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Food waste is a critical sustainability issue, and the solutions, particularly in middle- to high-income countries, lie in shifting practices within households. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the research in an Australian context, provide insights from a social practice theory approach and understand the influence of growing your own food to waste production. The research is based on respondents completing a two-week food diary documenting food acquisition and disposal and then undertaking a survey on their food practices and attitudes to waste. This study finds that the preparation of meals and storage practices are critical towards the production of food waste. These practices can be shifted by focusing on upskilling and the introduction of new materiality or technologies. The acquisition of food is also a pivotal practice in which to intervene in order to reduce waste in other food practices in the household. Interventions, such as growing your own food, are recommended to shift food practices to reduce an output of waste to landfill. The research is limited by its reliance on self-reported data for food waste. However, the focus on social practices in food waste is novel in an Australian context.
Emily Keegan; Jessica Breadsell. Food Waste and Social Practices in Australian Households. Sustainability 2021, 13, 3377 .
AMA StyleEmily Keegan, Jessica Breadsell. Food Waste and Social Practices in Australian Households. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (6):3377.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEmily Keegan; Jessica Breadsell. 2021. "Food Waste and Social Practices in Australian Households." Sustainability 13, no. 6: 3377.
Cities are prone to excess heat, manifesting as urban heat islands (UHIs). UHIs impose a heat penalty upon urban inhabitants that jeopardizes human health and amplifies the escalating effects of background temperature rises and heatwaves, presenting barriers to participation in city life that diminish interaction and activity. This review paper investigates how green infrastructure, passive design and urban planning strategies—herein termed as green infrastructure and design solutions (GIDS)—can be used to cool the urban environment and improve city vitality. A systematic literature review has been undertaken connecting UHIs, city vitality and GIDS to find evidence of how qualities and conditions fundamental to the vitality of the city are diminished by heat, and ways in which these qualities and conditions may be improved through GIDS. This review reveals that comfortable thermal conditions underpin public health and foster activity—a prerequisite for a vital city—and that reducing environmental barriers to participation in urban life enhances physical and mental health as well as activity. This review finds that GIDS manage urban energy flows to reduce the development of excess urban heat and thus improve the environmental quality of urban spaces. Furthermore, it finds that the most equitable approach to urban cooling is one that reduces the intensity of the meso-scale UHI that affects all urban inhabitants. Subsequently, a cooler urban fabric based on GIDS is proposed. A cohesive approach to the widespread adoption of GIDS shows potential to produce a cooler urban fabric that is human-centered in its function and aesthetic to enhance participation in public life and stimulate life on the streets. Four spatial scales are presented in which a combination of GIDS may be collectively implemented to reduce the meso-scale UHI, including the urban, intra-urban, building and body scales. This approach considers the interacting nature of GIDS applied within contrasting urban landscapes, and aims to produce cooler urban conditions, better walking environments, and ecosystem co-benefits to stimulate participation in physical activity and public life to underpin public health, productivity and livelihoods, thereby inducing city vitality.
Helen Elliott; Christine Eon; Jessica K. Breadsell. Improving City Vitality through Urban Heat Reduction with Green Infrastructure and Design Solutions: A Systematic Literature Review. Buildings 2020, 10, 219 .
AMA StyleHelen Elliott, Christine Eon, Jessica K. Breadsell. Improving City Vitality through Urban Heat Reduction with Green Infrastructure and Design Solutions: A Systematic Literature Review. Buildings. 2020; 10 (12):219.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHelen Elliott; Christine Eon; Jessica K. Breadsell. 2020. "Improving City Vitality through Urban Heat Reduction with Green Infrastructure and Design Solutions: A Systematic Literature Review." Buildings 10, no. 12: 219.
The development called the ‘WGV precinct’ is a 2.2 ha medium density residential urban infill development in the Fremantle suburb of White Gum Valley, Western Australia. It was delivered by DevelopmentWA, the State Government development agency. DevelopmentWA and the project’s consultant team designed the WGV precinct to be an exemplar of urban water management in this type of development. Working within commercial constraints, the team established strategies to achieve ambitious reductions in mains water consumption compared to a business-as-usual approach. This paper discusses the process of establishing the precinct’s water related technologies and design features, a valuable case study in demonstrating water innovations in residential developments. Monitoring and transparently reporting on the real-world performance of the project is a key element. A comprehensive metering and data gathering system was put in place, which continues collecting data as the WGV precinct becomes increasingly established. Based on the design water strategies and early stage modelling, a target of 60–70% mains water reduction against the suburban average was set. The measured performance shows that a 65% reduction has been achieved. Barriers and constraints were observed that, if resolved, indicate that more ambitious targets can be considered for future projects. The paper includes discussion of opportunities for further work and compares some basic project qualities and outcomes to two other Australian residential development projects that had reduction in mains water consumption as an explicit objective.
Joshua Byrne; Mark Taylor; Tom Wheeler; Jessica Breadsell. WGV: Quantifying Mains Water Savings in a Medium Density Infill Residential Development. Sustainability 2020, 12, 6483 .
AMA StyleJoshua Byrne, Mark Taylor, Tom Wheeler, Jessica Breadsell. WGV: Quantifying Mains Water Savings in a Medium Density Infill Residential Development. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (16):6483.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoshua Byrne; Mark Taylor; Tom Wheeler; Jessica Breadsell. 2020. "WGV: Quantifying Mains Water Savings in a Medium Density Infill Residential Development." Sustainability 12, no. 16: 6483.
Energy efficient buildings are viewed as one of the solutions to reduce carbon emissions from the built environment. However, studies worldwide indicate that there is a significant gap between building energy targets (as-designed) and the actual measured building energy consumption (as-built). Several underlying causes for the energy performance gap have been identified at all stages of the building life cycle. Focus is generally on the post-occupancy stage of the building life cycle. However, issues relating to the construction and commissioning stages of the building are a major concern, though not usually researched. There is uncertainty on how to address the as-designed versus as-built gap. The objective of this review article is to identify causes for the energy performance gap in buildings in relation to the post-design and pre-occupancy stages and review proposed solutions. The methodology applied in this research is the rapid review, which is a variant of the systematic literature review method. Findings suggest that causes for discrepancies between as-designed and as-built energy performance during the construction and commissioning stages relate to a lack of knowledge and skills, lack of communication between stakeholders and a lack of accountability for building performance post-occupancy. Recommendations to close this gap during this period include better training, improved communication standards, collaboration, energy evaluations based on post-occupancy performance, transparency of building performance, improved testing and verification and reviewed building standards.
Christine Eon; Jessica Breadsell; Joshua Byrne; Gregory Morrison. The Discrepancy between As-Built and As-Designed in Energy Efficient Buildings: A Rapid Review. Sustainability 2020, 12, 6372 .
AMA StyleChristine Eon, Jessica Breadsell, Joshua Byrne, Gregory Morrison. The Discrepancy between As-Built and As-Designed in Energy Efficient Buildings: A Rapid Review. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (16):6372.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChristine Eon; Jessica Breadsell; Joshua Byrne; Gregory Morrison. 2020. "The Discrepancy between As-Built and As-Designed in Energy Efficient Buildings: A Rapid Review." Sustainability 12, no. 16: 6372.
With increasing pressure to ensure that sustainability features in homes are commercially viable, demonstration projects are vital to highlight the real-world challenges and opportunities for innovation. This paper documents the incorporation of sustainability objectives into the “East Village at Knutsford” residential “living laboratory” development, within the Knutsford urban regeneration precinct, approximately 1.5 km east of the Fremantle central business district in Western Australia. The sustainability objectives for the project include being a “Net Zero Energy Development” using 100% renewable energy and maximizing the self-supply of energy, reducing mains water consumption as much as is practical, and using the landscape design to complement these objectives without compromising a best-practice urban greening outcome. The paper documents the design initiatives and strategies that have been included to achieve these objectives in a commercially viable project and the results of modelling where it has been used to test the design against the objectives to ensure their validity. The key features that have been incorporated into the townhouses component of the development are outlined, illustrating integrated design and systems thinking that builds on previous demonstration projects, incorporating solar energy storage and electric vehicle charging plus significant mains water savings by adopting water-sensitive features in the homes and the within the private and public gardens. The expected grid energy and mains water consumption levels in the homes through modelling compared to the metropolitan average is 80% lower. The project is presented as an important step in the application of available technologies and design features to meet stated sustainability objectives, highlighting the benefits of an embedded living laboratory research approach.
Joshua Byrne; Mike Mouritz; Mark Taylor; Jessica Breadsell. East Village at Knutsford: A Case Study in Sustainable Urbanism. Sustainability 2020, 12, 6296 .
AMA StyleJoshua Byrne, Mike Mouritz, Mark Taylor, Jessica Breadsell. East Village at Knutsford: A Case Study in Sustainable Urbanism. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (16):6296.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoshua Byrne; Mike Mouritz; Mark Taylor; Jessica Breadsell. 2020. "East Village at Knutsford: A Case Study in Sustainable Urbanism." Sustainability 12, no. 16: 6296.
Limiting study to a narrow range of energy and water using activities is insufficient to provide a holistic understanding of household resource flows. Consideration of a wide range of social practices is needed. With the rise of low-carbon developments featuring energy or water efficient technology and design around the world, the way residents interact with the design and technology and community is vital to understanding if these households and developments will meet their intended design goals. The opportunity to study resident's pre-and post-occupancy resource consumption is a unique opportunity to examine how design, technology and community influence household practices. This article studied 13 Australian household's practices of waste management, food shopping, item purchasing, travel and laundry practices for two weeks before and after moving into a low-carbon development, while the home system of practice is in a stable phase. This provides an opportunity to comment on the state of interlocking of resident's home system, from lightly interlocked to highly. Post-occupancy, the presence of solar panels influenced when some residents put the washing machine and tumble drier on, however only when the resident was home. Many residents are conscious of putting these on during the day or use timers where they had not previously. Changes to resident's travel practices were not as broad as they anticipated before the move, while recycling rates increased, influenced by a supportive community and shopping practices became more localised through the use of smaller food retailers. Results show that resident's resource use is heavily influenced by their work and socialising routines, which are not commonly focused on when attempting to change household resource use behaviours. A traditional focus on psychological approaches targeting values and attitudes fails to adequately address these factors, whereby a social practice theory approach allows for their consideration in influencing resource use in the home.
Jessica K. Breadsell; Gregory M. Morrison. Changes to household practices pre- and post-occupancy in an Australian low-carbon development. Sustainable Production and Consumption 2020, 22, 147 -161.
AMA StyleJessica K. Breadsell, Gregory M. Morrison. Changes to household practices pre- and post-occupancy in an Australian low-carbon development. Sustainable Production and Consumption. 2020; 22 ():147-161.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJessica K. Breadsell; Gregory M. Morrison. 2020. "Changes to household practices pre- and post-occupancy in an Australian low-carbon development." Sustainable Production and Consumption 22, no. : 147-161.
The practices and behaviours of individuals influences resource consumption at many scales and are shaped by a multitude of psychological, social, and technical factors. This conceptual paper examines the differences between socio-psychological and social practice theories, building on the Chalk and Cheese debate in the literature. Insight is provided into their potential value in understanding resource consumption studies at different scales: the individual, the home, community, and societal. Each theory has its own qualitative and quantitative methods which allude to different conclusions and recommendations for resource consumption initiatives. We review the debate surrounding the application of both theories, adding our voice to the potential for both theories to be used at different scales and for different time periods, along with comments on the interlocking nature of practices. Design and technology changes can lead to quicker changes in behaviour and practices, whereby socio-psychological theories offer insights into changes in mind frame, values, and social norms.
Jessica K. Breadsell; Christine Eon; Gregory M. Morrison. Understanding Resource Consumption in the Home, Community and Society through Behaviour and Social Practice Theories. Sustainability 2019, 11, 6513 .
AMA StyleJessica K. Breadsell, Christine Eon, Gregory M. Morrison. Understanding Resource Consumption in the Home, Community and Society through Behaviour and Social Practice Theories. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (22):6513.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJessica K. Breadsell; Christine Eon; Gregory M. Morrison. 2019. "Understanding Resource Consumption in the Home, Community and Society through Behaviour and Social Practice Theories." Sustainability 11, no. 22: 6513.
This research comprises a longitudinal study of a cohort of residents moving into a low-carbon development and their pre- and post-occupancy household practices that consume energy and water. They are the early adopters of living in low-carbon households and provide valuable insight into the influence of design and technology on household practices. Household energy and water consumption levels are measured and normalised to the metropolitan average to discuss the influence of design and technology on use. Heating, cooling and showering practices consume the largest proportion of household energy and water use and so the changes to thermal comfort and personal hygiene practices are examined along with a consideration of the influence of lifestyle and family composition on cooling practices. Household water and energy use decreases due to technology and design influences post-occupancy. However, the personal practice history of residents influences water and energy consumption. Changes to the meaning element of personal hygiene practices show how these are interlocked and unlikely to change in their duration when there are other demanding practices to be undertaken.
Jessica K. Breadsell; Joshua J. Byrne; Gregory M. Morrison. Household Energy and Water Practices Change Post-Occupancy in an Australian Low-Carbon Development. Sustainability 2019, 11, 5559 .
AMA StyleJessica K. Breadsell, Joshua J. Byrne, Gregory M. Morrison. Household Energy and Water Practices Change Post-Occupancy in an Australian Low-Carbon Development. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (20):5559.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJessica K. Breadsell; Joshua J. Byrne; Gregory M. Morrison. 2019. "Household Energy and Water Practices Change Post-Occupancy in an Australian Low-Carbon Development." Sustainability 11, no. 20: 5559.
There is some understanding of how an individual’s daily practices consume resources in the home, but the home as a space itself and peoples’ relationships to it remain an interesting research area. In this paper, residents of an Australian low-carbon development (LCD) are studied in order to discover the expectations and motivations driving them to move to their new home, the emotional landscape of the home, and their subsequent experiences living in an LCD. This exploration through mixed methods and a post-occupancy evaluation enables a longitudinal empirical study of the motivations, perceptions, expectations and experiences of an LCD residence. This study aims to further conceptualize the social understanding of a home and what people consider when moving into an LCD, along with the post-occupancy experiences that are important for establishing LCDs in the future. The results show that a home is associated with being a place of community, sustainability, safety and comfort, as well as a place that incorporates aesthetically pleasing features. The motivation for residents moving into an LCD is to have housing stability, live the life they want (including performing sustainable practices) and enjoy the attractive design of the LCD. The user experiences of living in an LCD include unexpected design influences on daily practices and an appreciation of the community atmosphere created. The strong sense of community and the self-reported thermally comfortable homes met residents’ expectations post-occupancy. This research is of interest to academics in the low-carbon and social science sectors, real-estate agents and property developers, as it provides insight into motivations and expectations of low-carbon dwelling residents.
Jessica K. Breadsell; Joshua J. Byrne; Gregory Morrison. Pre- and Post-Occupancy Evaluation of Resident Motivations for and Experiences of Establishing a Home in a Low-Carbon Development. Sustainability 2019, 11, 3970 .
AMA StyleJessica K. Breadsell, Joshua J. Byrne, Gregory Morrison. Pre- and Post-Occupancy Evaluation of Resident Motivations for and Experiences of Establishing a Home in a Low-Carbon Development. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (14):3970.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJessica K. Breadsell; Joshua J. Byrne; Gregory Morrison. 2019. "Pre- and Post-Occupancy Evaluation of Resident Motivations for and Experiences of Establishing a Home in a Low-Carbon Development." Sustainability 11, no. 14: 3970.
Urbanization is a defining feature of the modern age, yet the current model of urban development profoundly alters the natural environment, often reducing biodiversity and ultimately threatening human wellbeing. An ecologically based urban planning and design paradigm should consider a more harmonious relationship. Through a systematic literature review of 57 papers, this research identified relevant concepts and theories that could underpin this new paradigm. It revealed a noticeable increase in academic interest in this subject since 2013 and the development of concepts and theories that reflect a more holistic socio-ecological systems approach to urban planning and design based on a transdisciplinary integration and synthesis of research. Seven main themes underpin the academic literature: ecosystem services, socio-ecological systems, resilience, biodiversity, landscape, green infrastructure, as well as integrated and holistic approaches. Six of these can be organised into either a sustainability stream or a spatial stream, representing the foundations of a potential new ecological urban planning and design paradigm that applies sustainability-related concepts in a spatial setting. The final theme, integrated and holistic, includes concepts that reflect the fundamental characteristics of this new paradigm, which can be termed ‘urban consonance’.
Angela Heymans; Jessica Breadsell; Gregory Morrison; Joshua Byrne; Christine Eon. Ecological Urban Planning and Design: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability 2019, 11, 3723 .
AMA StyleAngela Heymans, Jessica Breadsell, Gregory Morrison, Joshua Byrne, Christine Eon. Ecological Urban Planning and Design: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (13):3723.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAngela Heymans; Jessica Breadsell; Gregory Morrison; Joshua Byrne; Christine Eon. 2019. "Ecological Urban Planning and Design: A Systematic Literature Review." Sustainability 11, no. 13: 3723.
When people move into sustainable houses, they bring practices with them that have temporally evolved along with their daily lives. A common misconception is that change to individuals’ resource use can be persuaded without consideration of previous practices. However, it has been observed that energy efficient or smart buildings do not always perform as expected due to a lack of occupant skills, time or motivations. The successful adoption of technology is dependent on the understanding of these underlying practices, which should be considered at the building planning stage. The recently developed concept of the Home System of Practice was employed in this research to study home dwellers through living laboratory mixed methods, allowing for an in-depth examination of their daily lives, routines, habits and practices. The personal hygiene, thermal comfort, clothes drying, garden watering and waste practices of 14 households were examined. Results identified Home System of Practices with different degrees of interlocking and highlighted how various combinations of meaning, skill and technology elements of a practice as well as contextual influences can affect resource use. These insights can be used by urban planners to facilitate a co-creation process with end-users and develop innovative solutions to enable resource reduction while ensuring that resident needs and comfort are maintained.
Jessica Breadsell; Christine Eon; Gregory Morrison; Yoshihisa Kashima. Interlocking practices and their influence in the home. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science 2019, 46, 1405 -1421.
AMA StyleJessica Breadsell, Christine Eon, Gregory Morrison, Yoshihisa Kashima. Interlocking practices and their influence in the home. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science. 2019; 46 (8):1405-1421.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJessica Breadsell; Christine Eon; Gregory Morrison; Yoshihisa Kashima. 2019. "Interlocking practices and their influence in the home." Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science 46, no. 8: 1405-1421.
The WGV project is an infill residential development in a middle suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its urban planning innovation is in its attempt to demonstrate net zero carbon as well as other sustainability goals set by urban planning processes such as community engagement and the One Planet Living accreditation process. It is a contribution to the IPCC 1.5 °C agenda which seeks to achieve deep decarbonization while also delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Solar photovoltaics and battery storage are incorporated into the development and create net zero carbon power through an innovative ‘citizen utility’ with peer-to-peer trading. The multiple sustainable development features such as water sensitive design, energy efficiency, social housing, heritage retention, landscape and community involvement, are aiming to provide inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable living and have been assessed under the SDG framework.
Jason Wiktorowicz; Tanya Babaeff; Jessica Breadsell; Josh Byrne; James Eggleston; Peter Newman. WGV: An Australian Urban Precinct Case Study to Demonstrate the 1.5 °C Agenda Including Multiple SDGs. Urban Planning 2018, 3, 64 -81.
AMA StyleJason Wiktorowicz, Tanya Babaeff, Jessica Breadsell, Josh Byrne, James Eggleston, Peter Newman. WGV: An Australian Urban Precinct Case Study to Demonstrate the 1.5 °C Agenda Including Multiple SDGs. Urban Planning. 2018; 3 (2):64-81.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJason Wiktorowicz; Tanya Babaeff; Jessica Breadsell; Josh Byrne; James Eggleston; Peter Newman. 2018. "WGV: An Australian Urban Precinct Case Study to Demonstrate the 1.5 °C Agenda Including Multiple SDGs." Urban Planning 3, no. 2: 64-81.
Christine Eon; Jessica K. Breadsell; Gregory M. Morrison; Joshua Byrne. The home as a system of practice and its implications for energy and water metabolism. Sustainable Production and Consumption 2018, 13, 48 -59.
AMA StyleChristine Eon, Jessica K. Breadsell, Gregory M. Morrison, Joshua Byrne. The home as a system of practice and its implications for energy and water metabolism. Sustainable Production and Consumption. 2018; 13 ():48-59.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChristine Eon; Jessica K. Breadsell; Gregory M. Morrison; Joshua Byrne. 2018. "The home as a system of practice and its implications for energy and water metabolism." Sustainable Production and Consumption 13, no. : 48-59.