Builiding greener cities
Most European cities are concrete jungles with not much thought having gone into building sustainably in the last century. This reality may be about to change with the recent completion of an EU-funded project 'Raising European awareness of a sustainable built environment' (Enable). In support of the European Construction Technology Platform (ECTP), the Enable project raised awareness and competitiveness in sustainable building across Europe to a whole new level. It informed Europeans how they could benefit from a more sustainable built environment and what drivers are needed to achieve this new vision by 2030. To help achieve its objectives, Enable established technology platforms under the ECTP to involve stakeholders. It outlined cutting-edge technologies that will influence the sector, helped the European Commission articulate its priorities in this respect and reached out to user communities in the sector. These efforts enabled groups to interact, share ideas and promote sustainability through a new network of users, clients and industry players across the EU. With strong focus on the three main criteria for sustainability, i.e. society, environment and economy, the project set the stage for building comfortable, healthy habitats for Europeans. The continent's new cities would feature seamless aboveground and underground transport, upgraded utility networks, integration of cultural heritage and improved security. In this light, Enable encouraged transformation of the construction sector through increased knowledge, client-driven construction processes, enhanced information and communication technologies (ICT) support, automation, and novel construction materials. After having conducted a number of workshops at EU-country level and establishing national contact points (NCPs) that help put these initiatives into action, the project successfully kick-started its ambitious plan. Thanks to these efforts, European cities may see much greener and more sustainable buildings gracing their skylines, ushering in higher standards of living and a more comfortable life for citizens.
