8 INDUSTRY NEWS
Partnership formed to develop solutions for affordable urban living
LGA opens bids for Housing Advisers Programme
The third year of the Housing Advisers Programme, a scheme to help councils overcome housing challenges in their local areas, has been launched by The Local Government Association (LGA) – with bids now open.
An international partnership has been formed between Planet Smart City and the Polytechnic University of Turin (PoliTo) as part of the US design and build firm’s aim to “develop a global network of partners to support innovative solutions for affordable urban living.” Under the agreement, the partners will collaborate on “joint research and technology transfer” to help develop new ideas in architecture, engineering and industrial design. It encompasses all the university’s departments and will involve international activities such as events and forums to promote scientific and technological solutions to the challenges facing cities globally. The partnership with PoliTo is part of a broader network of collaborations initiated by Planet Smart City with various universities and research studies both national and European, including the Bocconi University of Milan and the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia of Barcelona. Gianni Savio, Founder and CEO of Planet Smart City, said: “With 1.6 billion people currently living in unsafe and overcrowded housing, there is a need for new ideas in the way we build, maintain and live in our cities. Finding innovative solutions is at the core of our drive to provide high quality affordable neighbourhoods around the world. Intelligent answers can only be reached through collaboration between researchers and professionals, which
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is why this partnership with the Polytechnic University of Turin is of such strategic value.”
Guido Saracco, rector of the Polytechnic University of Turin, added: “Our goal is to establish and support networks in the public and private sectors that contribute to the growth and spread of knowledge on issues facing people in cities around the world. Planet Smart City, which has integrated a culture of innovation throughout its business model and established its competence centre in Turin, is an ideal partner for this ambitious project.”
In addition to international projects, Planet will be able to contribute to educational development at the university by offering internships and training for students and researchers. Planet is already one of the supporters of the university’s TECHs 4 Change masters programme, which trains students on methods and technologies for addressing the issues highlighted by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. “Planet will pursue similar partnerships with institutions in countries where it operates, including the UK, Brazil and, pending our entry into the market, India. Our goal is to establish a global network of partners working to improve the quality and affordability of life in cities around the world through new technologies and approaches to urban design and construction,” concluded Graziella Roccella of Planet Smart City.
The programme funds the provision of independent expertise for councils undertaking specific projects to tackle the effects of the housing crisis in local communities – including on housing delivery, planning for homes, and reducing homelessness.
In the previous two years of the programme, the LGA has funded more than 100 councils to help them “build homes, reduce homelessness, plan for ageing populations, understand the student housing market, increase supply of modular housing, and more”. This year the LGA intends to support a smaller number of larger, strategic housing projects. The programme will award up to £50,000 to each project for the purpose of “securing expert advice in transforming how a service or partnership meets the housing needs of communities”. The best practice and lessons learned from each project will be shared with councils and embedded into the “sector- led improvement” currently on offer from the LGA.
Cllr Martin Tett, LGA housing
spokesman, said: “The programme aims to help councils deliver local priorities, and can be a valuable source of expertise to councils wishing to innovate and improve in their efforts to build more homes, reduce homelessness, and plan prosperous places and economies. “It’s well worth councils who haven’t already done so looking at the programme and seeing how it can benefit them – a simple visit to the website is all that’s needed.”
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