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 crches 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.