Projects

Sustainable district infrastructure

Sustainable district infrastructure

Icaro undertook research on behalf of the UK-GBC and Zero Carbon Hub Sustainable District Infrastructure task group.

Deployment of integrated, cost effective, low carbon infrastructure (such as community scale heating, water harvesting, and telecommunications) is increasingly recognised as having an important role in meeting the challenges of delivering a sustainable built environment. However, there is currently a gap between what national policy imperatives are appearing to require, what planners and local political leaders are seeking to establish, and what industry appears geared up to deliver.

To support the Task Group, Icaro undertook a national survey of 1,074 adults aged 18+ in Great Britain, supplemented by a series of focus group discussions.

The research highlights that consumers’ default perception is that a neighbourhood with sustainable community infrastructure is high tech, modern, attractive and desirable, offers a better quality of life, and would be somewhere that they would personally want to live. It does, however, also suggest two key perceptual barriers: scepticism about the alleged cost savings, and being able to see the proposition “working in their area”.

Rainwater harvesting stands out as a key positive driver and a potential ‘gateway measure’ that attracts support for the broader proposition. Broader environmental and community benefits appeal strongly to a minority but – for the majority – are only strong enough to act as a secondary benefit. For these consumers it is the associations with efficiency and ‘modern homes/communities’ that come to the fore.