Science Challenge 11 Funding a Breakthrough For Urban NZ

Science Challenge 11 Funding a Breakthrough For Predominantly-Urban New Zealand

The Government’s announcement of funding for Science Challenge 11 is welcome recognition that New Zealand is now predominantly an urban country, says the New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities.

“With 87% of New Zealanders living in cities, we need to think about the important scientific questions this raises”, says Professor Philippa Howden-Chapman, Director of the multi-disciplinary New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities which links all universities in New Zealand, NIWA and a number of research institutes.

The announcement on the Science Challenge Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities was made by Hon. Dr Nick Smith at the Building a Better New Zealand conference last week.

“Ensuring that we build sustainable, healthy and safe houses in towns and cities that integrate land-use and transport patterns to facilitate resilience is indeed a critical science challenge,” Professor Howden-Chapman says.

“The significant long-term funding for this important and innovative science challenge, which was high in the public’s ranking, is a real breakthrough.”

The New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities is funded by MBIE for a four-year Resilient Urban Futures and is linked to Health Research Council-funded He Kainga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme.

ENDS

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