Complex-to-decarbonise homes: a systems perspective

As the government publishes DG Cities’ research report with UCL, ‘Defining and identifying complex-to-decarbonise homes’, Head of Research, Ed Houghton explains the importance of a definition in addressing the multifaceted challenge of decarbonisation - and the value of an index rather than binary approach to understanding this complexity.

The UK is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. According to the UK Climate Change Committee, over a third (37%) of Britain’s annual greenhouse gas emissions come from building energy and heat. If the goal is to be achieved, housing, and in particular social housing, must be decarbonised.

However, decarbonising such diverse social housing stock is no easy feat. The UK has some of the oldest and least energy efficient housing in Europe. Across the social housing sector, many tenants suffer from poor insulation and inefficient heating systems. Some are prone to draughts and damp, creating uncomfortable and unhealthy living conditions. Many aging social housing blocks are expensive to heat and contribute significantly to carbon emissions.

Social housing providers, such as local authorities and housing associations, face many challenges to decarbonising stock, and understanding which barriers to tackle and when requires consideration and planning. UK social housing is hugely diverse – and the approaches required must fit the needs of the property, whether that’s a post-war tower block in a London housing estate, or a listed Georgian terrace of converted flats – understanding the attributes and characteristics of the property and its context is key.

Complex-to-decarbonise homes: the value of applying a systems lens

The diversity and technical complexity of housing in this country means that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to decarbonisation, particularly where there are numerous barriers compounding issues. Instead, those looking to retrofit and decarbonise heating should seek to understand the barriers and opportunities with a property to design a solution.

This is where a better understanding of the concept of ‘complex-to-decarbonise’ (CTD) can help. CTD refers to “homes with either one, or a combination of, certain physical, locational, occupant demographic, or behavioural attributes that prevent the effective decarbonisation of that home until they are addressed. These attributes might constrain the design and delivery of measures to improve energy efficiency, decarbonise heating, or realise occupant benefits (e.g. increased comfort and affordability of heat and energy).”

By defining the specific attributes and factors that describe the property, it is easier to understand the best way forward – and for the most challenging properties, this can be hugely beneficial. Take, for example, a CTD block of flats built in the 1960s with electric heating and cavity walls, as described in our case study for our DESNZ study. These properties were challenging to fit external cladding, requiring skilled teams to abseil and install insulation – what’s more, the variability of cavity insulation across the property created a real challenge. This property required detailed consideration, which made it particularly complex when it came to standard decarbonisation.

The definition of CTD can be applied to any situation in which a property is to be retrofitted and its heat source made more carbon efficient. Essentially, rather than binary, our work positions CTD as an index. The value of this approach is that it provides a spectrum on which any property can sit – some being less complex to decarbonise (e.g. requiring simple insulation retrofit) while others require improvements in multiple ways. The method also means that the user can weight the attributes according to their perceived importance – for example, weighting a social factor, such as vulnerable occupants, highly to make sure this factor is taken into account in the retrofit selection and delivery, rather than looking at the fabric of the building in isolation.

A step towards greater impact

Decarbonising the UK's housing stock is a huge challenge, but it is critical to meet our environmental aims. It will require a collective effort from the government, industry, and homeowners, and a focus on tackling those most complex in the CTD scale.

We believe this new approach can radically shift decarbonisation towards a more holistic appreciation of the system in which these activities happen. By understanding the socio-economic and environmental factors, we believe that more sustainable and higher impact approaches can be brought to the market, and utilised to create healthier, more sustainable and liveable conditions, particularly for social housing tenants.

Summary report

Understanding the value of a CTD index for local authorities

Read more about our work on retrofit and download the full DESNZ report here. 

2023 in one word

To gather the team’s thoughts for an end of year piece for DG Cities, I asked everyone to sum up their year in one word. A few were positive: “journey”, “rewarding”, “mixed methods” (that’s two) or the more euphemistic “eventful.” For others, “trying”, “u-turns”, “backwards”, “messy” and “reckless.”

For a purpose-led organisation engaged in projects conceived to improve people’s lives, places, and help us reach net zero, it’s no surprise there’s frustration – a number of recent policy shifts seem to have turned against these aims. Reading the blog by our Head of Research, Ed Houghton on COP28 last week, it’s hard to miss the growing exasperation with the lack of global leadership when it comes to addressing climate change. As he writes, it is falling to the local, to overstretched councils, to deliver on social housing decarbonisation, green transport, connectivity and so much more.

“2024? A focus on net zero neighbourhoods; emphasis on technology as a part of the solution, but not the whole solution… realistic conversations about the role of AI in local authorities, and more tangible examples of AI improving outcomes and job quality – changing jobs (as opposed to fear of replacement).”

— Ed Houghton

What does the team hope to see in 2024?

Ed’s hopes for “more leadership on net zero action” echoed a wider desire for decisive net zero policy in the team. “More certainty on UK net zero to support more business investment, jobs and training for the sector,” said one. “More certainty surrounding policy that can positively lead us towards net zero,” agreed another. “Generally, more policy focus to meeting net zero and improving local services and places.” “A plan for local authority budgets.” For one, it was simply “change.”

For IoT Project Manager, Sam Grounds, the focus was realising the potential of innovations, with “a greater focus on technology and data-led improvements to social housing, with residents at the centre of change.” For another, “more data and AI infrastructure in local authorities.”

2023 could be seen as the first year of AI’s mass adoption, with the popularity of programmes like Claude and Chat GPT for writing, AI-generated images in the mainstream, a slew of courses being hastily devised and sold in prompting, seminars to understand AI’s impact on different industries… DG Cities has been working in autonomous transport and data-led tech for several years now, but this year is perhaps the first we have been able to apply at scale innovations like IoT cameras, damp, mould and energy monitors in social housing trials. At last, we’re seeing more recognition of the practical role that this previously ‘emerging’ tech can play in delivering practical benefits now: improving housing standards and delivering on decarbonisation. A trend we hope will continue. 

A goodbye (for now) to Kim Smith

But for Kim Smith, our Head of Smart Mobility, when asked what she’d like to see next year: “more of my garden.” Kim retires from DG Cities this week, although like the hero that swoops in to save the day at the end of a Christmas film, we hope it’s more a ‘see you later’ than a true goodbye. Kim has been a leader in transport planning, delivery, policy and strategy for more than two decades. It’s impossible to pay tribute to her contribution and depth of knowledge, particularly when it comes to Greenwich – we’ll miss her insights, expertise and healthy dose of irreverence.

 …but what does the team expect to see in 2024?

We’ve looked at what the team hopes will happen, but what do people think actually will happen in 2024? Here, the responses were more specific to their areas of focus. One predicts more need for the expertise of DG Cities from councils, designing, running and evaluating trials and developing testbeds: “As the climate crisis becomes more urgent, and the private sector makes more and more use of AI, I think there is going to be much greater room for innovation in local authorities.”

Kim predicts a “swerve back to CAM funding” as the sector gains traction with the automated vehicles bill. For our specialist in EV infrastructure, Ash Burton, it’s all about “more creative and innovative solutions to develop and deploy EV charging quickly and effectively.” For others, there were “improvements in and expansion of digital connectivity.”

Predictions for housing were somewhat negative: “continued lack of affordable and good quality housing, increased vocal concern about the housing crisis… and no house building.” And the final response was a little more pessimistic, or realistic perhaps, on the probability of net zero policy change, expecting “nothing until elections.”

Looking ahead

It's fair to say that 2023 hasn’t been without challenges. But it has also had some great moments, particularly in our busy studio in Greenwich’s Design District. We have welcomed three brilliant new members of the team: Emily, Rasheed and Nima. We had a fantastic Digital Greenwich Connect launch at the start of the year. We have delivered a wide range of projects, from a government-funded study into ‘complex to decarbonise’ housing to a trial with Sense to explore how new smart monitors could save people money and energy.

Looking ahead, we’re launching some exciting projects in 2024, continuing our work on a range of initiatives, including DeepSafe, the next phase in the deployment of self-driving services, investigating AI trust, the decarbonisation of council assets and much more. If you’re interested in working with us, you can read more about our services here.

From all of us at DG Cities, thank you for being part of our year, whether you have shared your views with our researchers, collaborated with us on a project, commissioned us or just enjoyed our features and posts. We hope you, like us, will have the chance for some time to rest and reflect over the Christmas break. We’re looking forward to the new year, to coming back with recharged energy, ideas and passion to deliver for the people and places where we believe we can make a difference.

COP28: global decisions depend on local leadership

With another COP drawing to a close, Head of Research and Service Design, Ed Houghton shares his view on the summit ahead of the final wording of any consensus, and highlights the vital work of local government in delivering today on what global leaders can only negotiate as principles for an increasingly unstable future. 

As this year’s controversial COP 28 wraps up, we think its time to stop looking to the top for leadership, and instead recognise and learn from what’s happening at a local level.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP) has become an important part of the annual climate calendar, as world leaders meet to agree how to tackle climate change. The meeting centres on agreements by countries on the targets and approaches to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and building resilience. This year, the conference has been held in Dubai – a petrostate not necessarily known for its climate credentials.

Climate change is a recognised threat to global stability by many scientists worldwide. The evidence for its impact continues to grow – and the picture is bleak. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Sixth Assessment Report from 2021 painted a grim picture of the planet's changing climate, highlighting the urgency of immediate and drastic action. The IPPC urged nations to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the target set in the Paris Agreement, which it described as essential to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.

A leadership vacuum

Unfortunately, ‘leadership’ at this year’s summit has been severely lacking. Just days before COP28 began, leaked documents revealed that the UAE planned to discuss oil and gas deals with several countries throughout the summit, raising suspicions among many that the UAE was using COP as a platform to promote fossil fuel interests.

Then, not long into the gathering, the Guardian published accounts of the COP28 president, Sultan Al Jaber, downplaying the need to phase out fossil fuels. Whilst at a public event, he suggested that there was "no science" to support calls for a fossil fuel phase-out, contradicting the scientific consensus that fossil fuels are a major contributor to climate change. This was less than a year out from hosting the summit.

Closer to home, Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak took the opportunity to highlight the UK’s progress, despite noting that he is rolling back commitments for low carbon heating such as heat pump deployments and retrofit energy efficiency measures. This is despite the UK’s independent Climate Change Committee of leading climate scientists recent outlook from October, stating that the UK is highly likely to miss both the target of reducing greenhouse gases by 68% by 2030, and its long-term ambitions of net-zero by 2050. 

Time for local government to lead the way

In the absence of national level leadership, it falls to local government to try to deliver on net zero, whilst also under extreme pressure to reduce costs and operate efficiently. There are, however, clear indications of local councils across the country delivering net zero innovation. For example, the recent LGA report Key Cities - Emissions Down Levelling Up published in May 2023, took a closer look at the LGA's Key Cities Network in achieving net-zero emissions. The analysis highlighted significant progress in key areas including retrofit and decarbonisation, but noted that more work was needed to meet the ambitious targets set out in the networks net zero plans. The report concluded that with limited resources there is only so far that local government can go.

Our own work has also also highlighted how action is happening across local governments at every scale, including the ‘hyperlocal’ level of neighbourhood decarbonisation. Our case studies for the LGA showed action across areas of technology innovation, retrofit acceleration, and community engagement, for example Redditch Borough Council and the Midlands Net Zero Hub partnered to locate local assets that were eligible for the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, bringing together experts from the hub with council officers to deliver retrofit projects. In Devon, the County Council drew together LAD (the Green Homes Local Authority Delivery scheme, which aims to raise the energy efficiency of low-income and low EPC rated homes) and HUG (home upgrade grant) funding to develop the Sustainable Warmth Fund to promote retrofit to the able to pay market, and provide advice and guidance through local networks and organisations.

Look local to recognise impact

Many local authorities are doing as much as they can with limited funding – and often very much out of view. While the international press focuses on the motives and decisions of global leaders in Dubai this month, local authorities are quietly making do with limited budgets to do as much as they can to tackle net zero. And they’re doing this, not only to achieve their commitments, but also to deliver on their social value purpose to their communities. The local level is where real change is happening.

If you are part of a local authority looking to develop a strategy or accelerate decarbonisation, find out more about our consultancy services.

Welcome, Nima!

We’re excited to introduce a new member of our team, Nima Karshenas. A recent graduate of Imperial College London, Nima brings expertise in engineering and AI – his research has explored how emerging technologies have the potential to improve people’s lives, and how our interactions with AI could even make us happier. He explains a little more about his background for our latest blog.

I’m delighted to have joined the DG Cities team as a graduate consultant. Since graduating this summer with an MEng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, I have been searching for a role that gave me the opportunity to apply my skills and expertise to projects that were striving for a positive social impact, shaping communities towards a more inclusive and sustainable future – this is a quality that is reflected in all the work being conducted at DG Cities.

This is not, in fact, my first engagement with DG Cities: in 2021, I was involved in a two-month collaboration on a digital connectivity initiative in Greenwich as part of my third-year group project. This experience was both enjoyable and insightful, allowing me to explore the integration of emerging technologies and prototype an app for the council to enhance its own connections with residents.

During my four years at Imperial and my year in industry at PlayStation, I took a particular focus on Artificial Intelligence, Statistics, and Signal Processing, with my final year Masters project, for example, looking at developing AI techniques to help improve our collective understanding of happiness. I am coming into this role with fresh and dense technical knowledge, and am eager to use it to contribute to the plethora of ongoing work at DG Cities. 

In my first week, I have already been diving into several different projects, and have welcomed the freedom and responsibility I have been given to offer my insights into the work. I love that the range of projects that I am involved in is broad; this gives me exposure to the multiple facets of technology research, deployment and use within Greenwich, and in cities more generally. This not only allows for a more interesting and diverse workload, but will ultimately allow me to approach new problems from a balanced, holistic viewpoint.

With time, I look forward to getting to know the projects and the team better, and to contribute towards shaping a brighter future for our communities and city. In short, I am thrilled to be part of this journey, and eagerly embrace the opportunities ahead.

Eight years is a long time in smart city world

For our latest piece, Balazs Csuvar, Head of Delivery at DG Cities takes a break from strategising future transport to travel in time. Visiting Barcelona for the Smart City Expo World Congress last week, he takes us back to 2015, to his early experience of the international event, to consider how the sector has evolved – and he’s reassured by the greater integration, collaboration and city-level approaches he finds.

Last week, I was in Barcelona for the Smart City Expo World Congress with a delegation organised by LOTI, the London Office of Technology and Innovation. As the work we do at DG Cities often involves a degree of prediction - looking to the next technology, helping our clients anticipate trends, identify and apply useful solutions - it’s interesting to look back at what was exciting and new then, and how that compares to the current market.

Back in 2015, the year NASA found evidence of flowing water on Mars and the first automated vehicle drove coast to coast across America, the Congress was full of technological possibilities. I was drawn to a range of innovations that had yet to see extensive real-world deployment, such as smart lighting, parking management, IT solutions and car-sharing platforms. The landscape of the smart city was beginning to take shape, but in small pieces.

Fast-forward to 2023 and there’s a clear shift in emphasis. The Smart City Expo World Congress showcased data analysis platforms, success stories from cities and countries, and a growing focus on sustainability and net-zero initiatives. The focus has transitioned from clever but ultimately standalone solutions to greater integration and systems thinking. In 2015, exhibitors were focused on offering specific technologies to address individual challenges: smart lighting and parking solutions were independent of each other, and corporate IT systems operated in silos. The emergence of car-sharing platforms provided convenience, but lacked the connection to other urban initiatives that could have prompted wider adoption.

Exhibitors are now presenting integrated solutions that promote collaboration and interoperability. Data analysis platforms have taken centre stage, demonstrating the growing importance of leveraging information to improve places, as much as leveraging technological advances. Cities and countries are recognising this and sharing successful projects that break away from the trend of isolated technological deployments that I think has held some of the sector back.

Integration matters

It was good to see this shift – no solution exists in a vacuum and the places we live and work are complex and interconnected, from energy and transport networks to broadband fibre. At DG Cities, we have always championed integrated planning, holistic neighbourhood approaches and deep engagement. Success relies on understanding what really happens when an innovation meets real homes and people with diverse needs and perspectives.

This change in emphasis I found at the Expo, this move towards integrated solutions, is a positive development for the sector. It signifies a departure from the piecemeal implementation of technologies, where individual solutions were imposed on cities without a comprehensive strategy. However, as I found with many of the standalone solutions eight years ago which, in most cases, had yet to be applied, the same is true here – the successful implementation and evaluation of holistic projects is yet to follow.

The transition to fully integrated systems that seamlessly communicate with each other requires time and strategic planning. The smart city movement is maturing and AI is rapidly evolving; the next eight years may witness the emergence of groundbreaking examples where systems are not only designed to talk to one another, but are also implemented cohesively. And it’s not only systems that need talk to each other – we need to work collaboratively, across disciplines, between the public and private sector, within our teams, and with the communities we serve. That is one of the benefits of the Expo – the opportunity to discover new ideas, talk to the people behind them, learn from case studies and build human networks.

The smart city has to have social intelligence

This sharing of knowledge is fundamental to the way we operate at DG Cities, where our multidisciplinary team is drawn from a mix of public and private sector backgrounds. It brings together engineers, economists, behavioural scientists, specialists in mobility, transport, planning, connectivity, communications and more. We work in an open, collaborative studio, finding opportunities to share different stages of projects as they evolve; examining what works, what we can improve, how we can achieve wider benefits from an investment or initiative. I think that this way of working is what helps us to develop integrated solutions and guides a more people-centred approach.

What can we expect from the Expo in 2030? Flying taxis and self-propagating street furniture? I hope we’ll see the fruition of some of the ideas that I saw emerging – to have moved significantly further from concept to real-world examples of holistic projects that enhance the quality of places and people’s lives. I’m proud that our work at DG Cities, alongside similar initiatives around the world, is helping to lay the foundations for this smarter, more interconnected and sustainable urban future.

Charging ahead: building resilience into EV infrastructure

For the public to make the shift to electric vehicles, people need to feel confident that the charging infrastructure is there to support them - that it is reliable, widely available and secure. Our EV Infrastructure Specialist, Ash Burton looks at some of the factors that make a resilient network.

Despite recent policy setbacks, the UK is at the midst of the electric vehicle transition, with an ever increasing number of electric cars hitting the roads. As this shift gains momentum, one critical aspect is the need for resilience in deploying electric vehicle charging infrastructure across our cities. Incorporating resilience is vital to the success of EV adoption in the UK.

The UK's electric vehicle transition

The transition to electric vehicles promises cleaner air and reduced carbon emissions. The UK government, in alignment with its net-zero emissions commitment by 2050, is promoting the widespread adoption of EVs. However, the recent delay to the ban on new diesel and petrol sales until 2035 has been somewhat disheartening for many, but it is essential that we continue to accelerate the pace of the transition in the years ahead. To support this, an extensive and resilient EV charging network is vital. 

Resilience matters

Resilience, in the context of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, refers to the network’s ability to support users and be consistently dependable. Here are some reasons why resilience is important and how we can apply it:

• Grid capacity: EV charging relies heavily on the power grid. Ensuring that charging stations can operate smartly, or with backup battery power for faster charge points, is vital to maintain charging resilience, especially during peak demand periods. Smart charging is a method of intelligently managing EV charging so it doesn’t overload or destabilise the grid. Smart charging allows network operators to optimise energy flow into EVs. Therefore, they can regulate energy intake according to peaks and lows in energy demand. This means they can provide more reliable services to their customers. To better understand perceptions of smart EV charging, the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) asked DG Cities to conduct a national survey. The study explored how consumers understand electric vehicle smart charging, and also helped provide a useful baseline for new regulations designed to support improvements in the smart charge point market. You can read more about the study here: https://www.dgcities.com/blog/smartcharging

• Cybersecurity: With EV charging becoming more digitally connected, the risk of cyberattacks increases. Resilient systems need robust cybersecurity measures to protect against data breaches and service disruptions. Charge point providers should ensure they are protecting infrastructure with appropriate security measures, whilst conducting regular security audits to ensure that components are secure and up-to-date. ETSI EN 303 645 outlines specification on Cyber Security for a list of applications that includes EV charging points.

• Accessibility and inclusivity: Resilience also means ensuring that EV charging infrastructure is accessible to all residents, including those with disabilities. BSI and Motability are doing some really great work surrounding this and have published an open-access standard for accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging. Inclusivity is essential for equitable EV adoption.

• Equitability: Charging infrastructure should also be deployed equitably, including in what might be deemed as less commercially attractive areas. This is extremely important in providing resilience, as it allows everyone to access charging in similar ways, not creating critical points with unexpected levels of demand. Councils can use their influence to spread EV charge points equitably across their areas.

• Future-proofing: Technology is constantly evolving, especially in the EV infrastructure space. Resilient systems should be scalable and designed to accommodate new technologies and increased demand. When EVCPs are deployed, one must understand how a full portfolio will be managed. A resilient separation of software and hardware layers is key, limiting the number of hardware replacement required whilst still ensuring that the system can be up-to-date and effectively operating over a long period. EVCP infrastructure is set up for 10-15 years, a period during which a lot of change is expected within the market.

• Diverse network: Having multiple charging providers in one city helps to ensure resilience, as if one network is temporarily unavailable, there would always be other charge points available. Unforeseen issues always occur, often at no fault of a provider. Recently, a charge point provider temporarily suffered a UK-wide network outage which unfortunately left customers unable to charge their vehicles using local on-street chargers. This is why it’s important to have a diverse network of charging infrastructure, and why we recommend local authorities procure more than one charging provider, to ensure that residents are never left in a tricky situation. 

‘Networks are bound to fail sometimes – and it’s ok. However, it emphasises the need for local authorities to build resilience into the deployment of infrastructure. This is why we recommend that local authorities encourage multiple providers to deploy infrastructure across an area to avoid a borough-wide blackout, and we are working on a simple way to do this.’

Ash Burton, EV Infrastructure Specialist at DG Cities.

As the UK charges forward with the electric vehicle transition, building resilience into EV charging infrastructure is vital. This ensures that EV charging services remain reliable, accessible, and secure, even in the face of unexpected challenges. By incorporating this approach into the deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, cities across the UK can pave the way for a greener, more sustainable, and resilient future.

Get in touch if you would like to hear more from one of our specialists about how we are helping to build resilience into public charging networks through our strategic planning and consultancy services.

Trial blazers: widening participation in tech pilots

For our latest blog, IoT Project Manager, Sam Grounds is taking a look at the importance of trials and pilots when it comes to ensuring the effectiveness and safety of tech-driven solutions, particularly in the context of social housing. He addresses the greatest obstacle in the execution of IoT trials: effective recruitment, in particular among older adults. We need a thoughtful, personalised approach to recruiting all age groups for trials, if we are to unlock the full potential of IoT technology to improve people’s lives and address broader issues, like energy efficiency and housing standards.

IoT covers a broad spectrum of technological solutions to a wide range of problems, from tackling Bovine Respiratory Disease to scheduling jet repairs at airports across the world. But IoT also serves a less glamourous purpose, enabling access to innovation for individuals to solve problems that are smaller in size on an individual level, but put together, form some of the biggest challenges to the planet and people.

Take, for example, damp and mould across housing stock, or electricity usage of individual appliances in homes. Individually, these are small-scale interventions, but when implemented across a population, these interventions tackle big issues like fuel poverty, energy efficiency, and balancing the demand on energy systems.

As the world becomes increasingly dependent on tech-driven solutions, tech trials and studies are essential to ensure the efficiency and safety of these innovations. Much of DG Cities’ recent work in these spaces has revolved around running trials of this small scale IoT technology with tenants in social housing.

A colleague told me recently that “a project is at its most perfect during the planning phase.”

The planning phase is considered to be the purest phase of a project’s lifecycle, as during this phase the project exists purely in the realm of concepts, ideas and strategies, where outcomes and deliverables are dreamed up and the benefits to participants are never-ending. The planning phase exists before the complexities and challenges of execution start to shape the project, which got me thinking about the barriers I’ve experienced in conducting such trials. One stuck out considerably more than the rest – recruitment.

While the potential benefits delivered to residents are broad, appropriate and effective recruitment proves to be a major barrier to achieving these benefits across a whole group of participants. Returning to the previous quote, a lack of effective recruitment can prevent you from delivering all the benefits that you dreamt up in the planning phase.

One significant challenge researchers and tech companies often face is recruiting older adults into these trials. In my experience, there are thee major barriers to effectively recruiting older adults:

1. Technological Intimidation

2. Perceived Irrelevance

3. Mistrust of Technology

Technological intimidation is a primary barrier to recruiting older adults into tech trials, where many older adults grew up in an era without smartphones and IoT, the idea of agreeing to install such technology in their homes can be intimidating. During many of my conversations with residents, I hear variations on the following; “how do I know if my phone is smart?”, “my daughter is the only one with access to my emails”, “what’s an Android?” - highlighting a clear digital divide between younger and older participants. According to analysis of data by AgeUK (2021), 79% of over-75s cited a lack of IT skills as the major barrier to getting online more.

So what is the solution here? In one of my previous blogs, I discussed the idea of categorising participants according to their level of confidence in using new tech, ranging from tech-savvy to indifferent. These categorisations enable you to design bespoke engagement plans for participants according to their tech personality. For those that are experiencing tech intimidation this might include comprehensive tech training and support, as well as offering user-friendly interfaces and clear instructions during trials. I’ve also found that support delivered over the phone is not always appropriate. Users experiencing intimidation and a lack of digital skills benefit more from in-person demonstrations where they can see first-hand how easy it can be to use apps effectively, and generates greater levels of both interest and confidence.

Perceived irrelevance is another barrier to effectively recruiting older adults into tech trials. There is a disconnect between what new tech can deliver, be it better conditions in homes, higher energy efficiency or money savings, and people’s understandings of how tech can deliver these things. To help try and solve this, it is important to map benefits in the planning phase, and create an engagement plan centred around this.

It’s crucial to strike a balance between highlighting the possible benefits and promising too much. There is nothing worse than promising the world and not delivering. Try to understand who your target demographic are and identify the differences among them, then align your engagement efforts with those interests. For example, if your product has lots of bells and whistles, get your tech-savvy participants excited about them, if your product has an easy to use interface, include that in your messaging to your less digitally confident residents.

To find out how the DG Cities team designs, delivers and evaluates tech trials, and supports synergies between industry and local government, get in touch.

References:

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-press/articles/2021/nearly-two-million-over-75s-in-england-are-still-digitally-excluded--in-a-covid-19-world/

Latest Government steer on self-driving vehicles

This month, the Government published evidence on issues around the potential deployment of self-driving services in the UK. Our Head of Research and Service Design, Ed Houghton, who presented to the Transport Select Committee in March looks at how far we have come in terms of public attitudes – and where we are going next with the DeepSafe consortium.

Self-driving technology has the potential to radically change how we move around our towns and cities. It shows so much potential that the UK Government considers deployments possible by 2025. In August 2022, it stated that it intends to move forward with defining a regulatory, legislative and safety framework to make deployment a reality. Industry is waiting for these developments to enable rapid commercialisation, and as Government looks to define its place on the global stage as an AI safety superpower, it stands to reason those self-driving services – based on AI – should for the basis of this next leap forward.

When we have worked with industry on the development of safe self-driving services, we have seen how UK companies see the potential value of the technology to our neighbourhoods. Our work has always focused on bringing in under-represented public voices into the discussion about the future of our transport system – and our work with industry leaders such as Oxa and DRISK have enabled us to explore, in detail, the opportunities and challenges the public sees when they consider self-driving tech. This has given us a deep understanding of where we think development should move next.

“Societally, we place driving licences, gaining the freedom of driving, as almost a part of our identity... The vehicle becomes part of how we gain freedom. The challenge that industry faces is that you have to disconnect the vehicle, the object, from somebody’s identity.”

— Ed Houghton

One key issue we pick up on is the view that technology-based solutions are too often built without broad engagement. As researchers we know that without effective engagement with diverse audiences, new technology solutions can be severely limited in their utility to the end user. For something as potentially transformational as self-driving technology, we think the risks are too high to deliver technologies to market technologies that have not been extensively validated with the public.

That’s why, when the UK Parliament Transport Select Committee sought evidence on the evolution of safe self-driving services, we were keen to share our insights from our public engagement work. The Committee’s report, recently published, highlights the outcomes of their inquiry, and rightly showcases the challenges and opportunities facing the development of commercial services.

Our research during trials, which have included live public engagement, have shown overwhelmingly that the public considers safety a key priority, but many still lack knowledge of the reality self-driving technology, and what it might mean in practice, on the road:

• 26.8% would feel confident using an AV tomorrow if it were possible to do so. Over half would not (55.1%). The remainder are undecided (18.1%).

• 3 in 10 (29.9%) believe that self-driving vehicles will be safer than traditional vehicles, whilst 44.2% disagree. A quarter (25.9%) are undecided.

But our study showed that demonstrations can make a big difference in reassuring and shifting public opinion.

• Live trials improved perceptions of safety by 15 percentage points: before the trial, 68.3% agreed that AVs would be safer than human driven vehicles, whilst after the trial 83.6% agreed, an improvement of 15 points.

• Trust in self-driving vehicles is low, but a large minority is yet to be persuaded: findings from our national survey show almost a third (32.5%) think self-driving vehicles will be trustworthy, whilst two in five (43.8%) do not. Almost a quarter (23.6%) are undecided.

It’s important that safety and demonstrating trust are key outcomes for future services. If industry is to drive adoption and acceptance, designers must prioritise these factors in their practice. How we can do that en-masse with the wider self-driving ecosystem? That is the topic of our new study with the DeepSafe consortium, which kicked off recently.

Through DeepSafe, we are working with experts at drisk.ai, Claytex, RF Pro, and Imperial College London to test and validate AI responses to hard-to-predict edge case scenarios, and using these to demonstrate the potential of the technology to the public. We believe this process will not only prompt engagement and discussion on the value and potential of the technology, but also surface insights that can help self-driving AI developers ensure the technology they’re developing is human-centred.

We think this will go some way to supporting some of the findings from the UK Parliament Transport Select Committee, as they rightly called for a focus on safety as a priority from government. As the report highlights, “Safety must remain the Government’s overriding priority as self-driving vehicles encounter real-world complexity.” Understanding this complexity, and engaging the public in validating self-driving AI responses to it, is exactly what the deep safe project is looking to do.   

No average thinking: bringing different perspectives into the development of self-driving vehicles

Last week, the DG Cities team was at Cenex, the annual gathering for those working in the CAM (Connected Automated Mobility) industry. For our Behavioural Scientist, Emily King, this year was her first time at the event – we asked her to write a little bit about her impressions of the self-driving vehicle sector, and how it relates to our latest project, DeepSafe…

Last week, I attended the annual Cenex-LCV conference, a two-day event hosted at the Millbrook testing ground near Milton Keynes and attended by a wide range of organisations driving forward innovation in transport, from electric vehicles to automated mobility. There was plenty to engage with, from virtual reality simulations and driving games to vehicle test-drives, and a range of talks on offer from key stakeholders in the sector.

As DG Cities, along with a consortium of partners, embarks on the DeepSafe project, which aims to increase the safety of connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs), my main aim for the event was to learn more about current issues in CAVs safety and public engagement.

An important component of ensuring CAVs are as safe as they can be is encouraging diversity in the perspectives that are considered when developing them. Cenex was a microcosm of the autonomous vehicles world, and the largely white, middle class, male attendees indicated that the sector may be limiting itself in its thinking about safety through a lack of diversity.

Safety in the automotive sector has historically centred on the needs of “the average man”. For example, until 2015, safety tests such as the seatbelt test were performed on 50th-percentile male crash test dummies, leaving dangerous data gaps on the impact of crashes on those with female anatomy. Further, findings from a 2021 study that analysed ten years of personal injury collision data from Great Britain show that pedestrians of non-white ethnicity and individuals living in deprived areas are more likely to be injured in a collision on the roads.

So, the crucial question is: how can the CAV sector prevent similar biases in safety processes for autonomous vehicles? The answer seems to lie in involving a wide range of potential users throughout the development of these vehicles.

There are different needs and experiences to be considered for different groups of transport users. Existing research suggests that safety perceptions can differ based on factors such as gender, for example – recent CCAV trials demonstrated that women tended to have higher ‘focus’ and ‘stress’ levels initially when trialling self-driving vehicles compared to men.

It is particularly important to consider the needs of those expected to benefit most from CAV technologies, for example people with reduced mobility who may currently have limited transport options available to them, as well as those from marginalised groups who are regularly overlooked in service design and who currently face significant barriers accessing transit.

As well as seeking diversity in user perspectives, it’s also vital to encourage a more diverse workforce in the sector – this is crucial amongst those making key decisions on the future of CAVs. Women are currently under-represented within the automotive sector, at all levels (Automotive Council UK, 2022), as well as more widely in the STEM industries (Engineering UK, 2022). Showcasing a diverse set of applications for careers in the CAV sector, including their relevance to topics like climate change, a more equitable society, and safety could be crucial in inspiring those from outside the sector to explore this as a career option.

As the CAV industry undergoes significant transformation, ensuring safety for all requires us to welcome a broader range of perspectives. By involving a more diverse group of users and professionals, we can create a safer and more inclusive future for autonomous vehicles.

Global warming, local action: best practice in neighbourhood decarbonisation

Tackling the causes of climate change requires decisive action and political leadership at a global scale, but it also relies on collective change by individuals, supported by local initiatives. Last year, DG Cities worked on a project with the Local Government Association to understand the range of neighbourhood approaches to decarbonisation. Head of Research and Service Design, Ed Houghton revisits some of the case studies.

Three-quarters of the way through 2023, its clear that this has been a record-breaking year for the climate, for all the wrong reasons. July was the hottest month on record: temperatures in China hit a high of 52.2 °C, while in the US, the city of Phoenix experienced an astonishing 31 days of temperatures at or above 43.3°C, smashing the 18-day record set in 1974. In the southern hemisphere, where winter replenishes vital Antarctic Sea ice, this June saw ice cover 4.5 million square miles of ocean around the continent, nearly a million square miles less than the average from over 40 years of observations. In Greece, Canada and China, some of the worst wildfires in living memory have ravaged communities, displacing people and damaging local diversity and wildlife.

While the UK escaped record-breaking heat, this June was still the hottest in the country since records began. And in the UK, like much of the globe, climate change isn’t only increasing the likelihood of extreme heat events – this July was also one of the wettest on record. The unpredictability of weather and climate is set to continue. Its is therefore critical that we not only limit harmful emissions, but also start to build resilience in our infrastructure and communities to adapt to our changing climate.

How does this start at a local level?

Adapting to tackle climate change, and supporting communities in learning and developing new approaches, is one strategy to mitigate its future impacts. Towards the end of last year, DG Cities worked with the Local Government Association (LGA) to undertake a deep dive into local decarbonisation strategies to understand how approaches are being designed and delivered across key themes. These included housing and energy decarbonisation, transport, and service delivery. We wanted to understand some of the best practices of leaders in the field, as well as to draw out some key lessons to help ensure others across the network can build and develop their own successful projects in the future.

We cast our net wide to explore approaches from across the UK, looking at rural and urban communities, making sure we drew from a range of projects that reflect the diversity of approaches and challenges local authorities are experiencing. The studies captured examples of real projects delivering tangible change, and we think, reflect a real richness of insights that help to showcase some of the work underway to tackle climate change.

One important strand of our work at DG Cities is neighbourhood decarbonisation: bringing together an understanding of a council’s assets with the social value proposition of retrofit, and aligning the different steps needed to improve an area. The team has been reflecting on examples from our LGA project that really stood out, and there are a couple that we think demonstrate how action in this area is delivering tangible differences to communities.

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“As with many projects, initially uptake was slow from private properties. So Leeds prioritised retrofitting the 40 council houses to show the improvement and to start conversations. This created a snowball effect, whereby private landlords and homeowners began to want the works too. ”

— Leeds City Council, case study

Leeds City Council: the Neighbourhood Retrofit Programme

One major challenge for local authorities is how to retrofit social housing to meet the target of EPC C minimum, and to do this in a systematic and evidence-based way. The team at Leeds City Council developed a Priority Neighbourhoods approach, in which they drew on a set of key performance indicators to help identify where retrofit interventions should be targeted. But it wasn’t only at the identification stage where this played out – the team also directed their resources to transform communities through focused action, channelling funding, such as ECO and regional funding, to create a big impact over a short period. By doing so, the team was able to reduce the costs of regeneration work, and create campaigns in local areas to build buy-in and demonstrate impact.

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Hampshire County Council: the Greening Campaign

Community engagement and support was a common theme across the case studies we developed. Those we spoke with reflected on the value that community participation brings to the design and delivery of projects – and to helping to ensure success. One example of this was the Hampshire County Council programme, delivered in partnership with the Greening Campaign. Through targeted support, intervention design with community members, and simple, repeatable activities, the group leveraged community interest to deliver projects that tackled real issues for local residents. These included improving recycling rates, supporting local wildlife and highlighting the value of home retrofit to homeowners. Through this work, Hampshire County Council has been able to trial new approaches to building community participation through behaviour change programmes – it is now at the stage of seeking further funding to grow these activities and create lasting impact.

It will take real leadership, innovation, and collaboration to navigate the universal challenges of climate change, however they present locally. But through our research, it was encouraging to reflect that all of this and more is already happening in local authorities, that at a community level, things are already changing across the UK.  

Read more of the case studies here.

With changes in tech, policy and procurement, the challenge of parking keeps moving

For our latest piece, we’re looking at the issue of parking – its planning, integration, associated technologies and new LGIU research into how it is managed and the services procured by different local authorities. Next year, the government is due to roll out the National Parking Platform, which will change the way councils deliver parking. We look at some of the issues, and the role of technology and behaviour change programmes in ensuring its success.

The 2.4 by 4.8 metre grid of the standard parking space is a contentious piece of land. Increasingly, many people are questioning why a large proportion of our towns and cities should be dominated by the storage of private cars. An alternative lobby is demanding more convenience for drivers and larger parking spaces to reflect the growing size of vehicles. Parking factors in a range of policies, from net zero, health and road safety to transport, EV charging and regeneration – and councils have the difficult job of adjudicating on these demands and planning for residents’ future needs. 

Recent research by the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) gave some useful insights into the different approaches adopted by local authorities when it comes to the management of parking services, with each area’s parking strategy (or absence of) as unique as the region they cover. A number of councils have introduced progressive models to help deliver on wider environmental targets, including emissions-based charging – the Royal Borough of Greenwich introduced this policy for its on-street permits in July. Other councils struggle to balance competing demands of attracting visitors to declining high streets while reducing congestion and anti-social parking, and promoting active and sustainable travel. 

The main conclusion from LGIU’s report, however, is a shared lack of awareness within councils of the potential impact of changes in the sector, in particular the National Parking Platform (NPP), which the government is due to roll out nationally next year. This will open up the market for phone parking payment providers, allowing them to effectively ‘plug in’ to each area, thus creating greater integration in systems across the UK and, it is hoped, a better experience for users. And as services evolve, the car parking payment systems could harness the potential of data to deliver more, from local information to other council services. 

Parking and emerging tech

When it comes to technology and transport, the adage is true – the only constant is change. In 2021, DG Cities’ Head of Smart Mobility, Kim Smith wrote a piece on the evolution of the car park, which looked at some of the forces driving change: the trend from car ownership to usership, the shift to electric vehicles and the growing popularity of the idea of mobility as a service.

Bold Tendencies, Peckham; a multi-storey car park repurposed as a venue for arts, a bar, workspace and events

In her piece, Kim looked at some of the proposals to repurpose multi-storey car parks for new uses, from skateparks to small business hubs, and highlighted the challenge of planning for changing technologies, transport choices and demographic needs. As she wrote: “While car-free – zero or minimal car parking spaces – may not be appropriate in year one, when a development is completed, in say, 15 years’ time, private vehicle ownership may be an obsolete concept.” This long-range, flexible approach to transport planning was the basis for our Mobility Assessment Framework, a tool we developed for local authorities and private developers to anticipate and plan for trends in mobility; a way to account for new services that have yet to become a reality on our streets. 

Planning for parking as part of a wider mobility strategy

We bring the principles of this framework to our own projects. Parking intersects with a number of areas of DG Cities’ work, from strategic planning, anticipating and integrating emerging tech, to consumer engagement and evaluation. Some of our recent projects in Greenwich have involved the development of  mobility hubs, both on the Council’s estates and for the private sector. These combine parking, EV charging, and micro-mobility solutions, such as bikes and e-scooters. The purpose of these is to encourage low-carbon travel alternatives, and in terms of space, to do ‘more with less.’

Our national projects have included strategies for the provision of electric vehicle charging, particularly in rural areas, where space can also be hard to find. Here, we have looked creatively at the puzzle of car storage and electrification, and we have worked with partners to map where the infrastructure can best support demand. These projects have been based on a clear understanding of needs, and collaboration with residents, businesses and councils to propose solutions that will be effective in the long-term. 

How do we help?

“... we are an innovation partner for councils that don’t have the resources or expertise in-house to make the most of new technologies or services that could benefit their residents”

— Kim Smith, Head of Smart Mobility

In essence, we are an innovation partner for councils that don’t have the resources or expertise in-house to make the most of new technologies or services that could benefit their residents and businesses, whether that’s in parking or energy reduction in the home. Our understanding of different areas of tech, and our behavioural science expertise, help us identify and map the steps needed to bring the public on board with any new innovation.

As Kim explains, “We have a lot of experience of trials when it comes to different technologies. We know what the technology is there to do, but human behaviour can be harder to predict. With our clients, we can be frank about which pilots worked, why that was the case, what happened when tech met people, and what they can learn from that to improve their areas and increase the chances of success.” 

If you would like to find out more about our work with local authorities, get in touch.

Welcome Rasheed, our Net Zero Specialist!

As is becoming a DG Cities’ tradition, when a new member of the team joins, we invite them to say hello on our blog and talk a little bit about their background and experience. We’re delighted to welcome our new Net Zero Specialist, Rasheed Sokunbi, who has already been getting stuck into a major decarbonisation project here in Greenwich.

I’m excited to have recently joined the team at DG Cities as a Net Zero Specialist – and to be part of a company that’s doing important work to help organisations and communities address some of the urgent environmental, social and economic challenges we face.

So far, I am enjoying the variety of the new role – it allows me to work on a range of different projects, all of which impact the residents in my local borough of Greenwich and help to make it a better place to live and work. My background in sales is already proving useful, as it helps me interact and build a rapport with people from all backgrounds. It’s important that the residents that take part in an energy trial, for example, understand and feel confident in the process – and a key part of our role is talking to them, helping them make the most of the benefits from a new technology or innovation.

My first role was working for one of UK’s largest housing associations as an energy advisor. This is where I gained exposure to district and communal heating systems, which is an area DG Cities has been working in with commercial partners. I then moved on to a sustainable energy consulting firm, where I managed several retrofit meter exchange projects and advised clients on measures to improve energy efficiency and save on costs. I’m currently working with the DG Cities team on a decarbonisation strategy with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, designed to help the council meet net zero targets by 2030.

Within a few weeks of joining, I was lucky to be able to attend an event run by the Social Housing Retrofit Accelerator (SHRA), where I learned about more of the issues around retrofit and some of the steps a council or housing association should take. At the event, I had the opportunity to meet and talk to a range of people within the industry and from local authorities and councils to understand some of the day-to-day challenges. It was inspiring to see so many people working together to make a positive impact on the environment.  

I’m looking forward to seeing these projects evolve and the opportunity to continue making a positive impact in my community. It’s good to be able to bring my own unique skills and background to the DG Cities team, where there is so much collective knowledge and experience across sectors and disciplines. Most of all, I look forward to working with all my colleagues, who are passionate about a shared goal – a more sustainable future.