Sustainable Urban Construction

Provide insight on specific bioclimatic criteria, ecologically friendly materials, and the importance of recycling in order to improve the construction process, profiting as much as possible from the site’s characteristics for obtaining the maximum comfort conditions in the most energetically efficient way.
Analyze important factors that should be considered when designing a development planning such as preservation of traditional architecture and rehabilitation of old developments (acknowledging the cultural expression and identity of the specific place), water management, transportation, etc. or to promote the maximum energy savings and the preservation of limited resources.
Emphasize the criteria necessary to attain the optimal comfort conditions in order to guarantee a healthy and comfortable indoor ambient, stressing the importance of using the right materials and avoiding others that are known to pose serious threats to people’s health.

The information included in this module is available for you to enhance your knowledge and skills in order to create and promote action plans and designs aiming at sustainable development and viable, healthy and pleasant urban environment.”

Acknowledgements
“These notes have been produced from public domain information regarding sustainable development, urban environment and sustainable urban construction and are freely available on the following websites:

www.c-sostenible.cat
www.ecohabitar.org/PDF/CCConsSost.pdf
www.Passivesolardesign.pdf
www.enfield.gov.uk/Environment/sustainability
www.renewabledevices.com
www.ec.europe.eu/research/environment/sue_btf_en.pd
http://www.iqglass.com/products_iqglass/products_benefits2.html
www.swindon.gov.uk/consultation_draft.pdf
www.eco-label.com
www.sustainable%20Design%20&%20Construction%20Guide.pdf
www.caddet.org/publi/uploads/pdfs/newsletter981_01.pdf
www.euro.who.intDocument/Hms/itahfa21/pdf072cap07.pdf
www.pathnet.org/si.asp?id=374
www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/foundings/housing/733.asp
www.wave-guide.org/library/arrl/htm
www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Asset7403.aspx

The information presented in this course module may not be the full information available on these websites. The information may have also been augmented or merged.

This handbook is the outcome of collective work by the partners comprising the network. Special thanks to Ruth María Costa Alonso, student from the Polytechnic University of Barcelona and Mireia Canellas Grifoll, from the Sustainability and Ecosystem Management Dept. at the Sabadell Townhall (Spain) who compiled this guidebook. Thanks are also due to the Professor Inmaculada Rodríguez Cantalapiedra at the Polytechnic University of Barcelona, as well as Antoni Pierantonios Papazoglou and Natassa Economou from Intecollege University in Nicossia, for her revision and assistance during the preparation of the educational material.

Disclaimer
“The information presented in this course module has been obtained from respected and reputable international sources and highlights key issues affecting sustainable development and urban environment in relation to sustainable urban construction. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information was correct at the time of the preparation of the final version of the module, we cannot guarantee that it will remain so.

It therefore follows that the developers of the program “Promoting Urban Sustainable Development in Local Authorities – PROUD” cannot accept any liability for losses or damage that might be caused by the application of this information.