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Thriving Neighbourhoods Conference Sustainable Urban Transformations. From Urban Forest to Trans-Continental Eco-System Corridors Allan Rodger 13 th November 2012. Once upon a time there was a beautiful eucalyptus tree in Carlton .
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Thriving Neighbourhoods ConferenceSustainable Urban Transformations From Urban Forest to Trans-Continental Eco-System Corridors Allan Rodger 13th November 2012
Once upon a time there was a beautiful eucalyptus tree in Carlton The City of Melbourne called for submissions in response to its Draft Urban Forest Strategy
Starting with Design • Objective: creating sustainable processes of interaction between people and their environment
Applied Ecology • Objective: Healthier Communities in Progressively Healthier Environments
We are now starting with a doubly degraded ecosystem • 1 It is depleted and has lost biodiversity • 2 It is broken up and has lost continuity
Think of a Sponge • A sponge consists of a continuous fibrous structure that forms a very large number of holes and passageways.
Change over Time • Like all other organisms, humans started by occupying small holes in the continuous sponge-like fabric of the ecosystem • We now occupy the fabric component of that structure and have consigned the rest of the ecosystem to the holes
If our life supporting ecosystem is broken? • We had better fix it! • By systematically enhancing biodiversity, and, • By reconnecting the elements of the system to restore ecosystem continuity
We can start with waterways, major road and railway corridors and linear utility reserves as the connecting systems • and parks, existing nature reserves and flood-plains as the larger nodes
Starting with indigenous plants • Expanding the pallet • Prohibiting toxic intrusions
Action is inevitably local • But there are mutual benefits in cooperation with neighbours • From Local Governments to Cities • From Towns and Cities to non-urban areas • From the Regional to the National
There are self-similar patterns within the ecosystemFrom the very small to the very large
The repair and maintenance of the ecosystem offers a valuable, life-enhancing and culturally unifying theme acrossUrban and Rural Australia