
Picture source: Living Building Challenge

Some parts of the industry have come a long way in green building design, and developed beautiful, functional and efficient buildings. We start with a building and look at ways to make it better, tacking on incremental improvements.

What if our approach was all wrong?

While this approach has served us for a long time, I believe it is time we shifted the way we deliver sustainable design. Rather than ask how can we make bad better, why don’t we ask what does good look like?

The Living Building Challenge

This is the question that the Living Building Challenge seeks to answer. The Living Building Challenge is the most vigorous, transformative certification available globally. Instead of moving the needle forward slowly, the Challenge has set its flag on the hill for what good looks like, and over 100 certified buildings have risen to it.

The Living Building Challenge is rooted in considering a building as a flower, which makes sense the more you think about it. A flower is beautiful, gets all of its energy and water from where it falls and it isn’t toxic. A flower adds more value to a site than it takes.

Likewise, a Living Building generates 105% of its electricity on site, connects people to nature and their food, protects habitat, sources materials locally, only uses non-toxic materials and is net positive for waste, as well as being educational and inspirational.

The core values, or ‘petals’ of the Living Building Challenge are below, each with a set of imperatives to achieve:

Petals of the Living Building Challenge, each with a set of imperatives that show what good looks like.
Picture source: Understanding the Living Building Challenge Course

Living Building Challenge 4.0 is launching in two weeks, and this is a great opportunity to get familiar with what good looks like. The Living Future Institute of Australia is your go-to in Australia: https://living-future.org.au/

White Roof Revolution

| olivialealwalker
Fairwater, Frasers Property Australia’s development in Blacktown, is the perfect example of my vision.
Photo credit: Frasers Property Australia

There is a phenomenon called the ‘Urban Heat Island Effect’, where built up areas are significantly hotter than rural areas. In part, it’s caused by replacing vegetation with heat absorbing materials like concrete buildings and tar.

Due to the topographical shape of Sydney, Western Sydney suffers quite severely from Urban Heat Island Effect. It can be up to 10oC hotter than the city during a heat wave, and this has significant impacts on the community. For example, you’re 3 times more likely to die from the heat in Western Sydney than you are closer to the coast. You’re electricity demand is also 100% greater during heat waves, which means higher electricity costs and greater risk of blackouts (Guide to Urban Cooling Strategies, 2017).

I love Western Sydney, and this is not the future that I want. So I’ve come up with a plan.

The White Roof Revolution

Do you know the feeling of jumping into a black car on a really hot day, and wishing it was white? The same thing happens with our buildings. Dark-coloured roofs can be up to 30oC hotter than lighter roofs as they absorb much more of the sun’s rays.

Light roofs reflect more of the sun’s rays and absorb less heat than dark roofs, and as a result, they can be 30C cooler on hot days.

This matters for three reasons: comfort, cost and community.

Comfort: Your home can be 4.7oC cooler with a white roof than a dark roof – and that’s a big difference during a heatwave. It’s the really extreme temperatures that kill vulnerable people like our elderly, so 4.7oC really matters.

Cost: That same temperature difference can also save up to 34% on your air conditioning cost. With electricity prices so high, that can mean a lot to marginalised people.

Community: Where every roof in your street is black, this heat load impacts your ability to safely walk along the streets during hot days, increasing isolation and obesity.

Can you imagine walking through this suburb on a hot day? Black roofs effect communities ability to connect and be healthy (Holsworthy, Western Sydney).
Photo credit: Andrew Merry

White roofs don’t just benefit homes – they’re a solution for every type of building. DHL Supply Chain has painted Sky Cool, a reflective white paint, on some of their existing warehouses, and reduced their energy bill by 25%, saving more than $40,000 a year.

The vision

I want to turn every roof in Western Sydney white.

A lot of quality research has been undertaken to date, such as by the CRC for Low Carbon Living and Western Sydney Region of Councils. There’s a disconnect between the work done by institutions and government and the decisions that are made on the ground by developers, builders and ‘mums and dads’ who are making the best decision they can with the information that they have.

The solution could look like policy recommendations, guerrilla roof painters (like this group in New York) or a commitment from companies to only install white roofs in exchange for a discount. My aim is to understand how roof-colour decisions are made by undertaking interviews, and develop solutions driven by the problem.

Join me!

If you have any ideas related to this or want to get involved, comment below. I’d also love to hear your ideas for making the world a little better!

Why can’t they sell this apartment?

| olivialealwalker
This is the only block on the street that can’t sell – is quality the answer?

Since moving to Epping two years ago, the area has undergone significant change. What was once homes on big blocks has now become streets lined with six-storey apartments. In the space of 18 months, close to a dozen apartment blocks have sprung up in my front yard. I’m all for density done well, and given our proximity to the train station, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

We were in a boom time, and these apartments were selling like hot-cakes. All, but this one building – I took this photo a month ago, and it is still the only building on the block that is covered in real estate signs.

Why can’t it sell?

I’m not certain why this particular apartment building isn’t selling, when the others are doing just fine, but I’m guessing it has to do with quality. Even from the outside, the quality of finishes isn’t at the same standard as the others in the street.

Quality matters

In development, quality matters. It can be tempting to purchase a home based on its marble benchtops and ducted air conditioning, but these aren’t the things that matter. Considering the recent Opal Tower concerns (cracks in the concrete) or Grenfell Disaster (cladding caught on fire), you need to be able to trust where you sleep at night. When purchasing your home, make sure you look beyond the shiny exterior and find a quality home that has your family’s comfort in mind.

What should you ask for?

Quality can take many forms, but to ensure your home is comfortable, the level of insulation and the orientation of the building are incredibly important. Air conditioning can account for 40% of your electricity bill, so getting this right not only means you’re comfortable, but it means your finances are too. Support this with solar panels, to further reduce your bills, and the chance of being caught out during a blackout.

Quality is also reflected in healthy materials, such as paints and furniture that don’t release toxic chemicals into your home. GECA certified products are a great place to start because you know they’re safe (for you and the people who made them). Your mental health also benefits when your home connects you to nature, either through views, or natural surfaces.

If you’re building your own home, this government website is a really useful resource: http://www.yourhome.gov.au/

If you’re buying off the plan and want a third-party verified stamp of quality, look for certifications like Passive House or Green Star.

Quality is important, and this building here is facing the consequence of not delivering.

I think I’m breaking up with you.

| olivialealwalker
Australian supermarkets love wrapping fresh food in plastic, and we’re breaking up with it.

I. Love. Aldi.

Or, at least I did. I think it’s time we broke up, and it hurts my heart.

Through their chocolate brands that sound suspiciously like other chocolate brands (and yet, oh so delicious) to their special buys which magically know what you need before you do, Aldi has a unique way of bringing strangers together to bond over their admiration for the store.

I love Aldi, but I certainly do not love that every fruit and vegetable comes wrapped in plastic, and I don’t think I can stomach it anymore.I

Why do we love plastic food?

Food is being moved around the world at an increasing rate. Australia is a net exporter of fresh food, particularly wheat, meat, fruit and vegetables. Packaging is incredibly important to ensure that food doesn’t spoil while it’s being transported across the world, meaning we’re contributing to this packaging problem. We’re also doing a lot of importing, particularly highly-processed, delicious German chocolate.

What about our food security?

I’m more than a little nervous about Sydney’s food security in the near future. We’re continuing to either sell farms to international conglomerates or we develop on the good quality agricultural land just outside our city. Our population is growing, and as we reduce the ability to grow food locally, we’re going to become more reliant on international food markets, putting millions of people at risk.

What can we do?

If you have any influence on development, ensure that it occurs on land that has already previously been developed, and avoid agricultural land on the fringe of Sydney. There’s a slow urban agriculture movement happening, with places like the Gardens of Alexandria and Camperdown Commons capitalising on people’s innate need to feel connected to nature and their food. In your development, this may look like herbs as gifts for residents and fruit trees on the footpath, all the way to fully-resourced community gardens. Not only is it giving residents some autonomy and control over what they eat, food helps bring people of all different cultures and ages together.

If you’re a consumer, consider heading to your local farmers market and get to know the people who grow your food. This website lists the farmers markets in your area. If you’re after a nice weekend drive, check out Hawkesbury Harvest Trail for a wholesome adventure.

Join me, and break up with plastic-wrapped, imported fruit and veg. We’re looking at you Aldi!

What happens when our landfills are full? Part 3 – Organics

| olivialealwalker
Landfill biogas
Too much excitement visiting the biogas facility. The well in the top right is capturing the methane emitted from the landfill, and turning it into electricity.

Organic waste accounts for ~60% of our household bins. When organics decompose, they produce methane, which is 25x worse for climate change than our beloved carbon dioxide.

Earlier this year I visited the Eastern Creek Waste Facility (which is full), to see how they capitalise on methane emitted from landfill. The gas is tapped and burned to generate electricity which is sold to the grid. Excess methane is also burned, so that what is emitted is carbon dioxide, rather than something much more potent. Income is generated from the sale of electricity and the creation of both carbon offset certificates and renewable energy certificates. Pretty neat.

Biogas flare: this technology burns the methane emitted from landfill, reducing it down to carbon dioxide, which is 25x less potent as a greenhouse gas.

Why don’t we send all organics to landfill, to capture the methane, create an energy source and therefore income? It seems to make sense. This process, however, still allows ~50% of the methane to escape into the atmosphere. It also doesn’t utilise the nutrients that are locked in organic waste, and it’s what makes our landfills smell so bad.

So what should we be doing with organics?

1.How we separate at the source

In speaking to waste contractors, the best thing we can do is separate our organics at the source. This means a separate food bin at work and at home. There are challenges with extracting organics from landfill, which at this point render it unusable (see point 3).

Only one Council in Sydney currently provides a separate food and organic (FOGO) bin, whereas it’s business as usual across Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide. See if your Council can run a trial or put them in touch with Inner West Council for advice.

You can install separate organics bins in your office – do you have one where you work? Be a champ and get one installed! Make sure to talk to your building management team to get a special organics pick-up.

2. How we design & operate waste rooms

Waste rooms are often just a box on an architectural drawing, but the way that box is designed impacts operations for the rest of the buildings life. It’s essential to ensure there is space for organics separation. A Pulp Master is a great alternative – it chews down the food to be used as fertiliser and keeps it out of landfill.

3. How we process organics

Suez has created a composted product from the organics that are captured in landfill. Where it’s been used on remediation sites, it’s been very successful, and diverts a huge amount of waste from landfill. It’s a better solution, however, coming from landfill there is still a chance of microplastic and heavy metal contamination. This product is currently facing an EPA ban and its future is unknown.

What’s the best way forward?

I believe the best approach is diversion at the source (so it’s clean), with the waste processed in an anaerobic digester, and the methane captured for energy.  The agricultural industry is taking advantage of this technology, capturing animal effluent in big waste lakes (mmm, delicious) where it is broken down by bacteria and used to power their facilities.

We’ve only spoken about organics in the context of food. Anyone willing to tackle sewage?