The Actions of Sustainable Building and Environment Forming in Kaohsiung

The Actions of Sustainable Building and Environment Forming in Kaohsiung Speakers: Hsieh, Chih-Chang 1 ; Li, Yen-Yi 2 ; Huang, Chin-Ming 3 ; Tzeng, Pin-Chieh 4 ; Chou, I-Shin 5 1 Kaohsiung City Government, Kaohsiung, TAIWAN 2 GAID, ShuTe University, Kaohsiung, TAIWAN 3 Kaohsiung City Government, Kaohsiung, TAIWAN 4 Kaohsiung City Government, Kaohsiung, TAIWAN 5 Kaohsiung City Government, Kaohsiung, TAIWAN Abstract: Formerly a heavy industrial sector, Kaohsiung City has long been responsible for Taiwan s economic development. Consequently, air pollution has become a substantial problem for people residing in the city. International statistics indicate that the annual CO 2 emission in Kaohsiung City has reached up to 9,613 metric tons, which is higher than the average CO 2 emission per person in other major cities around the world. Therefore, the City government starts to promote the transformation of cities with high carbon emissions and prevent carbon emissions from increasing situations, so that industrial sectors have comprehensively enacted energy savings and carbon reduction policies. The promotion of the action plan for Kaohsiung building environment transformation is based on the planning of the residential and commercial sector. A periodical approach was used for plan promotion according to various topographical and cultural environments, stressing local culture, green buildings, and citizen participation. Relevant laws were established to ensure the practical implementation of the transformation plan. The action plans include seven subplans, which are City as Green Roof Gardens, City as Solar Power Stations, City as Green and Cooling Corridors, Kaohsiung LOHAS Buildings, Constructions in Green Buildings, Professional Healthy Building Doctor System, and International Collaboration in Sustainable Development Strategies are proposed to resolve current problems related to illegal constructions, metal huts, and disorderly urban environments. Green building environments are established by integrating the urban climate conditions of Kaohsiung City and corresponding to Kaohsiung s building environment issues, thereby creating water and electricity saving, healthy, and environmentally friendly buildings with local characteristics. Keywords: building environment transformation, government strategy, action plan, carbonemission reduction Preface In May 2013, the United Nations (UN) News Centre reported that the world s daily average atmospheric CO2 concentration has exceeded 400ppm; the highest concentration level in a million years. These results have consequently raised substantial concern from the UN. Kaohsiung City, which is located in a topical climate zone south of the Tropic of Cancer, accommodates a population of approximately 2.77 million, and occupies a regional governance area of 2,946 square kilometers and an elevation range of over 3,500 meters. As a result, Kaohsiung features diverse ethnicity and topography, unique local culture, and varying climate conditions (e.g., hot and sunny with spontaneous heavy rainfall). Formerly a heavy 1

industrial sector, Kaohsiung City has long been responsible for Taiwan s economic development. Consequently, air pollution has become a substantial problem for people residing in the city. International statistics indicate that the annual CO2 emission in Kaohsiung City has reached up to 9,613 metric tons, which is higher than the average CO2 emission per person in other major cities around the world. The city further demonstrates a dense human population and heavy motorcycle traffic, which causes substantial CO2 emissions. Additionally, sites for new construction projects are increasing at approximately 140,000 square meters per year. This intense development has resulted in the reduction of natural land. Furthermore, Kaohsiung City, which is prone to the greatest risks of natural disasters in Taiwan, has lost its flood prevention and stormwater runoff mechanisms, thereby exhibiting greater damage caused by global warming. Regarding building environment, the construction of illegal metal housing and other chaotic urban constructions have raised concerns of public safety, public health, and the urban heat island effect. Feasibility Study of Policy frameworks To promote the transformation of cities with high carbon emissions and prevent carbon emissions from increasing, industrial sectors have comprehensively enacted energy savings and carbon reduction policies. The carbon emission reduction goal of Kaohsiung City was set higher than that of international standards (reducing carbon emissions in 2020 and 2030 by 30% and 50% of that for 2005). The promotion of the action plan for Kaohsiung building environment transformation is based on the planning of the residential and commercial sector. A periodical approach was used for plan promotion according to various topographical and cultural environments, stressing local culture, green buildings, and citizen participation. Relevant laws were established to ensure the practical implementation of the transformation plan (Table 1). This plan enables a reconsideration of cultural positioning and corrects the development of built environments. By adopting a core positioning of water and greenery, the concepts of ecology, economy, livability, creativity, and internationality are used to remold the living environment of whole Kaohsiung Area. Thus, along with the citizens of Kaohsiung City, we promote the action plan for sustainable building environment transformation. The Policy framework was started from 2010, and through 12 expert forums and 24 public discussion workshops to make the framework of Kaohsiung low-carbon LOHAS city. The figure 1 shows the structure for the government to make the holistic progress to promote the LOHAS Kaohsiung, and the urban environmental feature sector is the main action plan for the Sustainable Building and Environment Forming processes. The Action plan start integrated with government pilot projects and public participantions to together step forward to the New Kaohsiung future. 2

Table 1. Execution focus for the various subprojects of the action plan for sustainable building environment transformation Subproject Execution concept 3D greenification of urban gardens\community awards and counseling \benefit analysis(disaster prevention and flood detention, temperature reduction, energy saving and carbon reduction, landscapes for leisurely Green roofs activities, psychological healing, space utilization, urban ecological diversity, social interactions ) \the development of public facility corporation\rain water utilization\ meteorological data analysis and application\ecological plan for rooftop farms Constructing a Solar City \transforming illegal constructions on rooftops\developing independent energy to prompt the green industry \creating architectural characteristics\subsidizing photovoltaic installation in Photovoltaic private buildings(the predicted installation amount can reach 1MW and produce 1.4 million kwh of electricity per year, and is estimated to decrease 880 tons of CO 2 emission) Kaohsiung LOHAS buildings Green buildings Doctors for healthy buildings Green beautification in public spaces International collaboration Activating community construction and cultural self-evidence\building branding\increasing the quality and value of life\improving city appearance\designing environmentally friendly buildings\promoting green energy\enhancing the disaster prevention function of buildings\designs for the aging population\constructing Kaohsiung LOHAS buildings, establishing community workshops, and subsidizing and rewarding academic research Integrating the urban climate conditions of Kaohsiung City(e.g., high heat, high humidity, and abundant sunlight ) \corresponding to Kaohsiung s building environment issues(e.g., thermal insulation, urban heat island effect, rainstorm and flood prevention ) \creating green building environments that conform to local characteristics \creating water and electricity saving, healthy, and environmentally friendly buildings\creating a carbon and disaster reduction and healthy living environment Indoor air quality diagnosis and improvement for public buildings\diagnostic verification for green and Kaohsiung LOHAS buildings\diagnosis and improvement of current buildings\improvement plan for sick buildings Improving Kaohsiung City s appearance\addressing disorderly and dirty vacant land\eliminating environments that are prone to mosquito breeding\stimulating land usage frequency\transforming vacant land connected with communities into green land\subsidy and reward measures\mitigating urban heat island effect\elevating health and quality of life Signing a memorandum of agreement with the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment and Center for Housing Innovations, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. A long-term, stable, and effective industry-research collaborative partnership is established, thereby achieving complementary advantages of cities, talent cultivation, promoting industries with green building certifications, and constructing interactions and collaborations among cities. 3

Figure 1 The policy structure of Kaohsiung low-carbon LOHAS city Community Participations and Empowerment by government The following points were considered to increase the sense of participation among citizens of Kaohsiung City, implement a sustainable community transformation, and enhance government policy development and citizens interactions: (a)the Kaohsiung LOHAS creativity competition was conducted with the inclusion of international innovation in promoting the green building movement. (b)the competition work was exhibited in various communities and schools to encourage citizen participation. (c) Kaohsiung LOHAS academic research that conformed to local conditions was conducted to integrate local characteristics and development. (d)seed designers for building transformation projects were cultivated; and these designers participated in community practices after being certified. (e)community workshops were established, and a stationed approach was employed to attend to the locals demands, participation, and operations. (f)domestic and international experts and scholars were regularly invited to hold seminars and practical discussions regarding design operations. (g)field visits to special communities in Meinong, Cishan, and Ciaotou Districts (h)constructing Kaohsiung LOHAS No.1 and integrating professional design experience gained by practice as reference for citizens. 4

The Kaohsiung city government also sets the financial subsidy for the citizens who whant to renovate the house achieves the principles of Kaohsiung LOHAS hosue, and the also to renovate the illegal extra double roof by iron into photovoltec panel roof. There are two new evaluation systems by Kaohsiung city government to certify the community and solar house in Kaohsing, which is benefit to the new housing products for the development company can get more good market in Kaohsing. Thay also are proud to get the certifications and make a competitions inbetween. Figure 2 shows some activities of this action plan. There are 6 local universities joined, 3 international workshops, 26 principle research projects, 82 workshops in two years, 212 NGO and communities activities in programs, 6 new community groups, 8 Official facebook Forums, 742 students in competitions, More than 12,000 participants in this two year actions. Figure 2 the activities of the action plan in Kaohsiung 5

Policy promotion and brand and overall mechanism establishment To effectively plan Kaohsiung s sustainable building environment transformation, innovative laws and regulations were stipulated to arouse society to re-contemplate and define building environments. Thus, the goals of fulfilling building environment construction according to global environmental change, the introduction of industrial transformation, the coexistence of disaster and its prevention mechanism, and cultural self-evidence are achieved. The objectives of carbon and disaster reduction are achieved through stipulating Kaohsiung City Green Building Self-Governance Regulation that conforms to the City s needs, promoting an ecological city, constructing a green building environment, creating a healthy life quality, and supporting a green economy. In the proposed plan, photovoltaic construction, the practical construction of Kaohsiung LOHAS buildings, local academic research, the establishment of community workshops, and green roof improvement demonstrations are subsidized. Consequently, community construction is activated and a platform is available for collecting the consensus of social groups and community members. This down-to-up participation movement and the matchmaking mechanism have created a site for verifying and demonstrating the previously mentioned innovative laws and regulations. Figure3. Policy promotion and the establishment of building brands and overall mechanisms Results and Benefits of the action plan The promotion of Kaohsiung Sustainable Building and Environment Forming now become the demonstration of Taiwan, and more and more other county govenment try to follow the concepts of the mechanism and adopt the new policies and framework from local environmental characteristics. The promotion of the action plan is estimated to increase job opportunities in building-related industries; thus, elevating the overall market output. For example, the increase of more than 2000 job opportunities (in the photovoltaic system 6

industry) generated a 1.5 billion output. With an estimated growth increase in photovoltaic installments exceeding 10,000 kwp, additional system manufacturers and relevant industries may settle in Kaohsiung. By the Kaohsiung LOHAS house labelling system the government create the trends to encourage the local construction companies to promote more environment oriental products to the market. (Figure 4) Consequently, the employment rate in Kaohsiung City is increased and citizens who reside in other parts of Taiwan exhibit greater opportunities and willingness to return to Kaohsiung for work. We anticipate that Kaohsiung City will become a livable ecological city, and we endeavor to create a healthy living environment that is capable of carbon and disaster reduction. The annual carbon reduction goal is set at 12,360 tons, and the estimated carbon reduction amount after a decade is 123,600 tons. (Figure 5) Figure4. Policy promotion and the establishment of building brands and overall mechanisms Green industry Solar power services Green roof services Green building services Community workshops The number of increase in job opportunities per case (year) approximately 350 approximately 210 approximately 1200 248 Academic researchers 53 Total 2061 Figure5. The contributions of the action plan in these two years References 1. The promotion project of renovation toward the solar buildings in Kaohsiung (2012-2013), Kaohsiung city government, TAIWAN 2. The promotion project of Kaohsiung LOHAS House (2012-2013), Kaohsiung city government, TAIWAN 3. Kaohsiung green building autonomous regulations (2012), Kaohsiung city government 7