13 MARCH 2014 — Climate change and the financial crisis are impacting the way European cities are developing and the way land use planning and policy are formulated.

 

In two lectures on Friday March 14 at Peking University, Dr. Eoin O’Neill, tenured lecturer in Environmental Policy at the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy at University College Dublin, will explore two issues that are particularly relevant in European urban development: the re-emergence of a core-periphery pattern and the appearance of ‘soft’ non-structural solutions to manage flood risk.

 

At 14:00, Dr. O’Neill will discuss “Climate Change and Financial Crisis: Re-emergence of Core and Periphery in Europe.”

 

Spatial economic theories provide a useful analytical framework to aid understanding of the factors that underlie the spatial distribution of population and economic activity. These theories help explain the emergence and subsequent evolution of a core-periphery spatial development pattern in Europe, and also its persistence today.

 

Dr. O’Neill will explore the factors that are likely to represent future 'break points' and which might have the potential to bring about a new spatial equilibrium.

 

Therefore, the spatial economic implications of emerging EU policy solutions to the global financial crisis will be analyzed, before giving consideration to whether climate change impacts, including sectorial implications and costs imposed by natural hazards and sea-level rise, may bring about divergence from, or further reinforce, long-run development patterns.

 

Later in the day, at 18:30, Dr. O’Neill will talk about the question of “Achieving greater urban flood resilience through land use planning and policy”.

 

The existing urban footprint of most of the world’s towns and cities were built without consideration of flood risk, and ‘hard’ engineering solutions were the typical response to emergent flooding. As a result, existing urban environments, through the location and design of past developments, have frequently interrupted natural flooding processes.

 

However, rather than structural solutions alone, ‘soft’ or non-structural solutions that ‘live with’ or ‘make space for’ water are emerging as a complementary approach to managing flooding in Europe.

 

In this second lecture, Dr. O’Neill will describe international examples where ‘soft’ solutions have been implemented to help achieve more resilient urban environments and will consider the instruments available to land use planning, including market-based instruments, to transform the footprint of cities by delivering more multifunctional built environments that are safe and resilient to climatic extremes such as flooding.

 

Finally the lecture will outline some of the challenges associated with integration of issues surrounding planning, urban design and flood risk management.

 

14 March, 14:00-16:00, Peking University Lincoln Centre, Leo KoGuan Building, Room 508

14 March, 18:40-20:30, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Building 2, Room 423

 

The activity is organized together with the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences at PKU and Lincoln Institute — Centre for Urban development and land policy at Peking University.

 

The events are open to the public.

 

Dr. Eoin O'Neill is a tenured Lecturer in Environmental Policy at the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy in University College Dublin (UCD); Ireland’s largest university. He completed a PhD in planning and economics in UCD before taking up a position as Technical Specialist in Flood Risk Management in the UK Environment Agency. He returned to Ireland to take up a lectureship in UCD where he has established a research interest in climate change adaptation and flood risk management. He is a member of the UCD College of Human Sciences Internationalization committee, Director of the MSc Environmental Policy program, a member of the UCD Earth Institute, a chartered planner with the Royal Town Planning Institute (MRTPI), and has published in such international journals such as Regional Studies, Urban Studies, Town Planning Review and Planning Theory and Practice.

 

For further information:

European University Centre at Peking University (EUCPU)

Room 204, Wei-Li Building, Tan Siu Lin Centre for International Studies

Peking University, Haidian District, Beijing, 100871

Tel: +86(0)10 6275 5387

Email: euc2009@pku.edu.cn

Website: www.lu.se/pkueuc