COBRA 2010: Biodiversity and the Built Environment Theme

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' (RICS) COBRA 2010 research conference was held at Dauphine Université Paris, France, on 2-3 September 2010, which featured for the first time a special session on Biodiversity and the Built Environment stream organised by Dr John Littlewood, Director of the Ecological Built Environment Research and Enterprise group (EBERE); at the Cardiff School of Art & Design, University of Wales Institute Cardiff, UK.

Dr John Littlewood, introduced the new special session on Biodiversity and the Built Environment, by discussing his research interests in green roofs to modify urban climate change, increase visual amenity, provide urban garden space and increase the energy efficiency of earth sheltered houses; urban allotments for organic food production, benefits of increased health and wellbeing from the green gym and community cohesion; and also the potential for developing a UK and European wide research project to investigate urban community production strategies.

Five papers were presented, as listed below; with links to the published papers:

• Deep green or white hot: The future of Oxford Road Corridor in Manchester, UK. Aleksandra Kazmierczak, Gina Cavan, Jeremy Carter, John Handley, and Simon Guy. RICS, COBRA 2010, London, 2010. ISBN: 9781842196199.

• Harvest Brighton and Hove: evaluation of the first year of an urban growing project. Della Madgwick, RICS, COBRA 2010, London, 2010. ISBN: 9781842196199 .

• Innovation without boundaries. Nigel Lowthrop, Tom Morgan , Sam Brown, Mike Anderson, Samantha Gill and Stephen Poll. RICS, COBRA 2010, London, 2010. ISBN: 9781842196199. 

• Integrating trans-disciplinary approaches: joined-up working in urban regeneration. Kerry Morrison and Philip James, University of Salford, UK, and Alicia Prowse, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. ISBN: 9781842196199.

• Urban vegetation and the drivers for change: a case study of Runcorn, UK. Nicola Jane Wallbank, and Philip James. RICS, COBRA 2010, London, 2010. ISBN: 9781842196199.

Information on the conference call for the ‘Biodiversity and the Built Environment' theme at the 2011 COBRA annual conference for property and construction research, which is to be convened by and in conjunction with the RICS, hosted by the University of Salford, 12 and 13 September 2011 is available here.

If you require any further information on the 2010 or 2011 the ‘Biodiversity and the Built Environment' field then please contact Dr John Littlewood.