Build back better.

From rhetoric to action.

LET'S TALK

PEOPLE

“Build back better” – is it an empty phrase to come out of 2020? Or can we make it a reality?

We hold many of the cards to resetting the built environment for the better. I believe we can, and should, be weaving this mantra into everything we do going forward. Not only to be led by a stronger purpose, but to acknowledge that we are an industry that needs to do better: for the planet and for people.

The resurgence of biodiversity during the worldwide lockdowns earlier this year was both a wonderous and stark reminder to us all. As animal and plant life ‘reclaimed’ many towns and cities all over the globe, we were served an undeniable picture of what happens when we humans step back a little – when our man-made activities pause and give the natural world a chance come to the fore. For many people, it was the first time they could fully process the impact we have on our fragile ecosystem. We had the time to engage with our surroundings, we cherished the outdoors, and we subsequently became more united than ever in our understanding of how vital it is to take responsible and diligent stewardship of our planet.

Many of you will have seen David Attenborough’s latest programme Extinction, where he stressed the importance of biodiversity as a fundamental ‘resource’ for our survival. He has since spearheaded a call for the world to invest $500 billion a year to protect nature, highlighting the cost of continuing as usual. Meanwhile, the latest report from the World Wildlife Fund found that monitored wildlife populations have fallen by an average of 68 percent in the last 45 years. There’d be worldwide outcry if the global economy dropped by 68 percent, and we need the same level of urgency for the planet’s wildlife. This isn’t just for the preservation of our incredible natural world, but also our own human survival. Researchers have shown that the more we affect wildlife populations and cause animals to enter our environment, the more we facilitate the spread of disease-causing pathogens from animals into humans...

It’s clear there’s simply no building back better if we’re not building back holistically.

There’d be worldwide outcry if the global economy dropped by 68 percent, and we need the same level of urgency for the planet’s wildlife.

If our industry is to play its part, the five defined factors for sustainable development must be considered, addressed, and measured in all that we do:

1. Enhancing our environment.

Biodiversity protection and enhancement is a key aspect of creating ‘natural capital’ in our built environment. By intentionally re-wilding places – and ensuring buildings are designed for nature to thrive – we can help encourage better levels of biodiversity.

2. Reducing the impact of buildings.

Achieving net zero carbon is a global imperative. By focusing on reducing carbon emissions, designing out waste from our built environment and provision of sustainable travel (such as cycling), our industry can create healthier ecosystems for all living things – from humans to microscopic organisms.

3. Contributing to wider society.

Humans are social animals and are also intrinsically drawn to nature. As such, creating spaces that embrace nature is key to fostering new ways of community interaction, connection, and collaboration.

4. Putting people first.

By improving air quality for people, we do so for all forms of life. Re-wilding and Blue/Green infrastructure can both encourage biodiversity and benefit our health and wellbeing through a better connection with nature. As shown by this pandemic, ‘healthy is the new wealthy’.

5. Realising commercial benefits.

Ultimately, a green recovery is vital – to not only ensure that our biodiverse planet is preserved, but because it benefits our socio-economic growth and development (both short and long-term) to work with our planet, rather than against it.

While 2020 has brought about uncertainty in all its forms, one thing is certain: going back to business as usual is unthinkable and, ultimately, unsustainable. The true complexion of the pandemic has also proven to be multifaceted. Experts from Yale and the Climate Justice Alliance have demonstrated the undeniable link between environmental justice, racial injustice, and social inequality. Ultimately, “build back better” should serve as a rallying cry for how we approach many aspects of the systems – economic, social, and governmental – we exist within.

Only when our planet thrives, can all of humankind thrive.