Sustainable cities and communities 2023

 

Research

The University’s research and knowledge transfer activity is making a major contribution to sustainable cities and communities, for example in the work of colleagues in software technology in the SimplifAi project, addressing traffic management issues in major cities, or the Institute of Railway Research, innovating in technologies relevant to mass transit systems.

Public Business and Engagement

The University’s campus includes a number of important heritage buildings, and public access is offered through a working tour developed with ‘Discover Huddersfield’ and through regular ‘Heritage Open Days’.

The internationally-significant collections held in Heritage Quay (the University’s Archives and Special Collections service) are publicly-accessible – the facility is open seven days a week, and contains diverse collections ranging from music to sport and from politics to industry.

The University’s art and design collections, and visiting exhibitions, are presented to the public in the Sovereign Design House, which is publicly accessible.

The University’s campus is bisected by the Huddersfield Broad and Narrow canals, and public rights of way, and offers public access to open spaces and green spaces.

The University makes major contributions local performing arts activities, through a regular series of performances in music and drama and exhibitions of visual art, open to the public, notably through the programme of Sound / Vision / Place events each spring and the ongoing award-winning work of TemporaryContemporary supported by the School of Arts and Humanities, Kirklees Council, and the grade-2 listed Queensgate Market in Huddersfield.

Projects to record and/or preserve intangible cultural heritage have formed an important part of the work of Heritage Quay and associated developments. One of the most important of recent years is the work on the memory of the Holocaust which is at the heart of Holocaust Centre North, a partnership with the Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association.

 

Operations

Sustainable travel:

The University measures and set targets for more sustainable commuting, promoting active travel. It has adopted tools to support reductions in air travel, which were initially piloted in the School of Human and Health Sciences during the year 2021-22.

It also has flexible working available in many areas which supports a reduced impact from commuting

The University is working to reduce the presence of and impact of cars on campus, and has significantly reduced the number of car-parking spaces on the central area of campus in recent years.

Estate:

We build our new buildings to sustainable standards, seeking to achieve BREEAM Excellent ratings (best practice), and are now committed to the WELL Building standard. This includes commitments in the design and management of buildings, and the University achieved WELL Gold for the Jo Cox ‘More in Common’ Centre, opened during 2022, and is targeting WELL Platinum for the new National Health Innovation Campus at Southgate in Huddersfield, the first building of which will open in September 2024.  We consistently build on brownfield sites, redeveloping existing areas of the main campus, and the recently acquired western campus area which was formerly the Sovereign Works and the new Southgate site.

 

Impact for students

The University does not own any student accommodation but works with its partner digs to provide affordable some of the best value student housing in the area, at Storthes Hall and Ashenhurst.