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Author: Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments
Climate-adapted, traditional or cottage-garden planting? How acceptable is 'climate ready' planting to the public, and what drives these reactions?
Author Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments | Posted on 17 January 2022 17 January 2022
By Helen Hoyle…..
The UN COP 26 2021 Climate Conference heightened public awareness of the need to act now to mitigate the climate crisis. This in turn precipitates a call to 'futureproof' cities by introducing resilient urban green infrastructure compatible with future climates. Yet how do the public respond to 'climate-ready' planting in public places, when this may be unfamiliar and very different aesthetically to native vegetation? My earlier research indicated strong public support for the introduction of aesthetically exotic, climate-adapted planting in public parks and gardens, particularly if it was better adapted to the changing climate than traditionally-used species, yet understanding of the values underlying this acceptance, and the socio-cultural drivers of people's perceptions, was lacking. Matthew Pottage, the Curator of RHS Wisley, was also keen to know more about public attitudes to climate-adapted planting, having recently (2017) introduced an Exotic Garden at Wisley. Incorporating species such as dramatic cannas with large vibrant orange flowers, and Chinese dwarf bananas, this is an innovative experiment to gauge the response of exotic planting to the UK climate.
Our research at Wisley involved a comparative study of public reactions to three contrasting garden styles: the exotic, an informal, English cottage-garden style, with a wilder aesthetic, incorporating familiar native species such as foxgloves, geraniums and roses, and a traditional, English formal style of planting in blocks, incorporating plant species both native and non-native to the UK such as the dahlia, rose, and clematis.
The three contrasting garden styles at RHS Wisley, Surrey
We asked:
What is the key driver of people's perceptions in relation to aesthetics, self-reported restorative effect, and plant and invertebrate biodiversity: planting style or socio-cultural variability?
What are the socio-cultural drivers of people's held values in relation to climate change, the introduction of non-native species, and nature-connectedness?
Do the perceptions and values of people with a personal interest or professional involvement in landscape, horticulture or the environment diverge from those of other members of the public?
The research was conducted on-site at RHS Wisley, Surrey, UK. Members of the public were invited to walk through one specific area of planting. We wanted people to report their own responses to engaging directly with the planting, because "the environment is experienced rather than simply looked at" (Ittleson, 1973). The questionnaire addressed participants' perceptions of the aesthetics, biodiversity and how mentally restorative it was to walk through the planting, participants' beliefs and values including climate-change awareness and nature-connectedness, and participants' socio-demographic characteristics.
The Exotic Garden, most preferred aesthetically, incorporates dramatic cannas with large vibrant orange flowers, and Chinese dwarf bananas,
Our findings revealed that:
Aesthetically, the exotic climate-adapted planting was preferred over other two styles, whereas the cottage-garden style was perceived as the least attractive to walk through, significantly less so than other two styles
In contrast, the cottage-garden style was found to be the most mentally restorative to walk through
Members of the public accurately perceived lower levels of native biodiversity perceived in the exotic climate-adapted garden-style
There was a direct relationship between climate change awareness and participants' educational qualifications. Those with no formal qualifications had significantly lower awareness of the implications of climate change than other participants.
Although perceived as the least attractive garden, the Cottage Garden was the most mentally restorative to walk through
We also found that:
Participants who were professionally involved landscape, horticulture or the environment perceived lower aesthetic value, restorative effect, and native biodiversity for the planting overall than non-professionals
Those with a personal interest enjoyed the aesthetics of nature more intensely and had stronger climate change concerns than other participants.
Our findings inform policy and practice towards the realisation of environmentally and socially sustainable urban green infrastructure in public parks, gardens and greenspaces. That participants expressed a significantly higher aesthetic preference for the Exotic, (climate-adapted) Garden over the other two garden styles provides further evidence of public support for this unfamiliar style of planting, a positive transferable finding informing policymakers and land-managers seeking to 'futureproof' cities by introducing climate-adapted UGI in parks and gardens. Nevertheless, the cottage-garden style, perceived as the least attractive, was considered the most mentally restorative to walk through. This provides further evidence that different stimuli elicit contrasting responses in the public. Landscape planners and designers should draw from these findings to inform practice on the ground, also providing opportunities for restoration amongst familiar, naturalistic planting in public parks. When planning and designing culturally acceptable urban green infrastructure, professionals should also be mindful of the divergence of their own perceptions and preferences from those of the wider public. That we identified significantly lower levels of climate change awareness amongst people with no formal qualifications is a striking finding. It highlights a need to consider novel science-communication strategies to transcend formal educational channels if the public is to be better informed about the challenges of climate change and their implications for urban green infrastructure. This will also broaden understanding of the positive potential for climate-adapted urban green infrastructure to deliver 'futureproofing' benefits for climate-change mitigation and human mental wellbeing.
You can read the full open access paper here.
Thank you to Matthew Pottage for the opportunity to conduct this research at RHS Wisley.
Are Bristol's plans to double tree canopy cover by 2045 feasible?
by Danni Sinnett and Max Walters….
Trees provide many benefits to people and wildlife in urban environments. Seen as an opportunity to address climate and ecological emergencies, many cities are developing targets for increasing tree canopy cover and Bristol is no exception. Bristol's One City Plan includes a target to double tree canopy cover by 2045.
We investigated the feasibility of Bristol's target and explored different planting scenarios for its achievement. We asked the following questions:
How many trees would need to be planted between 2018 and 2045 to achieve the Bristol One City Plan target to double canopy cover over this period?
How does the timing of planting, size of trees when planted and tree mortality affect canopy cover and leaf area index over this period?
In 2018, the Forest of Avon Trust and partners assessed the benefits provided by Bristol's trees using the i-Tree Eco software. This estimated canopy cover at 11.9%, lower than the 18.6% from the One City Plan. We used i-Tree Forecast to project future urban forest growth under different tree planting scenarios over 27 years. Because iTree Forecast requires an existing i-Tree Eco assessment we needed to model canopy cover growth from 11.9% to 37.2% (i.e. more than doubling) over the 27-year period, which is therefore a more ambitious target.
Three tree stock sizes were used, selected to be representative of the typical diameters of commercial nursery stock:
Small: equivalent to feathered trees
Medium: equivalent to light standards
Large: equivalent to heavy standards.
We calculated the number of small, medium and large trees needed to achieve the target under the following scenarios:
An equal number of trees planted each year to reflect continuous investment in tree planting
Intermittent planting every 5 years to reflect large scale projects such as major housing developments that might deliver significant tree planting in bursts
Planting concentrated between 2018-2027 to test the effectiveness of planting trees in the near term and allowing them to mature
Planting concentrated between 2036-2045 to reflect, for example, shortages in funding that might necessitate more planting towards the end of the period.
These were compared against a scenario of no new planting over 27 years and planting 10,000 small, medium or large trees per year, representative of current planting levels. The impact of tree felling was not considered but two annual mortality rates were used: 0.5% chosen to represent the best-case scenario and 3% to represent typical mortality rates in urban areas.
We estimated that:
Assuming a 0.5% annual mortality rate, planting no additional trees or planting 10,000 small, medium or large stock trees per year will not achieve the 37.2% canopy cover target but would achieve a doubling of canopy cover from a baseline of 11.9%.
Assuming a more realistic 3% annual mortality rate, planting no trees results in the canopy cover decreasing to 11.4%, whilst planting 10,000 trees each year results in an increased canopy cover of around 4%.
Late planting between 2036 and 2045 achieves the desired canopy cover but requires the greatest number of trees to be planted and provides between 12% and 75% less leaf area than the other scenarios, which means less air pollution removal, carbon storage and sequestration.
Early planting between 2018 and 2027 achieves the greatest canopy cover for the smallest total number of trees, therefore requiring fewer planting locations. It also allows trees to mature providing the greatest benefits in terms of air pollutant removal, carbon storage and sequestration. However, it would require 35,000 heavy standards to be planted each year at 0.5% mortality increasing to 104,000 with 3% mortality.
Planting the same number of trees each year for 27 years requires more total trees but would result in a more stable population over time, ensuring that tree replacement strategies are more manageable. It would require between 18,000 and 44,000 heavy standards to be planted each year.
The greater the annual mortality rate, the more trees will need to be planted to achieve the canopy cover target. Given that Bristol's current planting is around 10,000 trees per year, planting at least 35,000 trees per year is ambitious, especially given that higher mortality rates may require a greater number to be planted, increasing costs. Whereas adopting a continuous planting regime of 18,000 trees may be more feasible. This demonstrates the importance of good stewardship and long-term maintenance to allow urban trees to reach full maturity and provide the greatest benefits.
Trees along the Malago Greenway, Bedminster
Existing tree cover is not evenly distributed across the city, a study by Bristol City Council (2011) found that Greater Bedminster and Ashley, Easton and Lawrence Hill have the lowest levels of canopy cover in Bristol at 11% and 9% respectively. These neighbourhoods have also been identified to be some of the most deprived within the city. Although city wide targets are useful tree planting should be targeted to address inequalities across the city.
Summary of results for large tree stock equivalent to heavy standards
Approach Annual mortality Canopy cover % Total number of trees Sequestrated Carbon/ton Total value of air pollutant uptake
No planting 0.5% 23.1 469,545 322,595.7 £22,496,779
3% 11.4 240,384 219,637.7 £15,501,257
Current planting of 10,000 trees per year 0.5% 31.4 723,186 349,003.2 £26,933,674
Continuous planting 0.5% 37.9 927,384 370,216.6 £30,499,555
3% 37.4 1,089,482 310,457.8 £30,642,603
Intermittent planting 0.5% 37.3 898,114 370,082.8 £30,570,412
Early planting 2018-2027 0.5% 37.3 787,282 384,941.7 £33,201,379
Late planting 2036-2045s 0.5% 37.3 1,154,472 339,476.5 £25,244,798
You can read the full open access paper here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S161886672100323X.
Tricks of the trade: why design quality diminishes post-planning permission
Author Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments | Posted on 6 December 2021 6 December 2021
by Hannah Hickman….
The ambition to achieve high quality design outcomes in the delivery of new homes is undisputed and currently prominent on the political agenda. Most recently, we have seen amendments to the National Planning Policy Framework to strengthen its design focus, a new National Model Design Code, the creation of a new Office for Place to "drive up design standards"[1] and the appointment of a Head of Architecture within the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. These initiatives have been heralded by some commentators as signalling "a moment of potential national change in the relationship between design, planning and development in England"[2].
One aspect of the planning and development process that has hitherto received little attention in relation to ensuring high quality design outcomes has been post-consent: the journey of a development from the point of receiving planning permission (either through outline permission or full planning permission) through to on-site construction, occupation and on-going management. This was the subject explored by SPE's Hannah Hickman, Dr Katie McClymont, Dr Hooman Foroughmand-Araabi, Nick Croft and Adam Sheppard (now at the University of Gloucestershire) in recent research commissioned by the West of England Combined Authority.
Are schemes build out as initially approved?
Source: PlanningServices.net
This study explored all post-consent stages including the discharge/variation of planning conditions; reserved matters; non-material and minor-material amendments; subsequent planning applications; monitoring; compliance; and, if necessary, enforcement, to assess the extent to which these stages may result in reductions in design quality and why.
The journey from concept to detail
Source: Designingbuildings.co.uk
Whilst the team concluded that what happens post-consent is not the main determinant of design quality, it was clear that post-consent processes can result in a significant drop in the quality of a scheme. They found a range of design elements being regularly impacted post-consent, from key details such as brick choice, materials, and window detailing, to green infrastructure and landscaping, and, on occasions, substantial scheme re-configuration and density alterations. The challenges associated with managing the cumulative impact of multiple changes were particularly problematic for guarding against reductions in design quality.
Some planning officers involved in the study were concerned that developers use post-consent rather unscrupulously and described post-consent change as being frustratingly routine and occurring in nearly all schemes, whatever the scale. They described schemes as being 'watered down' andreferredto conversations with developers' post-consent that started with phrases such as 'this wasn't what we agreed guys'. Developers, on the other hand, saw the need for post-consent change as not only inevitable but necessary: the need to respond to the circumstances of a site once at the delivery stage, and development viability were the most common justifications for post-consent change.
The research highlights five areas for action to improve practice as follows:
The report's five areas for overarching action
The first is about ensuring that post-consent is viewed as an integral part of the development process from project inception to on-site delivery, occupation and ongoing management. This is to address the fact that post-consent often falls below the radar.
Part of this is about the second set of actions focussed on resourcing and empowering officers so that they the capacity to best support a development's journey at post-consent and the confidence to advocate for the need to maintain particular design aspects of a scheme to achieve quality outcomes.
The third set of actions is about implementing specific improvements to post consent processes: a more careful consideration of their effective operation in practical terms to enable officers and developers to see how processes can be altered to lead to better maintenance of quality.
Beyond these more practical and system/resource-related suggestions, there is also a need to widen the conversation about development mechanisms and design quality. The research focused predominantly on local authority practice, but bringing forward successful, high quality – development is clearly enhanced by successful collaboration between local authorities, communities and developers. Greater understanding of the post-consent journey from the perspective of all players is needed, and moreover, needed to address wider issues of trust between players best manifested in concerns about whether post-consent change is sought is for legitimate and justifiable reasons.
The team were delighted and honoured to win this year's Royal Town Planning Institute's Sir Peter Hall Award for Research Excellence for this piece of research, praising it for its strong practice relevance. The team is also currently exploring further research to look at practice and outcomes across the four nations of the UK.
The research report can be downloaded via:
https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/7318606
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/office-for-place
[2] [2] https://matthew-carmona.com/2021/02/01/78-design-quality-have-we-reached-a-moment-of-national-change/
Learning from Tower Hamlets Health Impact Assessment (HIA) policy implementation programme 2019-2021
Author Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments | Posted on 15 October 2021 15 October 2021
By Laurence Carmichael…..
Tower Hamlets (TH) Health Impact Assessment (HIA) policy was adopted as part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH) Local Plan in January 2020.
The policy aimed to be part of a set of local planning policies addressing major health challenges in the borough, including poor housing quality, overcrowding, social isolation, poor air quality, lack of access to affordable healthy food, and lack of green spaces.
Tower Hamlets HIA policy aims to tackle overconcentration of hot food takeaways and betting shops and promote healthy habits and environments (Credit: Laurence Carmichael)
In September 2019, I was recruited as HIA Officer on a secondment from UWE Bristol's WHO Collaborating Centre to lead on the policy implementation programme. The focus of this shifted quickly from its original quality assurance ambition towards a broader political-economic approach to maximise HIA policy leverage. Outputs of the programme included:
An internal cross sector planning/public health partnership to maximise the legal levers of the policy
A suite of capacity building and review tools including:
Guidance tools for officers and applicants
Training for internal and external stakeholders
Evaluation work (NIHR funded)
National HIA policy advocacy and development:
Contribution to Public Health England's national HIA guidance[1]
Leading on submissions to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government consultations on the reform of the English planning system on behalf of London Association of Directors of Public Health[2]
Over the two-year review period a number of significant challenges were identified, including:
A lack of cross sector knowledge and silo working
The programme had to be adapted to reflect planning governance and policy drivers. These challenges reflect earlier findings from the literature[3].
The lack of a HIA statutory policy
HIA was not a statutory instrument despite being embedded into the local plan. Planning power is also limited as the local HIA Policy does not benefit from a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which would give it more leverage. Planning officers will decide to give or refuse planning consent on the basis of interpretation and judgement in the light of the development plan and other material considerations. They weigh up HIA evidence potentially against other material considerations and other legal obligations and this can be at the expense of health (e.g. Heritage considerations, established land use)
Housing policy drivers
The London Plan sets high housing targets for TH, leaving upper density levels open and giving developers the opportunity for more speculative planning applications. Government policy requires local planners de facto to lower scrutiny over some standards which have health implications and could be highlighted by HIAs (e.g. reducing affordable housing requirements)
A challenge for Tower Hamlets planners and public health officers: managing housing targets in the highest density environment in London – Here residential developments in Canary Wharf (Credit: Laurence Carmichael)
Poor understanding of HIA and emerging practical issues
Over a period of 22 months, the HIA Officer commented on 64 planning applications. HIAs were in the main very weak (poor methodologies, poor identification of baseline, no recommendations).
The practice of HIA in development management process also raised a number of practical issues in relation to various types of planning applications, for instance, can we expect a detailed HIA on a S73 amendment application? (i.e. minor amendment)
The in-depth understanding of these challenges acquired over the two-year period of the review facilitated the following recommendations:
HIA in development management:
Focus HIAs on the largest applications
Ensure a public health presence in pre-applications
Review assessment criteria of the HIA guidance focussing on assessment topics where end user/community knowledge is most appropriate.
Strengthen the Statement of Community Involvement guidance for applicants
Continue capacity building efforts internally
Design a quality assurance framework "for the reality of planning "
Supply developers with a locality baseline
Continue monitoring/evaluating HIA effectiveness through research
HIA in planning policy:
Consider the upstreaming of HIA in planning policy and strategy
Identify a timeline of strategic masterplans to ensure health is considered in strategic place-shaping decisions.
Promote HIA approach for local design guides or codes
Learn from HIAs over time to inform design policies in local plans
Local authorities interested in progressing their HIA agenda on urban developments are advised to learn from Tower Hamlets experience and be mindful of challenges. This should not deter them from ensuring new urban developments promote health and equity, in particular as the Covid-19 pandemics has further demonstrated the importance of the living environment on health.
For more information on the Tower Hamlets HIA policy, please contact Matthew Quin, Public Health Programme Lead – Healthy Environments Public Health, London Borough of Tower Hamlets matthew.quin@towerhamlets.gov.uk
For information on the two-year LBTH HIA review and NIHR funded evaluation,
Please contact Laurence Carmichael, Senior Lecturer in Healthy Cities, UWE, Bristol. laurence.carmichael@uwe.ac.uk
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-impact-assessment-in-spatial-planning
[2] https://adph.org.uk/networks/london/2020/11/03/https-adph-org-uk-networks-london-wp-content-uploads-2020-11-adphlresponse-planning-wp-final27102020-002-pdf/
[3] • Carmichael, L., Townshend, T., Fischer, T., Lock, K., Sweeting, D, Petrokofsky, C., Ogilvie, F and Sheppard, A. (2019). Urban planning as an enabler of urban health: challenges and good practice in England following the 2012 planning and public health reforms, in Land Use Policy, 84, p. 154-162, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837718307361 .
New report by WHO Europe examines the urban redevelopment of contaminated sites
Author Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments | Posted on 12 July 2021 12 July 2021
By Danni Sinnett and Issy Bray
Across Europe there is a vast legacy of contaminated sites from past industrial, commercial and military activity, waste disposal, mineral extraction and other uses. WHO Europe published a report examining the Urban redevelopment of contaminated sites, which summarises the findings from an expert discussion which considered a review of the evidence on environmental and health impacts of remediation, a suite of European redevelopment case studies and a reflection on the applicability of impact assessment tools during remediation and redevelopment processes.
Redevelopment of part of the South Crofty tin-copper mine in Cornwall to provide sustainable housing, a heritage centre and community space.
This blog focuses on the findings from our evidence review commissioned by WHO Europe. The review sought to answer the question: to what extent does the remediation and subsequent redevelopment of contaminated sites reduce environmental and health risks to new and existing populations and ecological systems, and are there any effects on equity in terms of the distribution of risks and outcomes or the identification of disadvantaged groups either pre- or post-remediation?
A search strategy was developed that brought together three sets of terms related to: the contaminants (e.g. lead, polyaromatic hydrocarbons) and land uses (e.g. mining, industrial); remediation and redevelopment; and the outcomes related to health (e.g. mortality, cancer). A search of standard academic databases resulted in 6903 papers. The titles and abstracts of these were then screened based on whether they reported changes in outcomes related to the environment or human health, in either new or existing populations, as a result of the remediation and, where possible, subsequent redevelopment of contaminated sites.
The vast majority of studies report soil and water concentrations, outcomes related to ecotoxicological or human health, or risk assessments pre-remediation, the findings from laboratory or field-scale experiments testing the efficacy of remediation technologies, the results of studies that model exposure or provide commentaries or reviews of remediation technologies. This meant that only 50 papers met the criteria for full-text screening.
In total sixteen papers based on outcomes related to health were taken forward to evidence synthesis:
Three studies that examine the outcomes related to the health of new residents following remediation and redevelopment of contaminated sites;
Nine studies that examine the outcomes related to the health of children in existing neighbourhoods previously exposed to lead (n=8) and chromium (n=1) following remediation and public health campaigns to reduce exposure (e.g. by removing hand to mouth behaviour in children, improved hygiene and home cleaning);
Four studies that examine the outcomes related to the health in existing populations following remediation of contaminated sites.
Most of these studies were set in the United Sites and focused on reductions in blood lead concentrations in children, following a combination of soil remediation and/or public health campaigns to reduce exposure. Two further studies examined the impacts of remediation on soil contaminated with chromium and sediments contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Some studies suggest that soil cover alone is not sufficient without an excavation of contaminated surface soils to prevent upward migration, and area-wide remediation is required to prevent recontamination of residential gardens. Although it appears that soil remediation is largely responsible for the declines in soil, water, dust and blood concentrations, there is also consistent evidence that public health campaigns are effective at reducing exposure pathways where existing populations are present.
Wapping Wharf in Bristol is a mixed-use development on the site of a former goal, timber and coal yard.
The evidence suggests that remediation via removal, capping, and replacing soil, with planting vegetation on bare soils is effective at reducing concentrations of lead and chromium in blood and urine in children, although this approach to remediation is not considered sustainable. Very few of the studies explicitly considered equity in their study design or reporting of outcomes, despite it being widely reported in the environmental justice literature that disadvantaged groups are more likely to live near contaminated sites.
The review considered a further 31 studies related to environmental outcomes following full-scale remediation and/or redevelopment of contaminated sites. Eighteen studies examined various environmental outcomes following remediation of inorganic contaminants, including metals and metalloids, and asbestos, mainly through removal and/or capping of soil and thirteen studies examined the environmental outcomes following remediation of organic contaminants including pesticides, PCBs, total petroleum hydrocarbons and polyaromatic hydrocarbons.
The nature of research and development of remediation methods for contaminated land mean that there are very few studies in the academic literature that report on the outcomes related to human and environmental health following full scale remediation. Instead, the literature focuses on laboratory and pilot studies, with the results of long-term monitoring programmes tending to not be available in the public domain. In addition, the report summarises other limitations in the evidence and provides recommendations to improve the quality of evidence.
Overall, the review found that there is consistent evidence that, when best practice is employed, remediation of contaminated soils is effective at reducing both direct and indirect exposure to pollution in nearby populations and for reducing environmental risk.
How future planners' views on Covid-19 provide grounds for optimism
Author Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments | Posted on 5 March 2021 5 March 2021
The news can feel unremittingly challenging and I oscillate between trying to engage with the detail and wanting to ignore it all in the vague hope that next time I look, a future more Covid free reality might be closer on the horizon. Anecdotally, colleagues, friends and family feel similarly.
In a 'seeking to engage phase' last month, two headlines particularly struck me: the first, signalled that those aged 25-34 are at the highest risk of redundancy; the second, and more encouraging, suggested 'amongst, all the doom and gloom there's positives'[1].
It drew me to contemplate the new cohort of planning students starting their studies this academic year. For undergraduates, the 25-34 age bracket may still seem a little way off, but for post-graduates, many of them in or near that age bracket, the desire for a swift move into employment – and employment that offers security – is likely to be a pressing concern. Of course, some students may already be in work, either in planning or in another sector to fund their studies and gain experience- recently increasing numbers taking a 'degree apprenticeship' route into their planning studies are an important subset of the former. Whatever a student's personal circumstances, the derivative economic impacts of Covid are likely to seed worries.
There is contemporary commentary on the student experience in Covid-times and much of this is legitimately focussed on their learning experiences. There has been little commentary, however, on how Covid might be impacting student's perceptions of their future careers: particularly if their course of study has a defined career path. This led me to reflect on the second headline: have students' perspectives on planning as a career or course of study changed because of COVID, and in any positive ways?
Source: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/covid-19-what-does-local-lockdown-mean-uk-universities
In 2019, UWE, with the support of the Royal Town Planning Institute, instigated a new longitudinal study to seek to understand the motivations expectations of emergent planners, in response to what was felt to be an 'empty vessel'[2] of work on young planners and their perspectives[3]. In the second year of the study, in addition to repeating the questions posed in 2019, we asked students new to planning in 2020: "Do you feel that Covid has impacted upon your views on planning and your own career plans?".
I wondered: did their responses provide grounds for optimism in the terms of the second headline, or reveal concerns about their future careers, more aligned with the first headline? With a response from over 220 undergraduate and postgraduate students from planning schools across the UK and Ireland, their views are worth listening to.
Despite some inevitable denigration of individual detail, their responses can be grouped into the following three themes: the first about perceptions of planning; the second about ideas of place; and the third about work.
For several students their experiences of and perspectives on Covid had emboldened their ideas about the value of planning: seeing planning as more not less relevant in a post-covid world:
"it has made me view planning as a resilient tool for making better places"
"it has shown me if the will is there planners/designers could make an immediate difference to streetscapes"
"I have always believed that reasonable planning is the basic aspiration for the development of a city or even a country. This epidemic made me realize the importance of planning and strengthened my views".
For these young planners, Covid has provided motivation to think about the role of planning, fuelling a desire to build on the experiences of early lock-down to achieve positive change, particularly the environmental benefits of a quietened city. As one student observed: "early lockdown showed us that we can make a difference to pollution and climate change".
They also alluded to the need to think differently about the ways in which 'we do planning', "I think we will need to re-evaluate the places we design and create", "we should consider the unexpected when we make plans", and "Planners' role in the coming decade will be to reimagine these cities once again in the new [Post Covid] context".
Many students' ideas of space and place had shifted as a result of Covid. In particular, the value and importance of home has been heightened, along with a desire for more private outdoor space. One student wrote passionately about the disparities in experience between rich and poor: "lockdown has been detrimental to mental health due to a lack of parks, no gardens and extremely small houses", andanother that "the density of cities in the future will need to be considered, will we all want to live so closely together?". One student simply stated: "it's made me realise the importance of green space and planning for health".These students were also quickly attuned to some of the perversities of policy in lockdown and questioned the potential future impacts of, for example, such a major reduction in public transport usage.
Source: https://www.theplanner.co.uk/news/covid-19-green-space-should-be-a-priority-in-local-plans
Perhaps unsurprisingly a significant number responded by focussing on employment opportunities. One student lamented, "Covid has complicated an already complicated world while also making career planning more difficult" and the words "concern", "unsure", "impossibility", "uncertainty", "difficulty", and "confusing", were frequently used to express worries about future work. Others, however, suggested that Covid "may open up more job opportunities through more flexible working", and that the flexible working resulting from Covid "enabled a career move", and "caused me to re-evaluate my career and choose to go into planning".
None of these short threads are in and of themselves inherently surprising, and as with all surveys, one is left wanting to more about the individual circumstances to understand perspectives and experiences in greater depth. Nevertheless, briefly delving into this data has led to two brief conclusions that reflect back on the headlines that provided my initial motivation for this piece. Firstly, as a profession we need to be attuned to the concerns that future planners' have about their career choices in a post-Covid world, and consider what can be done to best support them and alleviate their concerns against the backdrop of the pandemic. Secondly, the many articulate and thoughtful responses to the 'Covid' question in our survey signal a motivated cohort of young planners in the pipeline: this provides enormous grounds for optimism.
[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/health-55802623
[2] T Taşan-Kok and M Oranje: 'Young practitioners' reflections on contemporary ethical challenges'. In T Taşan-Kok and M Oranje: From Student to Urban Planner: Young Practitioners' Reflections on Contemporary Ethical Challenges. Routledge, 2018, p.17
[3] More information is available via: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/research/centres-and-groups/spe/projects/young-planners-expectations-and-motivations
The Art of Healing: arts-led research to support child wellbeing in Kashmir.
Author Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments | Posted on 5 February 2021 8 February 2021
by Michael Buser…..
Kashmir – set in northern region of the Indian subcontinent – encompasses territories administered by India, Pakistan and China. The region has long been contested and fought over (India and Pakistan have fought three wars over the territory) and is considered to be one of the most militarised areas in the world. In the Kashmir Valley, in places like Srinagar and Pulwama, where our research team is working, everyday life is marked by the presence of military, curfews, stone-pelting, demonstrations and violence. Like most of the world, Kashmir has been under various forms of restrictions (e.g., school closures) due to Covid-19. Yet, the lockdown in Kashmir started in August 2019 when the Indian government amended the constitutional provisions and special status which allowed a level of autonomy for this Muslim majority state. Children have been particularly impacted by these events – many young people will have experienced trauma and live in a state of uncertainty and fear.
I have been involved in organising a diverse group to provide support to young people who live in Pulwama – an area that has been the centre of clashes between the army and militants (including a 2019 attack on a military convoy that resulted in 21 deaths). Our team is funded through the Arts and Humanities Research Council's 'Urgency' programme and 'Global Challenges Research Fund' and includes an amazing collection of dedicated people – including UK and Indian-based artists and film-makers as well as experts in public and child health, psychology and arts-based therapy, and international politics. We are collaborating with a local school whose enthusiastic and caring teachers and administrators have integrated arts activities into the school's curriculum.
Children have been working through the 'land of colours' as a way of exploring a number of themes including happiness, suffering, heroism, and compassion
Over the past several months, we have been working with about 30 children ages 11 to 15 to support their wellbeing through a range of art-based therapy and arts activities. These have been delivered online and face-to-face (the school is mostly closed, yet some activities are taking place on campus). My colleague Anurupa Roy has been leading on the online activities with the children which has led to an amazing outpouring of creative work. This has all been accomplished through lockdowns, internet cut-offs, bandwidth restrictions, and all kinds of technological and political challenges.
Delivery of the in-person activities has also been extremely challenging. I thought this could be best expressed by quoting some words from Vikramjeet Sinha, an arts-based therapist working with the children.
The breath-taking natural, brutal beauty of Kashmir, the lovely eyes of the children when they speak … keeps me at it and whatever the challenges I face, the children are worth it for they are so sweet. The first week there was a grenade blast on our way back in the evening, and even though it was not a close shave, I could not let the peaceful natural beauty delude me that things are peaceful. Civilians were killed in the blast and during these times the internet often gets cut off and any other zoom call with the world becomes an impossibility. Municipal elections at Pulwama kept the internet off for two days, such unprecedented things often happen out here.
Vikram's reflections draw attention to some of the difficulties of working on the project – but also, how it is so fulfilling. For my part, I am honoured to be part of this work and extremely grateful to be an academic who can direct energy and support to the wellbeing of people living in such difficult circumstances. From this perspective, I have been disappointed to see news about the UK government's decision to reduce the overseas aid budget from 0.7 to 0.5 per cent of gross national income. Not only are programmes like the GCRF funded through development assistance, but as many others have said, these cuts will have real impacts on the lives of people at risk in areas of the world where support is needed.
At the end of the first round of work, the children gave a shadow puppet performance. This image shows one of the sets constructed for the show.
Going forward we are continuing with online activities with the expectation of some face-to-face (Covid safe!) work in Pulwama in March. At this stage, we are enjoying watching the artwork emerge – they have produced some spectacular pieces (a few of which I've included here). We are also noting how the children are expressing themselves and allowing their inner worlds to become unlocked through the therapeutic experience of the arts.
If anyone has any comments or questions, please get in touch: Michael.Buser@uwe.ac.uk
Getting public health evidence into planning policy
By Danielle Sinnett, Miriam Ricci, Janet Ige, Hannah Hickman, Adam Sheppard and Nick Croft (UWE), Michael Chang (PHE), Julia Thrift and Tim Emery (TCPA)
The Getting Research Into Practice 2 (GRIP2) project was commissioned by Public Health (PHE) England and delivered in collaboration with the Town and Country Planning Association. The project had two aims:
To facilitate the implementation of health evidence set out in key PHE publications by directly engaging with local and regional policy makers, and practitioners across place-making professions and communities.
To provide evidence-informed resources to assist local authorities in developing planning policies to improve health and wellbeing.
Following the publication of Spatial Planning for Health in 2017, PHE commissioned a further research project: Getting Research into Practice (GRIP). This sought to explore the use of the principles set out in Spatial Planning for Health, and the challenges of applying these in local planning policy and decision making. The findings informed the basis of this second phase of Getting Research into Practice (GRIP2).
We selected four locations to take part in the research and develop local resources from 39 Expressions of Interest. Workshops were then held in each of the selected locations, below, to understand how health evidence could be used in the development of planning policies, with a different focus:
Worcestershire: template Technical Research Paper on Planning for Ageing Well that could form the evidence base for new Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD).
Hull: template SPD on Healthy Places to address the considerable health inequalities.
North Yorkshire, York and East Riding (YNYER): framework for planning for health.
Gloucestershire: template to integrate health into neighbourhood plans.
The four workshops took place in November 2019 and each was attended by approximately 30 key representatives from across planning and public health, the relevant local authorities or county councils, and locally identified stakeholders. Workshops consisted of a series of short 'scene setting' presentations followed by short interactive workshops.
Written notes from workshop discussions and other background documentation from the local areas were then analysed using the qualitative data analysis software NVivo.
The notes and analysis were used to develop:
A national guidance document: Getting Research into Practice: a resource for local authorities on planning healthier places
Four detailed guides showing how to find and use health evidence to create specific planning resources:
· Framework for a healthy places supplementary planning document (SPD)
· Developing a healthy planning principles framework
· Guide to creating a technical research paper on ageing well
· Guide to embedding health and wellbeing in neighbourhood plans
A research report that presents the findings from the workshops.
A suite of guidance to integrate health evidence into planning policies
We found that across the four locations examined there is a genuine recognition of the ongoing need to develop places that improve health and wellbeing outcomes and reduce health inequalities. However, integration and partnership working across the professions is key, and there are areas of good practice where this is already taking place. It was seen as crucial that all those involved in the planning and development process understand the importance of planning in tackling poor health and health inequalities, including central and local government planning policymakers, and those working in development management, private developers and their consultants.
Despite this, barriers remain related to a lack of leadership, experience, financial resources and capacity in local authorities. Participants were positive that these barriers could be overcome through, for example, increasing communication and joint working between planning and public health teams, learning from best practices and successes in other locations, making better use of the powers available to planners and including a wider range of voices and contributions in the local planning policy process.
There is also an opportunity to make more effective use of health evidence in local planning policy by improving stakeholders' understanding of the types and sources of available evidence and their strengths and limitations.
The effective use of health evidence in practice, in turn, can further strengthen the case for healthy places at the local level, encouraging buy in from politicians and local communities.
The use of workshops was seen as a key engagement mechanism that helped to initiate and strengthen these local appetites for better integration.
The research report provides a series of recommendations, for example:
Tailored local evidence with specific objectives and audiences in mind could be provided to allow planning policies and decisions to be made more effectively and robustly.
All stakeholders could develop a shared understanding of the role of planning in improving population health and reducing health inequalities.
Make best use of public health evidence, including that generated by communities, to help planners use their powers more effectively.
Ensure that health inequalities, and their relationship with the built environment, are well understood and explained in planning policies.
Support the creation of an effective evidence base which can be applied within a planning context, including through monitoring and evaluation of planning policies.
The resources provided above provide detailed guidance towards achieving some of these recommendations and are a valuable resource for planning and public health teams.
The key to post COVID-19 recovery: community leadership
By Robin Hambleton….
As well as causing appalling suffering and misery, the COVID-19 pandemic is opening up new possibilities for the future. An uplifting feature of the way that communities have responded to the COVID-19 calamity has been the spectacular expansion of self-organising community groups working at neighbourhood, or village, level to help the vulnerable and the needy.
While researching my new book, Cities and communities beyond COVID-19. How local leadership can change our future for the better, I encountered many heart-warming stories of how local communities have responded with great imagination to the disruption of local food supply chains, taken steps to protect the most vulnerable in society, and engaged in all manner of creative, problem-solving activities at the local or hyper-local level.
My research suggests that cities and localities across the world now face four major challenges at once: 1) The COVID-19 health emergency, 2) A sharp, pandemic-induced economic downturn, 3) The climate change emergency, and 4) The disastrous growth of social, economic and racial inequality in many countries.
The good news is that many cities and localities are already developing and delivering progressive strategies that address these four challenges at one-and-the-same time.
An example of good civic leadership – Freiburg, Germany
The photographs in this piece are from one of the cities now leading the way in responding to current societal challenges. Freiburg is, of course, very well known for pioneering high quality city planning and urban design.
For example, the Academy of Urbanism joined with the City of Freiburg in publishing The Freiburg Charter for Sustainable Urbanism in 2011.The Academy wanted not just to recognise the achievements of civic leaders and city planners in Freiburg, but also to spread the word about their approach to an international audience.
What is not so well known is that Martin Horn, the young and energetic politician, who was elected as Mayor of Freiburg in 2018, is stepping up the progressive ambition of Freiburg's policy making. For example, he is insisting that, as well as meeting very high environmental standards, over 50% of new housing in the city must be affordable. Yes, that's 50%.
Detailed plans for Dietenbach, a new eco-friendly neighbourhood for 15,000 people, deliver on this objective. Submitted to Freiburg City Council last month, these plans also provide open space, schools, sports facilities, day-care centres and local shopping opportunities.
Meanwhile, the imaginative Freiburg holds together (Freiburg halt zusammen) digital network bundles together numerous citizen-oriented information services and activities for residents struggling with COVID-19 pressures.
Freiburg is just one of the progressive cities featured in my book. Other cities discussed include Bristol, Copenhagen, Dunedin, Mexico City and Portland.
Children enjoying outdoor space in Vauban, Freiburg, Germany. (Source: the author).
Lessons for UK policy, practice and research
Three lessons for UK policy, practice and research emerge.
First, the government's 2020 White Paper, Planning for the Future, needs to be discarded as quickly as possible. It contains proposals that will not just destroy effective approaches to local planning but also weaken councillor and citizen involvement in local decision-making.[i]
The evidence from Freiburg, and other enlightened cities, demonstrates that high quality urban development designed to address the climate emergency, provide housing opportunities for the less well off in society, and build liveable communities requires more planning, not less.[ii]
Second, councillors in Freiburg, like all those in Germany, have the constitutional protection to do what they think is right for the people living in their locality. German local authorities have, then, the freedom to do things differently. This is not the case in the UK and it is essential to rebalance power within our country via a constitutional convention. Comparative research can help to make the case for giving local power a major boost.
Third, researchers studying how to create sustainable cities and localities need to give much more attention to power relations. Advancing our understanding of what needs to be done to co-create liveable cities and towns is vital. However, just as important, research needs to explore how to bring about progressive change in society.
What is the power system that is leading to unsustainable urban development? How can this power system be changed? What lessons can we learn from cities that are already delivering sustainable development? These are the kinds of questions that deserve more active consideration by researchers studying modern urban, rural and regional development.
Robin Hambleton is Emeritus Professor of City Leadership at the University of the West of England, Bristol.
Film of book launch
Robin Hambleton's new book, Cities and communities beyond COVID-19, was published in October 2020. The book launch, organised by the Bristol Festival of Ideas, includes contributions from Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, who has written a Foreword to the book, and Professor Sheila Foster, University of Georgetown, Washington DC. This discussion, which was chaired by Andrew Kelly, Director of the Bristol Festival of Ideas, is available here: https://www.ideasfestival.co.uk/events/cities-and-communities-beyond-covid-19/
[i] Hambleton R. (2020) 'Strong place-based leadership is instrumental in the battle against COVID-19' The Planner, 19 October.
[ii] The key suggestion here is that public policy needs to advance caring in modern society – meaning caring for others and caring for the natural environment on which we all depend. See Hambleton R. (2020) 'COVID-19 opens a new political window', Town and Country Planning, November/December, 89, 11/12, 366-370.
'Creativity sustains us, and so does community': reflections on listening to art in the city.
Author Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments | Posted on 27 November 2020 27 November 2020
By Katie McClymont….
I was privileged to be invited by Rising Arts Agency[1] as a 'keynote listener' in their performance of a conversation on the question of 'who is allowed space to create in Bristol?' on 4th October 2020. This was part of the Centre of Gravity exhibition in Soapworks/the old Gardiner Haskins[2] building in Bristol. Sitting in a circle for part of a conversation which carried on all afternoon and featured inputs from various young artists, I was one of a selection of 'listeners' who were allowed to contribute only one sentence to this conversation.
I will here try to outline to some of the things I heard, and reflect on where this conversation may lead. I will not do justice to the depth or breadth of the conversation in this small space, nor do I claim that the voice written here is anything other than mine, but I am doing this because I want to express what I heard when I was listening because I feel being in a position which gives me an audience for my words, I have a responsibility to take this conversation forward.
I am going to focus on three themes which I heard weave throughout the conversation: change, ownership, and the nature of space. This does not represent the totality of what was said, or the totality of what I heard (and I don't assume these to be the same thing), but these ideas resonated with me, thinking as a planner about more equitable and inspiring urban spaces for the future.
The conversation opened with a discussion about the (in)affordability of space, for living and for arts, and the need for the democratisation of space at all scales- the room, the building and the city. This rapidly linked to ideas of gentrification- including a reflection on whether this conversation itself was a form of gentrification- and the nature of change. Participants saw change as inevitable: but the emotional impact (as well as financial benefits) being unevenly distributed. Questions were raised about who has to let go of the things to which they are emotionally attached for change to come about in 'the ecology of capitalism'. Change in the city is about the movement of people, and the acceptability of this is tied to money- who brings money in by making changes, who brings a cost by arriving somewhere? Who is let in, what is protected?
Participating in the the conversation as a 'keynote listener'
These questions on belonging, and voice in change linked to the discussions of ideas of ownership. Ownership as paradoxical term- it implies 'home', safe space, and comfort but also unfairness, because not all have it- not everyone has somewhere they (feel they) own. Ownership was described as individual, financial, emotional- and questions raised of how can cities accommodate all of these sorts of ownership. More negatively, ownership was also seen as limiting, tying down, holding back, stuck in one place. This relates to the impact a space has on the product or performance of all artists and the implications of the difficult balance between stability and trappedness. Moreover, this is of particular concern to young artists, asking how old do we have to be to be taken seriously- when are we no longer emerging, and therefore have the legitimacy to claim space and to remake the city in their ways, rather than being invited into space: having space for guests and visitors, rather than being visitors and guests in spaces which are owned by someone else.
Debating change and ownership in this way questions static understandings of space and place. These are questions of scale (the city itself as a space) and of purpose (the role of arts as bring about social change). Physical space is important for reflection and connections and for new ways of experiencing ourselves- beyond the space of the phone. A particular point here was the potential of abandoned buildings: emptiness may be seen as a problem in planning/property development but offers so much scope for artists, particularly young artists, who need for 'test space' for experimentation without gatekeepers. Emptiness or abandonment here are not just physical or economic states, but ones of meaning-the creation of a vessel waiting to be (re)filled with a different essence. In some ways, this comes back to the first point- about being priced out of the market and the fear of gentrification. Where can be left empty for temporary inhabitation, experimentation and expression when everything has a price tag?
At a time of such uncertainty brought about by Covid, and compounded by proposed reforms to the planning system, we have scope to rethinking priorities in society- and in the cities and neighbourhoods in which this society lives. Can we think more deeply about sustaining places- places which sustain us, and in which we manage change in more inclusive and just ways- so that who is allowed space to create, and allowed to create space, is a question of conversation not just of cost.
[1] See https://rising.org.uk/ and in particular https://rising.org.uk/who-is-allowed-space-to-create/
[2] https://www.centreofgravity.uk/about
austerity politics
evidence review
Frontiers of knowledge
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social and economic disparities


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text:
First World War Second World War
Hart, Peter M IWM Brown, John Willins Murdie, Bob Walker, Albert Wightman, Eddie
31/3(41).1 01/3(4-15).3 01/3(4-15).44 01/3(4-15).5 31/3(41).1 01/3(4-15).5 01/3(4-15).57 31/5(41).1
British Army, Northumberland Fusiliers, 4th Battalion British Army, Bde, Guards, 32 British Army, Guards Division British Army, Northumberland Fusiliers, 70th Battalion British Army, Northumberland Fusiliers, Independent Coy, 1 British Army, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt, Bn, 1 British Army, Reconnaissance Regt, 50 Brown, John Willins German Prisoner of War Camp, Arbeitskommando E3 German Prisoner of War Camp, Stalag IV B German Prisoner of War Camp, Stalag VIII B Italian Prisoner of War Camp, PG 53 Murdie, Bob Walker, Albert Wightman, Eddie
Belgium France Brussels, Brabant, Belgium DE England, United Kingdom GB, England Arras, Pas-de-Calais, France Ashington, Northumberland, England, UK Blachownia Śląska, Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Upper Silesia, Poland CY CY & Famagusta Carpiquet, Calvados, France DE & Mühlberg DE & Rhine Dover, Kent, England, UK Eastbourne, Sussex, England, UK Fenham, Northumberland, England, UK GB, England & Newcastle upon Tyne, Northd <Gosforth> Gateshead, County Durham, England, UK Glaisdale, Yorkshire, England, UK Haltwhistle, Northumberland, England, UK Hayes, Middlesex, England, UK Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham, England, UK Hill 60, Ypres Salient, West Flanders, Belgium IT IT & Naples LB LB & Baalbek LY LY & Camp Benito
British Army, Northumberland Fusiliers, 4th Battalion
Wightman, Eddie (Oral history)
IWM (Production company) Hart, Peter M (recorder) Wightman, Eddie (interviewee/speaker)
Brown, John Willins (Oral history)
IWM (Production company) Hart, Peter M (recorder) Brown, John Willins (interviewee/speaker)
Walker, Albert (Oral history)
IWM (Production company) Hart, Peter M (recorder) Walker, Albert (interviewee/speaker)
Murdie, Bob (Oral history)
IWM (Production company) Hart, Peter M (recorder) Murdie, Bob (interviewee/speaker)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
Q: How do you ignore a nested field in Terraform? Terraform newbie here. I have a code here for the ECS schedule task. Whenever I change this and apply the change, the first version of task definition is getting set in the ECS task. So I tried adding the lifecycle method to it.
resource "aws_cloudwatch_event_target" "sqs" {
  rule      = aws_cloudwatch_event_rule.sqs.name
  target_id = local.namespace
  arn       = aws_ecs_cluster.app.arn
  role_arn  = aws_iam_role.ecsRole.arn
  input     = "{}"

  ecs_target {
    task_count          = 1
    task_definition_arn = aws_ecs_task_definition.sqs.arn
    launch_type         = "FARGATE"
    platform_version    = "LATEST"

    network_configuration {
      security_groups = [aws_security_group.nsg_task.id]
      subnets         = split(",", var.private_subnets)
    }
  }
}

Tried:
    resource "aws_cloudwatch_event_target" "sqs" {
      rule      = aws_cloudwatch_event_rule.sqs.name
      target_id = local.namespace
      arn       = aws_ecs_cluster.app.arn
      role_arn  = aws_iam_role.ecsRole.arn
      input     = "{}"

      ecs_target {
        task_count          = 1
        task_definition_arn = aws_ecs_task_definition.sqs.arn
        launch_type         = "FARGATE"
        platform_version    = "LATEST"

        network_configuration {
          security_groups = [aws_security_group.nsg_task.id]
          subnets         = split(",", var.private_subnets)
        }

        lifecycle {
          ignore_changes = [task_definition_arn]
        }
      }
    }

and
resource "aws_cloudwatch_event_target" "sqs" {
  rule      = aws_cloudwatch_event_rule.sqs.name
  target_id = local.namespace
  arn       = aws_ecs_cluster.app.arn
  role_arn  = aws_iam_role.ecsRole.arn
  input     = "{}"

  ecs_target {
    task_count          = 1
    task_definition_arn = aws_ecs_task_definition.sqs.arn
    launch_type         = "FARGATE"
    platform_version    = "LATEST"

    network_configuration {
      security_groups = [aws_security_group.nsg_task.id]
      subnets         = split(",", var.private_subnets)
    }
  }

  lifecycle {
    ignore_changes = [ecs_target.task_definition_arn]
  }

}

How do you ignore a nested field via lifecycle?

A: Found the solution. This works
resource "aws_cloudwatch_event_target" "sqs" {
  rule      = aws_cloudwatch_event_rule.sqs.name
  target_id = local.namespace
  arn       = aws_ecs_cluster.app.arn
  role_arn  = aws_iam_role.ecsRole.arn
  input     = "{}"

  ecs_target {
    task_count          = 1
    task_definition_arn = aws_ecs_task_definition.sqs.arn
    launch_type         = "FARGATE"
    platform_version    = "LATEST"

    network_configuration {
      security_groups = [aws_security_group.nsg_task.id]
      subnets         = split(",", var.private_subnets)
    }
  }

  lifecycle {
    ignore_changes = [ecs_target.0.task_definition_arn]
  }
}

The unusual syntax for me but this is how it is :).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Single-Step form vs. Multi-Step Form: Which One is the Best and Why
Marketing/
A form is seemingly a simple part of inbound marketing, which has so much power to turn your flat conversion into a rising one. Single-step form vs. multi-step form, however, is a subject of frequent debate when it comes to design a new form.
The goal of a contact form (and similar forms) is to collect data from visitors and eventually convert them into potential customers. It's a natural tendency that we try to collect a lot of information from users. Visitors, on the other side, want to get access to the goal spending as little time and effort as possible while filling out the form.
Deciding how many parts to include on a form depends on the purpose of a form. Why choose a single-step form? When to go for a multi-step form? Which one is better?
Well, this article will try to resolve these queries with an elaborate discussion. Marketers struggle to find the right spot to haul the customer's attention. The form's length, design, fields, and everything else should be examined whether it's being set right.
Here, you find the top online form builder tools that fulfill all your needs & assist you to create forms with an intuitive and easy-to-use interface.
Single vs. Multi-step Form
Let's face it, you need both of them for different purposes. While a single-step form will help you one way the multi-step form will also elevate your user engagement another way. Starting with analyzing their benefits separately we'll try to reach a conclusion then: which one to choose, and when?
Single-Step Forms
These are the most common type of forms we see on the web. And, they can vary from the contact form, support form, to even simple login form. In most cases, single-step forms work best for taking the basic information. It's quite unnecessary to ask the user's details if you only want them to subscribe to the newsletter.
On the internet, you'll see single-step forms a lot which are designed for quick actions. To login to your Facebook account, you need to enter your email address and password, and the same goes for thousands of other websites. These are examples of single-part forms.
When you're creating your forms with WP Fluent Forms, you'll see some prebuilt forms as:
Support Form, and
When Single-Step Forms Work Best
Having only three form fields result in a 25% conversion rate while 3-5 fields bring 20% and the rate gets lower to 15% when it becomes more than six fields. It was a research made by Neil Patel. Consequently, when it's about form fields, the shorter, the better. A company (Imagescape) gained its conversion 120% by reducing its field from 11 to 4.
Honestly, the same rules to follow when the forms are implemented for lead generation. For a first-time visitor – who can turn into a potential customer – the single-step forms can achieve better results than the multi-step forms. Users should not be frightened at the first impression. You should provide enough room to win user's trust, and, it may begin with a short and sweet form.
These forms also supposedly ensure bigger conversions when there are a few fields to be filled out. Moreover, to encourage a customer to make the right (expected) actions, these forms work fantastic. They are likely to accept it with alacrity.
Reasons to use a single-step form:
When you need basic information from users
If you're starting off with a brand-new service
To show an exciting offer that requires email address submission
To grab the users' quick attention, and not to terrify them
When Single-Step Forms Don't Work
As explained above, single-part forms work best to collect simple data. They can backfire as well if you don't use them the right way. Especially, when you want your users to provide a bunch of information at a time, these forms are just a bad idea.
Usually, more than 4 input fields are enough to scare your users away (see the source above). That's not the hard and fast rule that cannot be broken. But, the thing is if you want more form conversion, consider keeping only the essential fields while making the form shorter.
Making your form single-step doesn't always give you the expected result if it's long. From looking at the form to filling out- both can be overwhelming if there are too many fields for data input.
The best use of single-step forms
For gathering simple information, single-step forms are a great option. You'll obviously design your form according to your needs. For lead generation and opt-ins – where the user's email or the contact information is needed – simple is the best. A webmaster isn't that dumb to set a multi-step form to fill out each time a user wants to log in. What do you want from your users when they subscribe to an email newsletter? Their email, right? A single box is enough for that task.
Remember, if you want to get more benefits from a single-step form, try to keep it simple and clean. Don't forget to focus on the necessary steps and adding a bright call-to-action where users will click without fear or confusion. On the banner, pop-ups, sidebar, and elsewhere – present the email subscription box with an eye-catching subscription form.
Learn more about how Single-step forms can improve your UX: Design Better Forms With These Tips to Make the Forms UX-friendly
Multi-Step Forms
Multi-step forms are sometimes convoluted because of the design and longer steps. Once the customer started to fill out the form they are likely to finish it, and they are less likely to turn back if any sensitive information is asked. Finishing the whole form isn't a challenging task for them because they're committed to going until the end. And, statistics support this action as there are substantial conversion happening with these apparently boring forms.
When multi-step forms work great
Studies confirm that the multi-step forms have a 14% more completion rate than the single-step form. As a matter of fact, many people returned to fill out the form again after abandoning it in the first phase. Longer forms require valuable information and people are ready to provide them with confidence.
Essentially, customers who have already involved in a process are likely to fill out multi-step forms. This happens mostly while someone's shopping online and has to complete the checkout form. It might already happen to you that downloading a marketing ebook requires an in-depth form filling. Many of us filled out our company information. We know that these books are like gems so the form is worth it to be filled out.
When you want to amass a lot of information, complex forms work fine. But, what you have to keep in mind is that multiple form fields on the same page can be hard to grasp. You can address this issue by adding multiple steps on the form. That way, chances will be higher to fill out the form successfully. Let's see the usage of the multi-step form at a glance.
If you want to collect basic details first, and payment info later
For collecting billing information from an online shop
If it's a job application form where the candidates have to provide a lot of information
To apply in forms where users may contact you for further discussion
As the multi-step form is needed to be deployed when you will be asking users a plethora of information, you should pacify them by showing the progress. Surprisingly, Fluent Forms has two options to perform that action — either you can add a progress bar or you can include steps.
When multi-step forms don't work
Nevertheless, multi-step forms don't work when you need to collect fresh leads from new customers or visitors yet to be converted. Along with this, if you want people to subscribe to your newsletter or unlock a limited-time offer, presenting to them a complex form is a bad idea. Webmasters who are new into business should never set up a long form that demotivates the new users who come for the first time. Entice them with an uncomplicated experience.
In addition, they also don't give you success if users don's see the progress mentioned somewhere toward the form. The constant feedback is important to provide, so the users know how far they're from finishing the form. It will let them feel comfortable, as well. Seeing the progress, they may feel like "Oh, I have one step left! It'll take one and a half minutes more." Thus, if people are short on time they will come back later than abandoning it with rage and exasperation.
And, the best use of multi-step forms
For a particular business, you may need a lot of details about your customers. Through a long-form, you can achieve that goal. And, a multi-step form is a great choice for not making your users overwhelmed. No matter how much information you need from them, just let them know what are the steps (e.g. Step 1, Step 2 or Step 1/3). If you are still fascinated with a single-step form, you can execute an idea with a single-field form that has multiple ongoing steps.
Are we talking about conversions? Well, multi-step forms have great outputs (probably the most) with checkout form when people are going to buy something. Besides, the business that requires billing information also has successful multi-step forms. Furthermore, you can collect information from your existing customers to know their detail and they have trusted you already. Users will not make an effort to complete the form unless it adds some value to them.
Learn more about how Multi-step forms can improve your UX: Design Better Forms With These Tips to Make the Forms UX-friendly
Single-step or multi-step Form?
Finally, we have reached the end of this discussion to deduce the findings. Do you feel perplexed after reading the information provided here? It might happen though we try to bolster your decision with the argumentative discussion. You don't need to go with a particular side, necessarily. The reality is both of the forms can give you an expected output if placed in the right context.
Similarly, for acquiring billing information, there's no alternative but to set a long form. Then, if you could identify that a lot of customers are abandoning their carts because of the long checkout form, take the issue seriously. Use a multi-step form to reduce the number of leaving customers. For gathering plenty of information upfront, without making the users overwhelmed, multi-step forms come handy.
By the same token, we suggest you using single-step forms when you only need is the user's basic information like an email address or phone number. The single-step forms are also an efficient choice for lead generation, opt-ins, newsletter subscription, and other short and sweet action. Also, single-step forms can be filled out quickly that's why people love to click on the call-to-action button. When you trim the action to less, the conversion simply gets bigger.
When the debate is between single-step vs. multi-step forms in WordPress, it is you who will decide what to choose. Users will accept both types of forms and the conversion rate will also fluctuate in a separate manner. You can run A/B testing before reaching a final verdict. Create a form with the mandatory fields, cut down the less-relevant ones and then, find out what works best.
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You may even test the forms with different settings simultaneously and justify the outcomes. By adding and reducing some fields, you can easily understand the users mindsets. A form that converts is the form you need. So, don't overlook the importance of it. Get some inspiration from other popular websites to keep in touch with the trends. Don't forget to ensure the UI looks enticing alongside a seamless user experience.
We do have a WordPress form plugin which will help you to create both multi-step and single-step forms. You can try out the free WordPress form builder before choosing the pro version.
Do subscribe to our YouTube channel to get WordPress-related tips and tricks. Also, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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Sadiq Ahmad
Sadiq Ahmad is holding the helm of WP Fluent Forms' marketing team at WPManageNinja. As a WordPress-addict, he loves to write all about WordPress: themes, plugins, blogs, and tutorials. Digital marketing and SEO are his other strong suits. And he is not online only when he is exploring new dishes in local restaurants or burning the carbs in the gym.
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Same sex marriage has reached a tipping point
October 22, 2013 by Sara Blair Matthews
Justin Marinelli
Making headlines this week was the news that New Jersey just became the 14th state to allow same-sex marriage. This sort of thing hits home for me, especially as New Jersey happens to be where I was raised. This is normally the segway at which I begin to discuss my own position on gay marriage, but I feel no need to do that here. It strikes me as much more intellectually satisfying to point out that gay marriage is a societal inevitability, and that in the future we shall see more states enact similar resolutions.
To show why, I'm going to go off in a few different directions, and then tie everything back together. First, let us begin by defining exactly what laws are. Laws are merely codified social tenants backed by government force. Social norms may be the unwritten rules of society, but written laws are the other side of the same coin. If cultural norms change, the laws will eventually change as well. This is why, for example, trial by combat is no longer a legally valid method of settling disputes.
The second thing we must realize is that two big cultural shifts have precipitated the now common acceptance of the idea of same-sex marriage. The first has been the evolution of marriage from an economic contract for the purpose of raising children to a public declaration of mutual love and affection. The second has been the gradual acceptance of public homosexuality. The combination of these two things means that people of non-straight sexual orientations are more free at this time to publicly express their love for each other, and this is reflected in societal views on same-sex marriage.
The third thing to understand is that now we have legal recognition of same-sex marriage in some states, so the pressure on lawmakers in other states to enact similar legislation will increase. Lobbying groups for this sort of thing are going to step up their efforts, and public demand is going to rise as well.
Tie all this together and what do you get? First, the cultural shift leads to a legal change in a only a few places initially. Then, this leads to a build-up in pressure on other states to legally recognize gay marriage as well. Eventually, the tipping point is reached, and same-sex marriage becomes accepted in short order across many states.
We have reached the tipping point at which the push for same-sex marriage is now insurmountable, and I believe we will soon see legal recognition of same-sex marriage become official in many more states. Do I think that same-sex marriage will become recognized in every state? Perhaps. States like Alabama and Texas will probably hold out for many years yet. But I would not be surprised to see same-sex marriage become legally recognized in a majority of states by 2020.
Filed Under: Opinion, Uncategorized


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Home / Business / New Angel Community to Improve Access to National Deals and Increase Investor Diversity
New Angel Community to Improve Access to National Deals and Increase Investor Diversity
Commune Angels, the first Michigan-based angel community focused on regional and national deal flow and increasing diversity amongst angel investors, has launched. They look to invest in scalable consumer, enterprise, and life science companies led by founders from all backgrounds, identities, and walks of life.
According to the 2017 American Angel Report, only 6% of angel investors in the U.S. were Asian, 2% Hispanic, and 1% Black. Only 22% of angel investors were women. Expanding the pool of angel investors and reach of investment dollars are critical ingredients for startups. According to a study conducted by William Kerr and Josh Lerner of Harvard and Antoinette Schoar of MIT, startups receiving angel investment were 20-25% more likely to survive after four years and 16-19% more likely to have growth to 75 employees.
"One of our goals is to increase awareness of angel investing as an asset class, especially among autonomous investors," said Terrence Reeves, co-founder of Commune Angels. "We know there are a large number of accredited investors who are unaware of the portfolio diversity and benefits that angel groups offer. We're tackling the important task of introducing investors to a broader range of companies that will transform the world we live in and a community of peers that will help them evaluate those companies."
Through continuous learning opportunities for new and experienced investors, Commune Angels aims to deliver better outcomes for investors, portfolio companies and their customers. "Research has confirmed time and again that diverse teams outperform non-diverse teams," said Marlo Rencher, co-founder of Commune Angels, citing a research study out of McKinsey & Company. "We know that D&I is a competitive advantage in business and believe investors should leverage D&I when investing and adding value to early stage companies. Diversity is both a good strategy for making investment decisions and when seeking higher financial returns."
"We are a community of investors united by our common interest in high-growth ventures and strengthened by our diverse experiences," said Jeff Ponders II, co-founder of Commune Angels. "Membership is open to individuals and organizations that want to support the next generation of radical innovators. We offer unique access to nationwide deal flow, hands-on participation in the angel investment process, and an exciting opportunity to build a more inclusive angel community."
The group fosters unique partnerships to enhance the entrepreneurial ecosystem, open access to nationwide deal flow, and increase exposure to angel investing. At launch, Commune Angels has deal flow partners such as Lightship Capital, Invest Detroit Ventures, IrishAngels, Angeles Investors, the Michigan Angel Community, and Black Angels Miami. Commune Angels will facilitate continuing learning opportunities in partnership with TechTown Detroit, Ann Arbor SPARK, and the Angel Capital Association.
Commune Angels is founded by an experienced team with deep expertise in entrepreneurship, investing, and venture capital. With a focus on deal flow and relevant industry experience, the founding team consists of Dr. Dawn Batts, Detroit-based business and investment executive; Terrence J.L. Reeves, partner and venture capital attorney at Frost Brown Todd; Jeff Ponders II, marketing executive and serial entrepreneur; Dr. Marlo Rencher, director of technology-based programs at TechTown Detroit; and Darren R. Riley, manager of entrepreneur selection and growth at Endeavor Detroit. Commune Angels has assembled an advisor team of angel and venture capital professionals from around the country.
Commune Angels will welcome the organization's charter members at an inaugural meeting on September 15, 2020. Prospective members should visit communeangels.com to learn more.
As appeared first in the Michigan Chronicle
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| Gear | October 20
Presented by THE LIST
Dubai e-commerce site The List offers fashion 'IPO' everyone can buy into
AI-powered "initial product offering" provides access to coveted, hard-to-obtain items without VIP status.
A Dubai-based e-commerce platform has launched an IPO—one that promises great designer dividends.
The List, which specializes in delivering high-demand and rare products to over 190 countries, says its artificial-intelligence-powered "initial product offering" will dynamically price luxury and hard-to-obtain products in accordance to supply and demand—similar to how stock exchanges work.
Curated products are listed each morning at 9:30am New York time—the exact hour the city's stock exchange opens. The prices listed—for items from brands like Adidas, Audemars Piguet, Chanel, Hermès, and Louis Vuitton—start at the recommended retail price, but move up and down according to market forces. An in-house-built artificial intelligence algorithm takes into account consumer behavior, such as expressed interest and actual purchases, to determine the real-time selling price—and thus reflects its true market price.
Like on the stock market, an "IPO" on The List's mobile app has an opening and a closing date and can only be purchased during this time period. The products offered are typically high-demand, hard-to-get items made available without VIP status or waitlist.
"By dropping unique products in small quantities, at a specific time and market price, which is the purest form of supply and demand, the IPO model is an antidote to the excess inventory, discount battles and similar assortments most retailers are currently struggling with," says Andreas Skorski, founder and chief executive of The List.
"Besides access to new, exclusive, highly coveted products without restrictions, consumers are also presented with entertaining, exciting shopping events that provide newness, celebrate product launches and thus restore the notion of preciousness and value."
The List gets its products via a global supplier network of retailers, brands, and individual sources that are scouted and acquired by an in-house team. The IPO model offers potential dividends to these partners—by releasing products directly to the consumer, maximizing margins via a dynamic pricing algorithm, and gaining consumer insights to support better buying and marketing decisions.
The service launches amid a boom in online shopping in the Middle East and North Africa, partly driven by the Covid-19 pandemic. An estimated 92 percent of consumers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia have changed their shopping habits, as they increasingly buy everything from fashion to food online.
The List was founded in 2016, after Skorski realized that certain brands and products were either not available in the Middle East, or were selling for inflated prices. It aims to plug a gap in the market, given that many of the world's boutiques and brands aren't able to set up e-commerce operations globally, due to logistics and marketing constraints.
The company said last month it had received a strategic investment from the ventures arm of Dubai-based Nervora, which also publishes Vogue Arabia and WIRED Middle East.
Learn more about The List and download on the Apple App Store or visit gothelist.com.
by Wired
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