2nd October 2009

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A University of Ulster lecturer has urged urban planners to think more about the environmental impact of new developments. 

Dr Anil Kashyap, from the School of Built Environment, was speaking at the International Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP) World Congress in Berlin last month. 

He presented his research on ‘Mobility Energy Use in Urban Patterns’, which was carried out as part of his recently completed PhD research. 

“Many countries now have policies to reduce distances travelled by private car and to favour the use of public transport, cycling and walking. The development of compact urban forms and the design of urban communities which favour walking is seen as particularly effective strategies for reducing car dependency and thereby energy use in mobility,” said Dr Kashyap. 

“Mixed land use, residential density, street connectivity and commute distance have been identified as potential variables affecting travel behaviour. 

“Development plan and building controls has potential to be used as a tool for reducing energy consumption since planning policies affect individual buildings characteristics and neighbourhood characteristics which are generally assumed to relate to travel behaviour.” 

The IFHP is a world-wide network of professional institutions and individuals of many signatures active in the broad fields of housing, urban development and planning.  

This year’s conference theme was 'Urban Technologies for Urban Sustainability: Climate Change and Energy Efficiency'. 

Experts on five key themes were invited to present their research on key themes such as energy production and distribution, energy-efficient construction, water circulation, mobility, urban mining and resource management.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office, Department of Communication and Development
Tel: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk