Nature Positive Symposium 2024

The EIANS Nature Positive Cities Symposium, in Sydney, brought together practitioners from around Australia and New Zealand to share ideas on how to integrate Nature Positive principles into our urban developments.

Damian presented a paper on: The Role of Landscape Ecology in Designing Nature Positive Urban Developments.

Summary of Abstract:

Urban development and nature positive outcomes are not truly integrated within current development approaches.    The principles of urban (and landscape) ecology highlight deficiencies in current land use planning and requirements  for nature positive outcomes.  

Sydney’s inner west serves as a microcosm for examining innovative urban planning approaches guided by landscape ecology. This paper investigates how strategically implemented green corridors can act as conduits for biodiversity, connecting fragmented urban habitats and mitigating the adverse impacts of development including urban heat and stormwater pollution.  

We explore how intentional urban greening initiatives targeting focal species and measurable performance outcomes, such as minimum habitat size, corridors and linkages and availability of resources, contribute to the overall resilience   of the urban environment.  

Our findings emphasise the need for holistic approaches, recognizing the interconnectedness of urban habitats and green corridors. By leveraging landscape ecology principles, we propose actionable strategies for enhancing the ecological function of urban areas while concurrently addressing other challenges including urban heat, noise and stormwater quality.