C-Change

Glossary

Action project: Definition of an Interreg IVB project, which generally does not involve capital expenditure, as distinct from an Investment project.

Brownfield land: Land that has previously been used by industry, commerce or housing and is suitable to re-use for similar or different purposes.

Carbon Dioxide: A naturally occurring colorless, odorless, incombustible gas, also a by-product of burning fossil fuels and biomass, as well as land-use changes and other industrial processes. It is the principal anthropogenic greenhouse gas that affects the earth’s radiative balance. CO2 is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. It is often referred to by its formula CO2. It is present in the Earth's atmosphere at a low concentration and acts as a greenhouse gas. In its solid state, it is called dry ice. It is a major component of the carbon cycle. As of March 2006 CO2 levels now stand at 381 parts per million (ppm) — 100ppm above the pre-industrial average.

City regions: Enlarged territories beyond single administrative boundaries from which core urban areas draw people for work, provide them with services, and drive economic growth.

Climate Change: Climate Change refers to any significant change in measures of climate (such as temperature, precipitation, or wind) lasting for an extended period (decades or longer). Climate change may result from:
* natural factors, such as changes in the sun's intensity or slow changes in the Earth's orbit around the sun;
* natural processes within the climate system (e.g. changes in ocean circulation);
* human activities that change the atmosphere's composition (e.g. through burning fossil fuels) and the land surface (e.g. deforestation, reforestation, urbanization, desertification, etc.)

Community: People who may be affiliated through shared interests, situation or geographical proximity.

Community/citizen engagement: A two way process between institutions and people involving the sharing of information and ideas, where people are able to influence decisions and take part in the implementation of those decisions.

Global warming: An increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth's surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute to changes in global climate patterns. Global warming can occur from a variety of causes, both natural and human induced. In common usage, "global warming" often refers to the warming that can occur as a result of increased emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities.

Green belt: A defined area of open land, usually separating urban from rural areas, where development is heavily restricted retaining it in a natural state or for agricultural use, in order to preserve its character and provide open space.

Investment project: Definition of an Interreg IVB project, which generally involves capital expenditure, as distinct from an Action project.

Partnership: A term that can be applied to different kinds of relationships, for example formal and informal, restricted or inclusive. C-Change uses it to mean partnerships that are inclusive and broadly based, bringing together statutory and non-statutory, formal and informal players, in which citizens can participate and play a meaningful part.

Peri-urban: Areas surrounding formal urban boundaries facing pressures of urbanisation and housing sprawl, often through rapid population growth and/or the changing patterns of commercial life, frequently resulting in environmental and sometimes social degradation.

Region/regional: A greater area than local boundary definitions, usually inclusive of several municipalities or parts of them. C-Change uses the term flexibly to include both whole regions by statutory definition, such as Greater London, and smaller areas without legal, institutional or structural status, but defined by characteristics, shared interests or common use.

Regional Park: Area of preserved open space representing a significant regional resource, likely to attract users from a wide distance, seeking environmental and recreational experiences not usually available elsewhere.

Spatial vision: Statement of the shared long term goals for the spatial structure of a region, which assists in the formulation and selection of spatial planning programmes and projects.

Sustainable community: A place where people want to live and work, now and in the future. They meet the diverse needs of existing and future residents, are sensitive to their environment, and contribute to a high quality of life. They are safe and inclusive, well planned, built and run, and offer equality of opportunity and good services for all.

Urban Heat Island Effect: In a city, air temperatures are often as much as 3-4 °C higher than over open country. These higher temperatures are generated by the combustion of fuels in factory, heating, and transport systems, and, more importantly, the release at night of heat which has accumulated during the day in the fabric of the city, for the bricks and concrete of the buildings act as enormous storage heaters. This effect is compounded by air pollution and by the low humidity which results from the lack of vegetation.