Lorraine M. Bell

The role of land use and psycho-social factors in high density residents' work travel mode choices: implications for sustainable transport policy

Imperatives to improve the sustainability of cities often hinge upon plans to increase urban residential density to facilitate greater reliance on sustainable forms of transport and minimise car use. However there is ongoing debate about whether high residential density land use in isolation results in sustainable transport outcomes. Findings from surveys with residents of inner-urban high density dwellings in Brisbane, Australia, suggest that solo car travel accounts for the greatest modal share of typical work journeys and attitudes toward dwelling and neighbourhood transport-related features, residential sorting factors and socio-demographics, alongside land use such as public transport availability, are significantly associated with work travel mode choice. We discuss the implications of our findings for transport policy and management including encouraging relatively sustainable intermodal forms of transport for work journeys.

Living Smart Homes: A Pilot Australian Sustainability Education Programme

This article documents the rationale and experience of a pilot Australian sustainability education programme, ‘Living Smart Homes’ (LSH) based on a community-based social marketing model. Inspired by the Australian ‘Land for Wildlife’ scheme, LSH is designed to engage homeowners with sustainable practices through face-to-face workshops, an interactive website with action-learning modules and a recognition scheme, a sign displayed in front of participants’ homes—to which additions were made as they completed modules on energy, water, waste and transport. Participants were asked to change household behaviours and to discuss the changes and the barriers to participation in the programme and to making the behavioural changes. More than 120 people participated in the programme. This article documents feedback from two surveys and four focus groups. Participants enjoyed and learnt from LSH, praising the household sign as a tangible symbol of their commitment to sustainability and a talking point with visitors. Their evaluation of the LSH programme, website and workshops, as well as their identification of barriers and recommendations for improvement and expansion of the programme, are discussed.

The Ghost in the Machine: Trust and Technology in the Water Recycling Debate

Australia, the driest inhabited continent on earth, reports the second highest rate of water consumption in the industrialised world (Prime Ministers Science Engineering and Innovation Council, 2003). This is despite the fact that South-East Queensland is currently experiencing the “worst drought on record in more than 100 years” (SEQWater, 2005, p.4), with major dams in the region at record low levels of 16% - 20% capacity in 2007 (SEQWater, 2007). In response to this dire shortage of water, Queensland politicians have proposed a number of responses, including strict water-use restrictions, building dams, desalination and water recycling (Queensland Government Natural Resources Mines and Water, 2006). The focus of this paper is on water recycling, which refers to wastewater that is treated to a standard considered appropriate for its intended use. For drinking or potable purposes in Queensland, it is proposed recycled water would undergo a 7 barrier treatment system, including micro-filtration, reversed osmosis and advanced oxidation, before being mixed with the water supply source and entering the drinking system (Queensland Water Commission,2007). This proposition has received both support and opposition from experts and the general public. On the one hand, it is seen by some as a feasible and safe solution to the water shortage, while others believe there is inadequate knowledge about the removal of chemicals and health effects.