aberdeen – city of old modern infrastructure
TRANSCRIPT
LLLooooookkkmmmaaannn OOOssshhhooodddiii,,, CCCooommmmmmooonnnwwweeeaaalllttthhh PPPrrrooofffeeessssssiiiooonnnaaalll FFFeeellllllooowww Centre for Understanding Sustainable Practice, School of Engineering,
Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland
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Aberdeen CITY OF OLD MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE
Lookman Oshodi © 2015
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 2
“To those who city management tools ought to improve their lives, rather city resources have become
instruments of oppression and dispossession by the city administrators under the guise of urban renewal”
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 3
Aberdeen
CITY OF OLD MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE March, 2015
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 4
Contents
Contents 4
About this Report 5
Part 1 Aberdeen: An Evolutionary City 6
Part 2 Housing and Urban Development 13
Part 3 Infrastructure 23
Part 4 Energy Development 35
Part 5 Conclusion 42
Pictures Gallery 45
References 47
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 5
ABOUT THIS REPORT
This report is a study conducted by Lookman Oshodi on Aberdeen City. Lookman Oshodi was a
Commonwealth Professional Fellow at the Center for Understanding Sustainable Practice (CUSP), School
of Engineering, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen from January 26 to March 20, 2015. His focus during
the fellowship was “Sustainable Infrastructure Delivery in Developing Countries”. He worked closely with
Dr. Joanneke Kruijsen, a Research Fellow with CUSP and Dr. Ebun Akinsete who was helpful in accessing
publication materials and reviewing the report
The report looks into Aberdeen city’s architecture and infrastructural evolution over the years. It examines
the processes of renewing old infrastructure and bringing them to maximum utilization in today’s age of
technologically driven cities. Relying on secondary literature, observations and facilities inspection, and
discussions with some of the city’s residents, the report reviewed the development history of Aberdeen
from around 8th century AD through the years of granite, oil exploration to the present day of green energy.
Population, social and economic indicators as well as influence of weather conditions on the city were
appraised.
To understand the cohesive and compact nature of Aberdeen, its spatial concept, gro wth orientation and
components of urban development are the focus of part two of the report. In the same part, the spread,
quantum, quality and adequacy of housing in meeting the needs of the residents and visitors were
evaluated. The next part of the report spotlights the efficiency and functionalities of the city’s infrastructure .
Among the infrastructure analyzed are transport, water and sanitation and solid waste.
In recognition of Aberdeen’s recent status remodeling from “Oil Capital of Europe” to “Energy Capital of
Europe”, part four analyzes the components of energy delivery and efficiency in the city. It looks at
sustainability agenda and strategies of reducing impact of climate change and carbon footprint in the city.
Despite the overall admirable outlook of the city, the report highlights some gaps in the race to green
economy and makes recommendations on improvement approaches.
The report while taking note of the successes recorded by Aberdeen in creating comfortable, livable and
sustainable environment for the residents and visitors, it is envisaged to be a tool for other cities, especially
in developing countries on how to formulate a template that will ensure equality and fairness in accessing
urban resources and infrastructure.
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 6
PART 1- ABERDEEN; AN EVOLUTIONARY CITY
Castle Street (1890) © US Library of Congress
© Colin Milne 2015
Castle Street 2015 © Lookman Oshodi
© Lookman Oshodi, 2015
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 7
1.1 ABERDEEN AND HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT
The name Aberdeen probably comes from the word aber (meaning mouth of the river – Don). Aberdeen
was probably founded by the 8th century AD as a fishing settlement. However by the early 12th century
Aberdeen had grown into a town. One sign of this came in 1136 when the burgesses (merchants and
craftsmen) of Aberdeen were given the right to charge a tithe (a tax of one 10th of all goods) on ships
entering or leaving the harbor and by then it was a busy little port. Exports from Aberdeen included salted
fish, hides and wool. Then, in 1137 Aberdeen was given a bishop, another sign of its growing importance.
Finally in 1179 Aberdeen was given a charter (A document granting the to wnspeople certain rights).
Aberdeen continued to grow. By the year 1200 Aberdeen may have had a population of around 3,000 and
by 1264 it had a castle. The first mention of a provost of Aberdeen was in 1272 (Lambert, 2012).
In the early middle ages there were two settlements, Old Aberdeen, the university and cathedral settlement,
at the mouth of the River Don and New Aberdeen, fishing and trading settlement where the Denburn
entered the Dee estuary. In the late middle ages they merged together physically but they remained legally
separate (Lambert, 2012). River Don and River Dee have since continues to remained important land mark
in the geography and identification of Aberdeen. The growth and expansion of Aberdeen continues through
to early 17th century with population hovering between 8,000 and 10,000.
As at 19th century, new streets were built in Aberdeen. Union Street was built after 1801 and Union Bridge
was built in 1805. They were named after an Act of Union 1801, which unified Britain and Ireland. King
Street was built after 1804. Bon Accord Square was laid out in 1823. The facade in Union Street was built
in 1830. Several road improvement schemes began towards the end of the 18th Century. Most of the
buildings around that time were designed by John Smith and Archibald Simpson. This was when Aberdeen
got its name of 'Granite City'.
Also, 19th century witnessed improved transportation to and from Aberdeen and improved communal
amenities. A canal to Inverurie was completed in 1807. The railway arrive d in Aberdeen in 1850 making it
possible to 'export' cattle from Aberdeen to other parts of the country. Steam trawling arrived in Aberdeen in
1882. In 1824 Aberdeen gained gas street lighting which the people thought wonderful. After 1830, water
was pumped from the river into public wells. From 1866 this water was filtered. Then after 1865 a network
of sewers was built in Aberdeen. It became a much healthier city in the late 19th century.
The first electricity generating station in Aberdeen opened in 1894. The first electric trams ran in Aberdeen
in 1899. The old industry of granite production went into decline in the early 20th century. It ceased
altogether in 1971. However new industries came along. The fate of Aberdeen was changed by the
discovery of North Sea oil. After experimental drilling in 1970 the council set aside land for new oil related
industries. New industrial estates were built in and around Aberdeen at that time. The first North Sea oil
arrived in Aberdeen in 1975. Oil soon became the main industry in the city and it brought considerable
prosperity. Another new industry was information technology, which is flourishing in Aberdeen.
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 8
Housing in Aberdeen greatly improved in the 20th century. In the 1920s and 1930s serious slum clearance
took place. Between 1919 and 1939, 2,955 slum houses were demolished. Some 6,555 council houses
were built. The former slum dwellers were re-housed in the many council houses built in the city at that
time. Many private houses were also built in Aberdeen between the wars such as those in Kings Gate and
Aungusfield. The city's boundaries were extended in 1934.
In the late 20th century Aberdeen continued to expand. In the 1950's and 1960s thousands of new council
houses were built in estates at Mastrick, Cornhill, Northfield, Stockethill, Tillydrone and Hazelhead. Blocks
of flats were built as well as houses.
Moreover the centre of the city was redeveloped in the 1960s. St Nicholas House was built in 1967. In the
late 1960s Aberdeen harbor was modernized. The Fish Market was built in 1982 and Telford Dock in 1994.
The 1996 local government reform made Aberdeen a unitary authority with Aberdeen City Council as the
governance entity for the city. Aberdeen is bounded in the North and West by commuter towns and rural
settlements such as Inverurie, Ellon, Peterhead, Insch, Huntly, Kemnay and Alford. It is surrounded in the
South by Portlethen, Aboyne, Stonehaven, Banchory and Laurencerkirk, all in Aberdeenshire. The city is
bounded in the East by the North Sea.
Map 1.1; Regional Map of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray
Source: Electric Scotland.com
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 9
Map 1.2; Aberdeen City and Neighbouring Communities
Source: Grampian Opportunities, 2009
1.2 POPULATION, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INDICATORS IN ABERDEEN
In June 2012, Aberdeen population was estimated at 224, 970 accounting for 4.2% of Scotland’s population
and the 8th highest of all the council areas. The population consists of 111, 301 males and 113, 669
females. 30.8% of the population is within the age bracket of 25 – 44 years, 24.3% in the range of 45 – 74
years and 15.5% in the 16 – 24 age groups. While 14.7% are within 65 years and above, 14.6% are within
0 – 15 years age group. Between June 2011 and June 2012, Aberdeen’s population grew by 2,510 with
most of the net change coming from migration (1, 878) as change from births and deaths were
comparatively lower. In mid-2013, the population was estimated at 227, 130 with increment of 2, 160 over
2012 (Aberdeen City Council, 2014). The population is expected to reach 233, 796 by 2033.
The land area of Aberdeen is 186 square kilometer. With the population of 224,970, the density per square
kilometer is 1,209 persons. As at 2012, the rate of unemployment is 1.5% with 2,321 claiming government
support. Average weekly gross earning per employee in the city was 586.9GBP in 2013. In 2012, there
were 1,285 additions of new enterprises in Aberdeen, and 890 ‘deaths’ resulting in a net increase of 395 to
the stock of enterprises in the city.
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 10
Aberdeen is often referred to as the “Oil Capital of Europe” and recently being
changed to “Energy Capital of Europe”. To underscore the reality of this title, 23
businesses from Aberdeen were ranked among the top 100 companies in
Scotland in 2013. 20 of these companies are in the oil and gas sector of
Aberdeen’s economy.
From the Value Added Tax (VAT) registration in 2013 by the Office of National Statistics, professional,
scientific and technical businesses were the dominant businesses in Aberdeen with 33.6% while
agriculture, forestry and fishing are less dominant with 0.8% sectoral representation. Table 1.1 provides
overview of economy structure in 2013 based on VAT’s registration.
Table 1.1; No. of VAT Registered Enterprises in Aberdeen, 2013
S/N Industry Number Percentage
1 Professional, scientific & technical 3,700 33.6%
2 Retail 915 8.3%
3 Business administration & support services 845 7.7%
4 Production 705 6.4%
5 Construction 665 6.0%
6 Accommodation & food services 660 6.0%
7 Arts, entertainment, recreation & other services 655 5.9%
8 Health 535 4.9%
9 Wholesale 435 3.9%
10 Information & communication 430 3.9%
11 Transport & storage (including postal) 355 3.2%
12 Property 300 2.7%
13 Finance & insurance 245 2.2%
14 Education 210 1.9%
15 Motor trades 185 1.7%
16 Public administration & defence 90 0.8%
17 Agriculture, forestry & fishing 90 0.8%
Total 11,020 100%
Source: Office for National Statistics, 2013 and Aberdeen C ity Council, 2014
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 11
In the city, the life expectancy is high, 76.3 years for males and 80.9 years for females based on 2008-2010
data. Coming with this high standard of living, record shows reducing crime rate in the city over the years, a
total of 18, 749 crimes were recorded by the police in 2010/2011, 17, 877 in 2011/2012 and 15, 635 in
2012/2013. Regionally, this is lower than 53, 212 in Glasgow, 31, 310 in Edinburgh and higher than 8, 962
in Dundee in 2012/2013. In 10, 000 population, the crime rate is 709 with 58% of this number classified as
crime of dishonesty with fire raising and vandalism coming second at 21%. Non-sexual crimes of violence
are the least with 2% occurrence in the period under consideration, 2012/2013 (Scottish Government,
2014, Aberdeen City Council, 2014). Walking around the city and living in the city show no sign of crime
and or threat to everyday living conditions.
1.3 WEATHER CONDITIONS IN ABERDEEN
The dossier of activities in Aberdeen would remain incomplete without profiling its climatic and weather
conditions. The weather conditions in the city play significant roles in determining the movement of
residents within the city and visitors into the city through road closures, events cancellation and
rescheduling of planned transportation services.
The World Weather Online (2015) in its 2000 to 2012 weather chart for Aberdeen classified the weather
into four seasons; Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
Spring
The climate of Aberdeen changes very often throughout the year, with spring and
autumn more comparable to extended summers and winters than seasons of their
own. Spring begins in March and lasts through to May where the averag e high
temperature starts at 8.5°C in March before hitting the heights of 16°C in May.
Summer
During summer, the days become 18 hours long in Aberdeen, leaving 17 hours
and 57 minutes between sunrise and sunset. The nautical twilight lasts for the
duration of most summer nights and can make the view heavenly for visitors,
while temperatures hover at around 17°C between June and August. July is the
warmest month in Aberdeen, where the temperature stands at 20°C (World
Weather Online, 2015).
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 12
Autumn
Autumn sees the temperature decrease to average high temperatures of 12°C
during the day and lows of 5°C which generally are prominent shortly after
sunshine. Rainfall generally averages out at 80mm per month during autumn
which greets Aberdeen for between 22-24 days during September-November.
Winter
During the winter, the temperature drops below freezing point (up to -2°C) with
January bearing the brunt of the Aberdeen cold. Aberdeen averages just over six
hours between sunrise and set with the length of the winter days eventually
increasing back to eight hours by the beginning of February (World Weather
Online, 2015).
Changing Skyline on Union Street Snow Fall at Aberdeen
Changing Skyline on Guild Street
Changing Skyline on Wellington Road
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 13
PART 2 – HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 14
2.1 INTRODUCTION
This part of the report provides the overview on composition, character and structure of housing and
development in Aberdeen city. In many urban centers of both developed and developing countries, housing
is regarded as strategic land use component which in most cases shows the level of sophistication,
cohesiveness and vitality of any city. Although, its depth, type, form and aesthetic appeal vary from one city
to the other, but its organization and level of accessibility must promote equity and qualitative living
conditions for the residents of the city. At the city’s operational stage, housing has significant influence in
determining the movement of resident during the peak and off-peak periods.
Based on this background, the report reviews architecture of the city in relation to housing component and
other physical development indices.
2.2 URBAN ARCHITECTURE AND DEVELOPMENT
A bird eye view of Aberdeen will reveal the dominance of grid pattern of urban interaction complimented by
Radburn design approach. In the allocation of uses, the city appears in the model of concentric zone
planning striped by multi nuclei development strategy. The city, in keeping with its history as a fishing
settlement, retained Aberdeen Harbour in the eastern part as its growth pole region. Within the harbour’s
axis are two industrial estates, Harbour and Harbour North, esplanade, transport terminal (Union Square
train station, two ferry terminals, and bus services depot), city center (comprising Market Street, Virginia
Street, Exchange Street, Hadden Street, College Street, Bridge Street, Deburn Road and Union Street
among other prominent access roads). The city center is the focal point of entertainment, shopping and
businesses. It is home to many major business organizations operating in the city and hub of transport
services. It is from this point that the growth and expansion of Aberdeen commenced in what can be
referred to as “headlamp expansion”. Harbour axis represents the headlamp while other axes within the city
represents guided ray of light beaming from the headlamp.
The city development concept is similar to that of Coventry, another city in the West Midlands of England.
The difference is in pattern, while Aberdeen maintain water-edge based city growth pole, Coventry adopted
city-central growth pole approach.
Relatively, Aberdeen is a low rise city. Most of the buildings in the city are below five floors. Save for the
multi-storey structures at Seaton, Tillydrone, Balgownie and city center axis, other buildings are in the
category of low rise. The city industrial vibrancy is well pronounced in the number of industrial estates
within its boundary. There are 31 industrial estates with large concentration in the Northern part of the city,
significant number in the harbor area and others such as Northfield, Mastrick, Hill of Rubislaw and P rime
Four in isolated locations in the mid-West. The new four proposed industrial estates/business areas,
Stoneywood Technology Park, Rowett, Berryhill/Cloverhill and Findlay Farm are all located in the North.
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 15
With the nestling of Aberdeen Airport among ABZ, D2, Dyce Drive, Kirkhill, North Raiths, Raiths, Pitmedden
Road and Wellheads industrial estates, one science and technology park, one science and energy park
and one proposed science and technology park, all in the North, it can be inferred that North is a major
science and economic development hub of the city.
Map 2.1; Grid Layout Complimented by Radburn Concept for Aberdeen City
Source: Aberdeen City Council, 2005
Map 2.2; Part of Aberdeen City in Headlamp Shape
Source: Destination 360, 2014.
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 16
In the city are two universities, University of Aberdeen established in 1495 located along King Street in Old
Aberdeen in the North before River Don and Robert Gordon University bordered by River Dee at Garthdee
in the South and Schoolhill. The two universities have contributed to the diverse population of the city by
attracting students from foreign countries. North East Scotland College is also attracting regional population
to the city.
While Union Street in the city center host many of the prestigious pedestrian malls in the city, Wellington
Road in the East and West Tullos Industrial Estates (South East part of the city) host the city’s automobile
industry.
Another key strength of Aberdeen’s urban
architecture is the rich historical buildings and
monuments. From the Marischal College building
housing Aberdeen City Council, the Tolbooth
Museum on Castle Street, Castlegate, Aberdeen
Maritime Museum on Ship Row, Aberdeen Art
Gallery at Schoolhill, His Majesty Theatre at
Rosemount Viaduct opened in 1906, Kirk of St.
Nicholas, housing the largest carillon in Britain,
on Union Street completed in 1520, Music Hall on
Union Street built in 1820 and renovated in 1986,
Provost Skene’s House (dating to 1545) on
Flourmill Lane/Broad Street, Arts Center and
Theatre (formerly North Church built in 1830) on
King Street to Sir Duncan Rice Library at the Aberdeen University, the city has demonstrated conscientious
acumen of preservation.
Sir Duncan Rice Library at the University of Aberdeen
Arts Center & Theatre on King Street Marischal Building housing Aberdeen City Council on Broad Street
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 17
2.3 HOUSING
The history of housing in Aberdeen is as old as the city itself, but gained significant improvement in the 20th
century. From the slum clearance and reconstruction of 6, 555 council houses in the 1930s and the
expansion of housing delivery in new estates by the council between 1950s and 1960s, the city has seen a
steady growth in the housing sector till date.
a. Housing Occupancy Ratio
In 2012, the number of households in Aberdeen was 103,371. This represents an average of 2 persons per
household in the population of 224, 970. Table 2.1 provides clear analysis of the number of persons per
household in the city;
Table 2.1; No. of Persons per Household in Aberdeen, 2011
All Households One Person Two People Three People Four or more People
103,371 39,219 35,942 14,620 13,590
100 38% 35% 14% 13%
Source: Aberdeen City Council, 2014
With marginal majority of households within one person category, the rate of social interaction will remain
low as also the rate of population growth.
In the city, 57.3% of the households live in owner occupied houses while 24.4% l ive in social rented houses
as shown in Table 2.2 below;
Table 2.2; Household Tenure in Aberdeen
All Households Owner Occupied Social Rented Private Rented Other
103,371 59,209 25,184 17,582 1,396
100 57.2% 24.4% 17% 1.4%
Source: Aberdeen City Council, 2014
With the 57.2% in owner occupied category, the city will enjoy good degree of stability and vibrant
economic growth. There is dynamism in the social housing market than the private rented market, hence
there is need to evolve strategies that will uplift the households in social rented houses into other
categories, especially owner occupied. This is to reduce the number of households in this category, reduce
the number of persons within social support bracket and increase the quantum of available fund for
investment in other infrastructure.
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 18
In March 2013, the Scottish Government statis tical bulletin shows that there are 22, 656 housing units
under the public sector stock comprising 5,501 house, 3,904 high rise and 13,251 others as depicted in
Figure 2.1
Source: Aberdeen City Council, 2014
The figure shows that high rise units in the public housing are 17% which exert significant influence on the
low rise architecture of the city. Taking into consideration, the 103, 371 households accommodated in the
city, it can be inferred that private sector, social landlords and others have contributed 78% totaling 80, 715
housing units while public sector contributed 22, 656 housing units representing 22% of the city’s total
housing stock.
b. Housing Gap
Housing need and demand assessment updated by Aberdeen city and shire in 2011 estimated that the city
will require 1,145 units per annum from 2013 to 2018 five year band. Comparing this need to annual
supply, Table 2.3 provides further breakdown of need and the new supply.
Table 2.3; Housing Need and Supply in Aberdeen 2011 - 2013
Year Need New Supply Gap % Target
2011 1, 077 607 470 56%
2012 1, 077 527 550 49%
2013 1, 145 515 630 45%
Source: Aberdeen City and Shire, 2011 and 2014
The table has shown marginal rise in the gap between the housing need and new supply in the city,
however, the city has performed beyond average in meeting the needs. More robust options are required to
meeting the housing need.
Figure 2.1: No. of Public Housing Units by Types in Aberdeen
13,251 , 59%
5,501 , 24%
3,904 , 17%
House
High Rise
Others
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 19
Nonetheless, the outcome of Table 2.3 above, the city’s authority has been exploring different approaches
to increase the stock of housing in the city. One of the strategies is the development of inclusionary housing
through conversion of brown field in collaboration with the private sector. Example is the proposal to deliver
323 new homes comprising 89 houses and 234 flats on the site of former Royal Cornhill Hospital
(abandoned for some 12 years) on Berryden Road. The city council will make available the site to the
developers who are expected to demolish the former hospital and erect new housing units with 25%
secured under the affordable category.
c. Housing Affordability
Considering affordability for the segment of the population in the private rented housing sector, Table 2.4
compared the average weekly earnings to average weekly rent in the city in 2013.
Table 2.4; Comparison of Average Weekly Earnings and Average Weekly Rent in 2013
Average Weekly Earnings (GBP) Average Weekly Rent (GBP) % of Rent to Earnings
586.9 64.93 11
Source: Aberdeen City Council, 2014
The table revealed that population in the private rented sector will devote 11% of their weekly earnings to
rent. This is well above the 30% global threshold for rent to earning. This position will continue to
strengthen the wealth of the city and see consistence mobility to the home ownership status.
d. Housing Quality
Visual observation of housing in Aberdeen showed that many houses have striking similarities in design
and external outlook. This gives the city overall monotonous aesthetic appeal. Many houses appear to be
old, but their design and specifications shows ambience use of space, high priority for safety concerns,
accommodation of services and overall consideration of environmental quality.
Although, many houses seem old, but their performances and functionalities in accordance with the 2004
Scottish Housing Quality Standard, are high. The five high-level quality criteria by the standard are as
follows;
Compliant with the tolerable standard
Free from serious disrepair
Energy efficient
Provided with modern facilities and services; and
Healthy, safe and secure
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 20
Aerial View of Part of Aberdeen Houses on Auchinyell Gardens
Houses on Auchinyell Road Houses on Broomhill Road
View of Houses from Auchinyell Bridge Mixed Use Buildings on King Street
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 21
Houses on Menzies Road
Houses on Menzies Road
New Houses at Den of Pitfodels, Garthdee Road
Houses on Pittodrie Street/King Street
Grampian Place
Roslin Terrace, Off King Street
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 22
View of Saint Nina’s and Seaton Place from the Bridge of Don
Linksfield Gardens
Multi-Storey Apartments at Saint Ninian’s Place, King Street
Bridge of Don over River Don Aberdeen Maritime Museum
Houses at Links View, Linksfield Road
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 23
PART 3 - INFRASTRUCTURE
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 24
3.1 INTRODUCTION
American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 defined infrastructure as the substructure or
underlying foundation or network used for providing goods and services; especially the basic installations
and facilities on which the continuance and growth of a community, city or state depend. Examples include
roads, water systems, communications facilities, sewers, sidewalks, cable, wiring, schools, power plants,
and transportation and communication systems.
Economic vitality, private sector’s mobilization and community stability in a large ci ty cannot be sustained
without a coherent, effective, functional and supportive public infrastructure . Aberdeen’s growth and
development has largely been enhanced by the availability of functional public infrastructure. This section
will review transportation, water and waste management infrastructure. It will look at the existing situation,
functionality and effectiveness of these facilities in meeting the overall goals of prosperity in Aberdeen.
3.2 TRANSPORTATION
Aberdeen is a city with a mix of different transport infrastructure. It is served by air, water, rail, road and
walking transport infrastructure.
a. Air Transportation
The airport located at Dice in the Northern part of Aberdeen dates from 1934 as a public aerodrome. It was
used as a military air base during the Second World War and commenced oil-related helicopters movement
in 1967. The current main terminals and associated facilities were completed in 1977. The airport handled
1.47 million passengers per annum as at the time of privatization in 1987 (Aberdeen International Airport
Limited, 2013).
As at 2011, the annual passenger turn-over was 3.1 million with 20 airlines connecting to about 40 different
destinations and 56% business usage. The airport, as a strategic national infrastructure, provides 5, 000
jobs to people across Scotland and generating over GBP125 million, annually for the economy. The airport
has a total of 2, 254 parking spaces.
At a growth rate of 2.8%, the airport is expected to handle 4 million passengers in 2020 and 5.09 million in
2040. By 2030, it will create additional 1,100 jobs and additional GBP42 million to the economy.
The 2013 Aberdeen International Airport Master Plan is seeking further infrastructure expansion and
modernization to meet capacity requirements up to the year 2040, reduction in the airport’s carbon footprint
through the use of renewable energy technologies to meet its energy requirements and improving the
range of transport modes in accessing the airport, which currently depends majorly on private cars and
taxis.
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 25
b. Water Based Transportation
The water based transportation in Aberdeen is
international in its outlook operating within and
outside Scotland. The water transport sector
revolves around Aberdeen Harbour, which has
been described has the Europe's principal
marine support centre for the energy sector in
the North Sea and Atlantic Margin. It is the main
commercial port serving North-East Scotland
with shipping links to around 41 countries
worldwide (Aberdeen Harbour, 2015).
Historically, the sheltered estuary of the River
Dee is a natural harbour and its first use is lost in
the mists of time. The first recorded reference was in AD 1136 when King David 1st of Scotland granted the
Bishops of Aberdeen the right to levy a tithe on all ships trading at the port. The arrival of the offshore oil
and gas industry in the mid 1960s resulted in a remarkable programme which was to virtually rebuild the
harbour in the following decades, transforming it into one of the most modern ports in Europe.
Today, Aberdeen Harbour handles around 5 million tonnes of cargo annually, with some GBP1.5 billion,
and inputs over GBP1.5 billion a year into the local economy (Aberdeen Harbour, 2015). The city has the
world’s largest concentration of subsea engineering capability at Westhill (World Energy Cities Partnership,
2015).
Apart from the cargo movement from the harbor, Aberdeen water is prominent for its ferry services to the
northern archipelagoes of Kirkwall, Orkney and Lerwick, Shetland by Northlink Ferries as the operators.
Visual observation revealed non utilization of inland water ways of River Dee and River Don for regular
transportation services within the city. Cities such as Osaka in Japan, Fort Lauderdale, South Florida,
United States and London integrated inland water transportation as part of wider city’s transportation
network.
c. Rail Transportation
Similar to the water based transportation, rail services in Aberdeen is inter-regional with the city as one of
the regional hubs between North and South of the United Kingdom. Apart from the rail stop at Dyce, there
is no internal rail networking or services within the city. Trams and light rail system are not part of the city’s
internal transportation network.
The rail station located in the city centre, Union Square, is part of integrated transportation hub of Aberdeen
comprising of bus, taxi and ferry services.
Aberdeen Harbor
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 26
d. Road Transportation
Road transportation is a major form of mobility
within Aberdeen. Under the road transportation,
walking, cycling, cars, High Occupancy Vehicles
(HOV) and the road infrastructure are the
identified components of mobility within the city.
Infrastructure for walking is fully
developed within the city. Walkways
beside the vehicular right of way in
almost every street and intelligent
access control system through traffic
lights are the major feature of walking
infrastructure in the city. Also, some
areas such as St. Nicholas Street,
Castle Street, Shiprow and Bon Accord Area are designated as pedestrian zone
while pedestrians’ malls are strategically located to encourage walking.
Although, outdoor seating arrangement which could have increased the motivation
for walking is not part of urban activities in the city, but the city overall walking
priority is good.
Cycling culture is at the infancy level within the city. Apart from pockets of cycling racks at the train station,
Universities, malls and few other places, and cycling road signs on few roads in the city, cycling
infrastructure such as segregated lanes, bike bridges and cycling access control are grossly lacking. When
compared to Copenhagen, Stockholm and Rotterdam cities, all in Europe, Aberdeen is yet to fully
conceptualize cycling as one of the key transport mode.
Cars and vans are some of the prominent modes of transportation in Aberdeen. In
this category are private vehicles and taxis. Gaining popularity in the city since
2012 is car club system where interested residents join organizations that have
pool of cars to be shared by their respective member s. The idea is to reduce
congestion and carbon footprint in the city. Members do not need to own a car
themselves, they can book a car when they need it and pay as you drive. No need
for parking permits, maintenance, taxes or insurance by members.
High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) often described as bus journey are the major backbones of road mobility
within the city with average of 50,000 passengers movement per day (First, 2015). Vibrant players in this
Pedestrian Only Route at Shiprow
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 27
sector are First Aberdeen which provides inter-city services and Stagecoach which connects the city to
hinterland.
The quality, efficiency, safety and reliability of bus journey in the city are impeccable and could possibly
rank as among the best in the world. Like bus journey in other cities of the United Kingdom, the service is
predictable and on-time.
d. Road Infrastructure
Road infrastructure consists of right of way,
intelligent traffic management equipment, traffic
signs, road markings, bus stops and parking
facilities. In the city, the roads appear to be old
but in good condition, well maintained and
efficiently linking one part of the city to the other,
in its maximum capacity.
However, observation of traffic pattern revealed
that the current capacity of the road is
inadequate to meet the traffic demand for the
city’s population of 224,970. In the hours
between 05:00pm and 07:30pm, traffic journey
of 8 minutes on King Street from Seaforth Road
junction to Bridge of Don could delay for more than 35 minutes.
With few exceptions of few dual carriage roads such as A93, Denburn Road, Beach Boulevard, Virginia
Street, Great Southern Road, Stonehaven Road and Esplanade among others, majority of the road network
within the city are single carriage. Some of the strategic long span single carriage roads such as Holburn
Street, Union Street and King Street were marked with segregated bus lanes .
Despite the old age and inadequacy of road network, all parts of the city were fully retrofitted with intelligent
traffic management equipment including traffic control lights, pedestrian access buttons and traffic
monitoring cameras. Bus stops were made of translucent construction materials and each fully equipped
with name of bus stop, detailed information on bus routes and electronic bus timing board. The traffic signs
are well positioned on the city’s road network while the adequacy of road markings projects the roads as
new construction.
Traffic Build-Up & Dedicated Bus Lane on King Street
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 28
3.3 WATER AND SANITATION
Regionally, the Scottish Water, constituted under the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, has the
responsibility of delivering water to Scottish cities and communities, including Aberdeen city. Scottish Water
is a public sector body, classified as a public corporation, and answerable to Scottish Ministers . Its duties to
provide a wholesome supply of water sufficient for domestic purposes are set out in the Water (Scotland)
Act 1980. It also has obligation to connect customers, at reasonable cost. The corporation’s activities are
being regulated by the independent Drinking Water Quality Regulator (DWQR), appointed by Scottish
Ministers under the 2002 Act. DWQR has the duty to ensure that Scottish Water complies with the
legislation to provide wholesome drinking water. The regulator has powers of enforcement to obtain
information from Scottish Water and to enter and inspect Scottish Water premises such as water treatment
works (Scottish Water, 2014).
The water supply system serving Aberdeen city is part of a complex and sophisticated network that has
evolved over a significant period of time in response to the growth of Aberdeen and the communities of
Aberdeenshire with more stringent social and environmental requirements. In some cases infrastructure
built at the end of the 19th century is still fully operational and works with much more recently install ed
assets (Aberdeen City and Shire, 2010).
Aberdeen City and the area along Deeside, south to Stonehaven, northwest to Alford and Gartly and north
to Ellon is all served by water abstracted from the River Dee or immediate tributaries. The licensed
abstraction from the Dee is 145 megalitres per day (mld). This abstraction currently takes place at Glen
Dye (scheduled for closure as at 2012), Invercannie and Inchgarth. In total, Scottish Water abstract on
average about 110mld from the Dee catchment (including the water abstracted at Glendye).
Aberdeen City is served by water treated at Glen Dye, Invercannie and Mannofield Water Treatment Works
(WTW). Each of these WTWs has different capacities (measured in mld) to treat and release water into the
network as shown in Table 3.1 below;
Table 3.1; Capacity of Water Treatment Works serving Aberdeen City as at 2010
S/N Water Treatment Works Location Capacity (mld)
1 Glen Dye Aberdeenshire 4.5
2 Invercannie Banchory 49.5
3 Mannofield Aberdeen 70
Total 124
Source: Aberdeen City and Shire, 2010
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 29
The reticulation of water system in the city is underground and the connection from mains to buildings is
through conduit piping. The rate of coverage for water supply within the city is high with every household
connected while the quality of supply is exemplary.
Cost recovery mechanism is through Aberdeen City Council tax bill with average yearly payment of
GBP147.91 and monthly payment of GBP12.33 per household.
In addition to managing and delivering quality water to residents and visitors to Scotland, Scottish Water
has duties to drain, treat and deal effectively with domestic sewage, surface water and trade effluent as set
out in the Sewerage (Scotland) Act 1968 with obligation to provide customers’ connections, at reasonable
cost (Scottish Water, 2014).
The main drivers for improvement in environmental water quality have been, and continue to be, European
Directives that have subsequently been transposed into Scots law. The main European Directives are ;
The Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD)
The Water Framework Directive
The Revised Bathing Waters Directive
The Waste Framework, Industrial Emissions and Contaminated Land Directives
The Shellfish Directive
The Priority Substances Directive
Some of the European Union Directives such as the Water Framework Directive requires the integrated
management of Europe’s water bodies and for member states to improve water bodies to good status by
2027, unless it is disproportionately costly to do so. Scottish Ministers have set an objective that 97% of
water bodies should be at good status, or better, by 2027. To achieve good status, a water body must be
close to the condition that it would be in without the impact of human pressures.
In managing the waste water and environment, Scotish Water is being regulated by the Scottish
Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), constituted under the Environment Act 1995. The Agency
authorizes all Scottish Water’s water abstraction from the environment and discharges back to the
environment. SEPA has powers to obtain information from Scottish Water, enter land and/or inspect
premises owned and operated by Scottish Water, and to take enforcement action where necessary.
In Aberdeen, the treatment of sewerage and domestic effluents has been seamless and unnoticeable with
some of the residents claiming ignorance about the existence of the system. The reticulation is sub-surface
and completely hidden from the public glare.
The service cost recovery mechanism is, also, through Aberdeen City Council tax bill for onward remittance
to Scottish Water. Annually, the average bill for a household is GBP171.64 amounting to GBP14.3/month.
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 30
3.4 WASTE MANAGEMENT
Detailed scrutiny of Aberdeen revealed that the city has one of the best and efficient waste management
systems in the world. Regionally across Scotland, there is Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012, passed by
the Scottish Parliament in May 9, 2012, which aim to ensure that the minimum level of service on offer to
households and businesses across Scotland
is better than that of today and signal the end
of landfilling biodegradable municipal waste in
Scotland. It will help Scotland to become one
of the most resource efficient nations in
Europe (Scottish Environment Protection
Agency, 2013). Some of the key provisions in
the regulations are as follows;
Businesses to present metal, plastic,
glass, paper and card for separate
collection from 1 January 2014.
Food businesses (except in rural areas)
which produce over 50 kg of food waste per week to present that food waste for separate collection
from 1 January 2014.
Food businesses (except in rural areas) which produce over 5 kg of food waste per week to present
that food waste for separate collection from 1 January 2016.
Local authorities to provide a minimum recycling service to householders.
Waste contractors to provide collection and treatment services which deliver high quality recycling.
A ban on any metal, plastic, glass, paper, card and food collected separately for recycling from going to
incineration or landfill from 1 January 2014.
All incinerators must ensure that metals and dense plastics have been removed from residual
municipal waste prior to incineration.
A ban on biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill from 1 January 2021
In ensuring the success of the regulations, clear roles and responsibilities were set-out for the stakeholders
in the sector comprising Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), local authorities, waste collection
service providers and waste producers.
SEPA will support the development of sustainable infrastructure and ensure the transition is managed in a
way which delivers a high degree of environmental protection through advise, planning and regulatory
Waste Sorting Bins on Trinity Lane
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 31
roles. The agency will collaborate with local authorities to enforce the requirement for businesses to recycle
key dry recyclables and food waste (where
applicable). Local authorities will also provide
a minimum recycling service to householders
The 2012 Regulations require that all
commercial customers take all reasonable
steps to ensure the separate collection of
specific dry recyclable wastes: that is glass,
metals, plastics, paper and card (including
cardboard). Food businesses (such as cafés,
restaurants & food retail premises) generating
50kg or more of food waste per week must
procure a separate food waste collection
service.
Waste collection service providers are to take all reasonable steps to ensure that waste is managed in a
manner that promotes high quality recycling, and that their commercial customers have an adequate waste
collection service to enable them to comply with the Regulations. They must ensure that their commercial
customers have a general waste bin for non-recyclable materials and undertake regular checks o f recycling
bins for contamination and provide feedback to customers in order to maintain or improve the quality of
material collected among other roles.
Riding on the provisions of the regional regulation, Aberdeen City Council in 2013 revised its 12-year waste
strategic plan named Aberdeen City Waste Strategy 2014 – 2025. The document’s guiding principle is that
Aberdeen’s waste is no longer a problem, but a resource with the goal that Aberdeen will be a zero waste
city, providing long term social, economic and environmental benefits to all residents. In the strategic
document, the key elements are based upon:
Closed loop circular economy
The waste hierarchy
Waste is a resource not a problem
Precautionary principle
The proximity principle
Pragmatic and value for money
Equality of service provision policies
Contributions to wider Council
Waste Collection for Recycling at the Train Station, Union Square
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 32
The five key targets for the waste strategy by 2025 are as outlined below;
Target 1 Waste growth will be eliminated by 2015.
Target 2 Aberdeen will work towards the targets set in the Scottish Government’s Zero Waste Plan 2010.
Target 3 Introduce an organic waste collection for all households by 2016.
Target 4 Develop facilities within the Aberdeen area to recover our resources.
Target 5 No more than 5% of household
waste should be landfilled by
2025.
In compliance with the specified roles in the
Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 and
implementing the provisions of the City
Waste Strategy 2014 – 2025, the City
Council has established five household
waste recycling centers and 46 recycling
points across the city. Waste bins with label
for separations are well located in business
premises while waste storage areas in the
residential apartments are sited in a safe
area and well equipped with the adequate capacity of Mobile Garbage Bins. Within the public area such as
walkway or open spaces, self-opened waste receptacles are well positioned to serve pedestrians and other
members of the public.
Waste Storage Area at Residential Premises
Multi Purpose Bicycle Rack at Union Square College Street (Dual Carriage Road)
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 33
Queen Elizabeth Pedestrian Bridge over River Dee
Mobility Activities on Union Street Pedestrian Track at Robert Gordon University
Taxi Park at Back WYND Bus Stop at Broomhill Road
Waste Service Provider on Union Street
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 34
Car Park Facility at Aberdeen Airport
Train Station, Union Square
Train Station, Union Square
Aberdeen Internatinal Airport, Dyce Traffic Build –Up at A947
Activities on Broomhill Road
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 35
PART 4 – ENERGY DEVELOPMENT
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 36
4.1 INTRODUCTION
Globally, energy efficiency, management and sustainability are becoming key determinants in the success
or inadequacy of communities, towns and cities. In the next decade, energy will become a major indicator
to measure the prosperity, resilience and quality of living in the cities. This scenario is compelling as there
are intense efforts to reduce the impacts of human activities on climate change and saving humanity from
its own disaster. Recognizing this impending trend and accruable tremendous benefits to the city and its
residents, Aberdeen is taking measures to become one of the leading energy efficient cities in the world.
Part Four will look at the components and strategies adopted by Aberdeen to remain focus and keep track
of opportunities to diversify energy mix and reduce city’s carbon footprint. Some of the strategies reviewed
are changing of city’s slogan, green transportation and renewable energy delivery.
4.2 ENERGY CAPITAL OF EUROPE
The change of city’s slogan from “Oil Capital of Europe” to “Energy Capital of Europe” is a strategic broad
term to capture the direction of Aberdeen. The slogan symbolizes the status of Aberdeen as a leading city
in energy in Europe and the vision of leadership role at the global scale. It represents the guiding principle
that will drive the leadership of Aberdeen in global energy practice.
All energy policies, programs and projects are envisaged to revolve around this guiding principle. The
commitment of the city as energy capital of Europe is a vibrant motivation for the city to deploy adequate
resources and tools towards energy initiatives and innovations among other cities.
Adopting a name or slogan for a city has been known to be a compelling branding
strategy to attracting and retaining top institutions, skills and value for the core
competency area of the city. Americans have successfully used this planning strategy
to motivate development in their cities. California State in the United States adopted
the approach in 1971 when it named San Francisco Bay Area to San Jose in the Santa
Clara County as Silicon Valley. This resulted in the retainership and agglomeration of
leading microelectronics organizations and entrepreneurs in the world. Paris in
France has, consistently, been tagged as fashion capital of the world because of
concentration of top notch fashion outfits and regular hosting of global fashion
events.
With remarkable history of performance as “Oil Capital of Europe”, it is evident that Aberdeen can live up to
the billing of “Energy Capital of Europe” in the coming years.
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 37
4.3 GREEN TRANSPORT
In asserting its leadership in the Europe energy map, world leading city in low carbon technology and
improving the city’s environment and air quality, the city has commenced the implementation of GBP19
million green transport demonstrated project. The results of this project include the delivery of 10 Van Hool
hydrogen fuel cell buses to be operated by two major bus operators in the city, First Aberdeen (X40 route –
Kingswell to Bridge of Don Park and Ride) and Stagecoach (X17 route - Aberdeen city center to Westhill).
Also, the first UK hydrogen production and bus refueling station has been commissioned. The station which
will deliver hydrogen infrastructure in Aberdeen as well as a purpose-built hydrogen fuel cell vehicle
maintenance facility is coming under the funding from multiple stakeholders comprising government,
multilateral and private institutions highlighting the city’s collaborative approach in achieving its goals.
Earlier in 2014, First Aberdeen, had made GBP4.3million investment in 26 micro -hybrid vehicles, one of the
world's most fuel-efficient buses (Aberdeen City Council, 2015) while Stagecoach has deployed electric-
hybrid buses in its fleet.
As part of its involvement in the CARE North (Carbon Responsible Transport for the
North Sea Region) Project, Aberdeen had investigated number of carbon responsible
transport projects for the city including Low Emission Zone, Off -Bus Ticketing, Car
Club, Idling Strategy, Electric Vehicle Charging Points, On-Street Bicycle Rental,
Emission Based Parking Charges and Purchasing of Electric Vehicles by the Council.
Some of these initiatives are being implemented
while further studies are on-going on others. On
the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) of restricting most
polluting vehicles from accessing designated
zones, the 2011 revised Air Quality Action Plan
has reaffirmed the declaration of the city center
and two other zones (Anderson Drive and
Wellington Road) as an Air Quality Management
Area (AQMA). The city council is currently
undertaking a study on the installations of on-
street bus ticket machines for passengers to
purchase their tickets before boarding and the
ideal locations for the machines. This is to
reduce the boarding time, reduce the idling time
for the bus and consequently reducing pollution
in the city (Aberdeen City Council, 2011).
The idling strategy is focusing on awareness for the drivers on the need not to leave the car idling as it
emits 20 times more pollution than a vehicle travelling at 32 mph. Although, the council is relying on Road
Air Quality Monitor on King Street
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 38
Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (Scotland) Regulations 2003 with warning and GBP20 fixed
penalty for enforcement, but it places priority on the City Wardens who will distribute information and
educate drivers on the effects of vehicle idling on the environment. Car clubbing is already being
implemented as outlined in Part 3, infrastructure section, with operators being supported by funding from
Transport Scotland to acquire electric cars.
On-Street Bicycle Rental, Emission Based Parking Charges and Purchasing of Electric Vehicles by the
Council are the strategies under further investigation.
Preparing the city for the upsurge in the use of Electric Vehicle (EV), 12 electric vehicles charging point
funded by Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and Transport Scotland have been commissioned and
made available for motorists in the city.
4.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY
At the heart of renewable energy in Aberdeen is the goal of ensuring that citizens have affordable warmth
and light from sources which are the least damaging to the environment. In achieving this goal, renewable
energy cannot be totally isolated from overall power delivery in Scotland while Aberdeen ene rgy dynamics
cannot be analyzed without reference to Scottish aggregate demand and supply.
Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD) is responsible for delivering energy to 740,000
customers in the north of Scotland including
Aberdeen. All renewable energy resources
being exploited by wind and marine
generation depends on the Scottish Hydro
Electric Transmission (SHE Transmission)
transmission network for transportation to
load center (Scottish and Southern Energy,
2015).
In February 2015, WeatherEnergy analysis
revealed that wind turbines alone provided
an estimated 1,307,629MWh of electricity to
the National Grid, enough to supply, on
average, the electrical needs of 146% of
Scottish households (3.5 million homes) -
This represents an increase of 27% compared to January 2014, when wind energy provided
1,033,130MWh (WWF and Weather Energy, 2015). The analysis further provided the following data for
Aberdeen;
Roof Mounted Solar PV on Supported Housing at Auchinyell Road
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 39
Table 4.1; Analysis of Renewable Energy Supply in Aberdeen, January 2015
Production in kWh % of an Average Household Electricity Demand Provided
by Solar PV
140 kWh 37.9%
% of an Average Household Hot Water Provided By Solar Thermal 45%
Source: WWF and WeatherEnergy, 2015
The data provided were based on the assumptions outlined in Tab le 4.2;
Table 4.2; Assumptions for Energy Demand in Scotland, 2015
S/N Variable Value
1 Average annual Scottish household electricity consumption 4,435 kWh
2 Number of households in Scotland 2.42 million
3 Total electricity consumption in Scotland 25,873GWh,
41% - domestic
59% - non-domestic.
4 Average solar PV installation 3kW
5 Average hot water (thermal) installation 4.62m2
6 Average household daily hot water consumption 122 liters
Source: WWF and WeatherEnergy, , 2015
In Aberdeen, private sector is collaborating to drive the deployment of renewable energy in accordance with
the guidelines provided by the government. Among the on-going projects is the European Offshore Wind
Deployment Centre, a ground breaking new facility currently being developed by Aberdeen Offshore Wind
Farm Ltd (AOWFL) – a joint venture between Vattenfall and Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG) –
plus development consortium partner Technip. The innovative project which received Scottish Ministers
approval in 2013 with offshore construction envisaged to commence in 2015, is being supported with
funding under the Energy Programme for Recovery
The 11 turbine scheme located off the Aberdeen coast will have an installed capacity of up to 100MW and
over twelve months would be capable of yielding, on average, enough clean, green electricity to power the
equivalent of over 68,000 UK households (Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group, 2015).
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 40
Also, Rubberatkins, a private establishment based at Aberdeen Science and Energy Park, in 2012
commissioned on-site 300Kw wind turbine
which generate annual power requirements for
the organizations rubber moulding operations
and saving 450 tonnes of CO2 in a year
(Rubberatkins, 2015).
In 2002, Aberdeen City Council took a unique
approach towards developing local solution to
it’s city’s energy requirements and efficiency by
establishing Aberdeen Heat and Power
Limited, a not for profit organization that will
develop Combined Heat and Power (CHP)
schemes for the city. CHP is a system whereby
electricity is generated locally for sale and the
heat emitted by the generator is captured and
used to heat properties instead of being
released to atmosphere.
The system is currently supplying heat and power to 1,330 apartments and nine public building s from
Hazlehead, Seaton and Stockethill energy centers in the city while Tillydrone/Cairncry energy projects are
on-going. Carbon emissions from the buildings have been reduced by 45% and fuel costs to tenants have
been reduced by 50% over previous heating systems
300Kw Wind Turbine at Rubberatkins Premises, Energy Park
Electric-Hybrid Bus Deployed by Stagecoach
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 41
Wind Turbines Farm Outskirt Aberdeen
Energy Sub-Station at Langdykes Road
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Deployed by First Aberdeen
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 42
PART 5 – CONCLUSION
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 43
5.1 OBSERVATIONS
It is clear that Aberdeen has achieved tremendous progress in its sphere of influence, energy and research
and low-carbon technology, it has successfully delivered good and quality living conditions to its residents.
Nonetheless, there are areas for improvement, as outlined below, which the city may consider as part of
approaches to fully realizing the goal of Energy Capital of Europe.
Despite the prowess, success and pioneering efforts in the energy sector, relatively little is known
about Aberdeen at the global scale of development. In many ranking of cities on development
indicators, Aberdeen has been conspicuously missing on the list. However, an online business
magazine, arabianindustry.com, in 2014 ranked the city No. 8 after Omsk, Siberia-Russia in the top ten
of oil and gas cities in the world. Comparatively, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Malmo, Perth,
Helsinki, Calgary, Boston, Dubai and San Francisco among other small to medium cities have
continued to exert soft power, influence and value on the global social, economic and technology
indices.
Possibly, Aberdeen might have adopted a strategy of low global profile to keep the population at very
low annual growth rate. If the assumption is correct, this strategy may shrink the overall global
opportunities accruable to the city.
Findings have shown that there are many policies and plans formulated to guide the future direction of
the city by the Aberdeen City Council, Scottish government agencies, private organizations and trade
associations. The availability of all the plans to users appears disjointed and not in a common
accessible pool. The city council can create additional dedicated loop on its website containing a ll the
plans for the future of the city both from government and non-government entities. This is a one-stop
approach that will enhance accessibility by the users.
The waste management strategy of the city is impressive and exemplary, but detailed attenti on is
required in some aspects of cleaning the city, especially the track at the rail station (outward to Dyce).
This, perhaps, could be a dent in the overall success of the waste management efforts.
To enhance the drive of low carbon agenda for the city , priority should be accorded to expanding
bicycle friendly infrastructure. This with a view to promoting strong bicycle culture among the city’s
residents.
Complimenting and symbolizing the “Energy Capital of Europe” status, the city needs to explore energy
tourism as part of its approaches. Projects and programs that will utilize 100% renewable energy in its
processes and operations may be conceived around the energy tourism. This will generate local
businesses, diversify the revenue base of the city on long term basis, demonstrate to the global
community the possibilities and ideals of utilizing renewable energy in everyday activities, and further
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 44
strengthen the position of Aberdeen as a leading green city. Some of the iconic buildings or public
spaces in the city may be considered for this idea.
5.2 CONCLUSIONS
In the transformation bid of Aberdeen from fossil fuel economy to green economy, the city has
demonstrated resourcefulness and capability to articulating a roadmap and political will in implementation.
Although, there are noticeable aging and inadequacy in the infrastructure, but the efficiency and
functionality of the existing infrastructure has put the city in the frontline of cities with modern infrastructure.
Its compact urban development has shown dynamism and ability to respond to the needs of the residents
and visitors in the area of housing, water, energy, transportation and general living conditions.
The city’s strategy of logical implementation of plans, engagement of residents, collaboration and
partnership with multiple stakeholders and creating conducive business environment for the private sector
to execute tactical urban development projects has proved to be successful.
A fundamental observation in the overall growth of Aberdeen is that autonomy granted to the city in 1996
has not diminished the performance and ability of the city to deliver resilience, livable and sustainable
environment to the residents, rather it has seen the city taking a bold step to become a global benchmark in
green economy and reduction on the impact of climate change.
While the city need to be conscious of the issues observed in this report, the experience of Aberdeen in
going green is nevertheless, a pathway for other cities both in developed and deve loping countries.
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 45
PICTURES GALLERY
Robert Gordon University at Schoolhill Talisman Sinopec Oil Company, Holburn Street
University of Aberdeen, Old Aberdeen Soul Casino, Union Street
View of River Dee from Wellington Road Jurys Inn at Union Square
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 46
His Majesty’s Theater
St. Nicholas Kirk - View from Schoolhill
Pedestrians Crossing at Union Street Office Complex Opposite Aberdeen Harbour
Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Center, Energy Park
Vehicular Traffic at King Street
Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 47
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Aberdeen – City of Old Modern Infrastructure 49
Aberdeen CITY OF OLD MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE
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