Cambridgeshire County Council has headed up a project titled SmartLIFE to help make housing affordable and sustainable in the North Sea region. By developing specialist professional skills in modern methods of construction, Cambridgeshire, Hamburg and Malmö are minimising the impact of housing on the environment and increasing cost-effective options for homebuyers.
- 15 February 2010
Everybody talks about sustainability. In this particular project, we actually show how we can put the principles of sustainability into pratice.
Many cities throughout the North Sea region face similar growth-related problems, such as intense pressure for development and an increased need for affordable housing. SmartLIFE forges partnerships between these areas to come up with common solutions making Europe, as a whole, more energy efficient.
Vocational and professional training
SmartLIFE has set up state-of-the-art business centres and training facilities in each partner country to deliver vocational and professional training courses on the use of innovative construction methods. Students are learning how to build and renovate energy efficient homes, using the latest eco-friendly and sustainable materials.
Cambridgeshire County Council in the East of England has been leading the SmartLIFE project. The other main partners are the Environment Department of the City of Malmö in Sweden and TuTech Innovation GmbH Hamburg, Germany. Together they share expertise on training, construction and development.
The project was divided into 4 parts: construction and running of the SmartLIFE European business centres; community training and education (led by UK Learning and Skills Council); planning policy and practice, research (led by the city of Malmö); communications and marketing (led by Cambridgeshire County Council).
All partners worked on all parts of the project. While this is a transnational project, the actions carried out in each area were tailored to local circumstances. In Cambridgeshire, the emphasis was on developing a business and training centre. In Malmö and Hamburg, the project focused on enabling these cities to build on an existing track record in sustainable construction, exchanging best practices and fostering private/public partnerships.
New approach takes off
SmartLIFE has revolutionised the growth of cities and regions in the North Sea region. Developers are now only too keen to jump on board to benefit from the expertise being offered and to be part of this new wave of sustainable construction.
In Cambridgeshire, the project is helping to meet the demand for affordable housing and generating posts for as many as 10 000 new construction workers. In Malmö, 5 000 new eco-friendly homes are being built to meet demand following the opening of the Öresund Bridge connecting Sweden to Denmark. In Hamburg, the emphasis is on high quality urban development, combining population growth with robust standards of environmental protection.
The unique partnerships formed between these regions are building best practices both internally and externally as SmartLIFE shares its experience at high profile international events.