Background on some finalists

Aylsham is a small market town in the heart of rural Norfolk.  It is a town where the historic fabric has been protected and restored, new development is designed in sympathy with the built and natural environment and planning for the future is carefully considered.  Above all, it is a town where people care about and for each other, with a wealth of social and community groups which provide a vibrant and supportive social network.  There are opportunities for people of all ages to take part in social, cultural and physical activities, all contributing to a healthy way of living.  High quality locally produced food is easily available and affordable.  Worthy of its Cittaslow status, Aylsham is a town where it is good to live.

Bags of Sense is a project devised in Aylsham following last year’s LivCom Awards.  Visiting a Spanish waste treatment plant, the Aylsham delegation was struck by the problems of disposing of plastic carrier bags to ever shrinking landfill sites.  On returning home the group undertook some research and contacted a talented local artist working with various waste materials and found objects.  After some experiments, a successful exhibition in July attracted press and local interest and a volunteer group has been formed to develop saleable products from waste plastic bags.  A stand at a major waste management conference was popular and resulted in a number of invitations to take the project into schools and other venues.  In the long term, the project team aims to form a social enterprise working in partnership with mental and occupational health professionals.  While the number of bags removed from the waste stream may not make a significant impact on volume, the project aims to encourage people to think about this important environmental issue and to reduce, reuse and recycle materials which they would otherwise put in the bin. 

Brasschaat, a community of 37 000 inhabitants on a total surface of 3849 hectares or 1540 acres. Brasschaat at about 15 km north of the port of Antwerp, one of the most densely populated areas of Flanders but still it maintains its green charisme with several forests and parks. Also a lot of streets in the community are being reconstructed with the planting of trees.

Brasschaat has a sewage system of about 95% , this means that 95% of the streets of Brasschaat are connected to a sewage system. This water running network has been modernized during the eigthies. The community has built several drainage and open reservoirs to control flooding during heavy rainfall.

Brasschaat tries to draw its inhabitants into the policy by organising several district meetings annually. Here Brasschaat presents her vision and programma of work in the neighbourhood.

A community in which people feel connected to one another also that is important to Brasschaat. This translates in numerous activities in several fields: cultural, sports, youth, activities for elderly people and so one.

Dongguan, a City of Harmony

Dongguan has excelled in valuing its history, culture and natural environment. With our clear vision of the future and forefront strategies to manage the ecological challenge of globalization, we have become one of the most liveable cities in the world.

Dongguan’s planning emphasis on environmental harmony and citizen-oriented administration has driven the city’s sustainable transformation. The city’s economic success, well-protected environment, and the high quality of life of its citizens are proof of harmonious co-existence between man and nature.

By presenting our best practices to the world, we hope to safeguard our planet for the generations to come.

Explains how Dungannon has been like a phoenix rising from the ashes, emerging from its troubled past into a vibrant, progressive and welcoming community for residents and visitors alike. The entry addresses issues such as community sustainability, environmental enhancement and details the plans for the future.

Outlines how a marginal wetland became a dumping ground for all types of illegally tipped waste including fridges, burned out cars, dead animals, toxic wastes etc and how through the efforts of the local community and Council, the area was transformed into a serene and tranquil beauty spot with the benefits of providing an educational facility for local schools.

Given the large number of migrant workers in Dungannon, the Council has focused on providing a strategic framework and civic leadership that will ensure the migrant worker population are fully integrated within the community. Particular emphasis has been given to providing advice and support on waste management issues through various initiatives.

The community of Muskiz is located strategically 20 km from Bilbao, capital of Bizkaia, in the Basque Country and it is part of a conglomeration of industrious municipalities located on both sides of the Nervión estuary. Its history is linked to the iron mineral from the first smithies to the massive mine workings of the 19^th and 20^th centuries that were the origin of Bizkaia’s prosperity.

However, Muskiz has made an enormous effort setting in motion an ambitious process of urban and environmental regeneration, recovering its historical heritage in order to become an inhabitable community and promoting the creation of a new productive and industrial fabric that is alternative, modern and sustainable.

Together with the projects that are part of the deep and ambitious transformation of this village, we will also present to the LivCom Awards the El Pobal Foundry. After several years of restoration, it was inaugurated in June 2004. The pre-16^th century building enables the visitor to find out about the work involved in the iron and steel industry up until the mid-19th century, during the pre-industrialization period. The foundry is currently one of the most significant pre-industrial monuments in Bizkaia, as it preserves practically all its ironwork and milling installations.

Randwick City Council is a large progressive local council and is recognised as a leader in Local Government in Australia. The City of Randwick is located in the middle of a large metropolitan area and one of the world’s most iconic and famous cities, Sydney. The area has a diverse community, physically diverse landscape and highly urbanised landscape, with over 11 million visitors each year. The Council’s vision is to build a ‘sense of community’ and our mission statement is to ‘work together to enhance our environment, celebrate our heritage and to value and serve our diverse community’. We partner with the community in all that we do to ensure that they are fully engaged, informed and involved in our decision making, which means they are actively participating in shaping and enhancing our City. The Council has an integrated approach to planning, recently implementing the Randwick City Plan, an innovative and strategic framework that sets the direction and community partnership for our City over the next 20 years

St. Walburg is an ideally situated very small community, close enough to larger centres for easy access but far enough away to benefit from being the main service centre for the region. The Town’s location, in a pristine environment, on the fringe of the Northern Boreal Forest and near numerous large lakes offers many recreational opportunities to both resident and tourist. When excellent sports facilities are added. Residents have many recreational options. This safe progressive community thrives on volunteerism. Years of successive proactive, environmentally friendly Town Councils have made St. Walburg what it is today – a truly liveable community made so by those who choose to live there.

Tonglu is a beautiful town in the southwest part of Zhejiang province. It is 80 kilometers to the west of Hangzhou with a built area of 12.5 square kilometres and a population of 690,000. Tonglu reaches the Yellow Mountain area and the Thousands Island Lake area in its west and links the Qiantang River and the Westlake in the east, which makes it one of the most important tourist attractions in the Yangtze Delta. At the same time, it is also regarded as the cradle of Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine due to the discovery of herbs by our respected ancestor Tongjun thousand years ago and the abundant herb resources in the mountain areas.

A town beset with water and mountains while the landscape blends into the town is the greatest characteristic of Tonglu. It is a place embraced by green mountains, a converging point of Fuchun River and Fenshui River. The unique geographic location determines the distinct four seasons, plenty of sunshine, fresh air and provides us with a pleasant living environment.

As a town with a long and rich history, Tonglu was officially built in the third century. Attracted by its natural beauty, many ancient Chinese poets had been lingering around here, fascinated by its amazing landscape along the Fuchun River and inspired by the extraordinary scenery, leaving us with over 3000 great pieces which are passed down as culture heritage from generation to generation.

In the recent years, Tonglu government has put great efforts in social and economic development, greater efforts in infrastructure. Tonglu citizens also gradually and actively participate in matters of town planning, construction and preservation. The town presents us with new looks by each passing day, and now it has already become one of top hundred towns in China.

Ucluelet is a coastal town with a population of 1700, named by the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Indians, meaning safe harbour.  It is situated on the west coast of Vancouver Island and is a village that offers both a sheltered inner harbour as well as magnificent vistas of the open Pacific Ocean.   Ucluelets dominant industries have changed from being a forestry and fishing town into a tourism and eco-tourism based town.   In order for the town to be successful, a new approach to sustainable development was needed to create a balance between development and the needs of the community for now and for the future.  Ucluelet Mayor and Council were aware that development pressures would eventually increase in the future and subsequently directed planning staff to initiate an Official Community Plan (OCP) review in order to plan for the future.  The result of this initiative was Ucluelets innovative OCP that demonstrates sustainability and environmental values while encouraging positive development and community priorities.

An OCP is a general statement of the broad objectives and policies of the local government respecting the character of existing and proposed land use and servicing requirements in the area covered by the Plan.  The OCP helps to guide the future development of the District of Ucluelet and serves as a foundation for all policies, regulations, and decisions pertaining to land use and sustainable development.

Liveable Community Ucluelet is a coastal town with a population of 1700, named by the Nuu-Chah-Nulth First Nations, meaning safe harbour.  It is situated on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, and is a village that offers both a sheltered inner harbour as well as magnificent vistas of the open Pacific Ocean.   Ucluelets dominant industries have changed from being a forestry and fishing to include tourism and eco-tourism.  Ucluelets approach to sustainable development creates a balance between development and the needs of the community for now and for the future.   We believe Ucluelet demonstrates sustainability and environmental values while encouraging positive development and community priorities.  By preserving Ucluelets sense of place and creating a balance between environment, social equity and economy, we believe that Ucluelet should be considered for the Liveable Community Award.

Founded in 1989, Waitakere became New Zealand’s first eco city in 1993. New Zealand’s fifth largest and fastest growing city, rapid urbanization is putting pressure on the natural environment, bringing an incredible ethnic diversity to a community with a distinctive Maori and European history, and influencing its character. Of the 200,000 residents, 40% are under 24 years; most workers earn less than the national average.

Despite these challenges, Waitakere has many achievements to be proud of: UN Peace Prize; World Health Organization accredited Safe City; Premier Creative Places Award.

Mayor Bob Harvey was elected in 1992 to lead the city towards a future that would be sustainable, dynamic and just; 14 years later Waitakere is acclaimed nationally and internationally as a city that combines environmental leadership with arts, culture and liveability.

Within a community of incredible diversity, methods are always being sought to recognize and honour the cultures of all its peoples in ways that encourage greater integration. Project Twin Streams, which involves half the population of Waitakere, looks beyond stream restoration to sustainable community development, promoting the interconnectedness of economic, social, cultural, spiritual and environmental aspects of life. The Cultural Markers project will enable tangible symbols of Waitakere’s commitment to inclusion to become part of this streams landscape, right in the very heart of the community.

Waitakere is the fifth largest and fastest growing city in New Zealand - creating conflict over changing land use in rural, coastal and wilderness areas. In 1993 Waitakere became New Zealand¹s first eco city. Central to the very identity of the city are the Waitakere Ranges, depicted in the Council logo; yet concern was mounting that the Ranges habitat was under threat. Following extended community consultation, it was decided that permanent protection was required to preserve and enhance this iconic natural landscape. Working with regional bodies and central government, the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Bill was submitted to Parliament on Wednesday 22nd February, 2006.

Whittlesea covers an area of approximately 487 square kilometres and is the second fastest growing municipality in Victoria. It has a current population of approximately 126,000 which is forecast to grow to 145,000 in 2010, achieving an average growth rate of 2 % a year.

This growth rate presents a challenge for Whittlesea in ensuring the City meets the needs of the community both now and into the future.Growth is supported but not at any cost. The community and the environment are of paramount importance.  To accommodate anticipated growth and to achieve the desired form of that growth, the City has embarked on a program of excellence in forward planning. This program is designed to display civic leadership, provide certainty for the development community, and to restore the focus on well founded strategic plans which can be implemented over time to achieve a municipal vision