Review and analysis of tools for the implementation and assessment of sustainable urban development (original) (raw)

The principles of sustainability and ecologically sustainable development (ESD) are widely accepted as important components of urban planning and development, and indeed the language of sustainability is heavily featured in recent urban planning strategy and policy. There are currently numerous initiatives to incorporate ESD principles in urban buildings. Building assessment tools such as AccuRate and BASIX exist, along with the Green Building Council's 'Green Star' suite of tools and others (e.g. NABERS, BREEAM, LEED), as do various reviews of these approaches. There is much less activity, however, on the incorporation of ESD principles into the planning and design of the broader urban form. This paper focuses on assessment tools aimed at the suburb or precinct scale, presenting a representative review of existing initiatives. It will highlight strengths and weaknesses of the approaches reviewed, and propose future directions for the provision of assessment tools to improve the ecological sustainability performance of urban development.