THE SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE TOUR explores Melbourne’s goal to be a sustainable ‘carbon neutral’ precinct by 2040. Is that possible and how? Our walking tour visits leading buildings and places demonstrating sustainable architecture, design and planning. Locations we visit depending on accessibility on the day and may include the Federation Square carbon neutral precinct, Hosier (social sustainability), Birrarung Marr precinct, BHP Billington or St Collins, Degraves recycling precinct, Council House Two, Green Lanes, Hero Apartments, St Collins and other contemporary and historic locations. modern buildings. Tours are normally 2.5 hours commencing from Federation Square.
Key architectural and design strategies (see below) in Melbourne include biophilic design, biomimicry, biodiversity, retrofitting (Millenium 1200), tree cover, green facades and roofs, rain gardens, nature in the city strategy, rooftop, beehives, recycling and waste disposal, litter traps, alternative transport, Green Star/NABERS ratings, water harvesting, wildlife protection, urban and cultural ecosystems, renewable energy, funding, research and cyber data. How do we find large-scale solutions to the increasing urban populations and the new megacities?
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Overall brilliant!
RMIT University Industrial Design School
ROUTE (Our route can vary on the day according to weather, construction and time available).
- Federation Square (design, cultural hub, carbon neutral)
- Flinders Station
- Atrium, Fed Square (biodiversity, thermal labyrinth)
- Atrium terrace (megapanels, Eureka/108, rain garden)
- Birramung Marr Park (tree strategy, water strategy, Indigenous strategy, retrofitting, solar.)
- Hosier Lane (agglomeration strategy)
- Flinders Lane (BHP star six Nabers)
- Swanston Street (metro rail development, transport, ‘smart’ technology)
- Degraves Lane (civic spaces, recycling)
- CH2 Melbourne City Council (biophilia)
- Russell Street (Hero apartment, retrofitting)
- Return to Federation Square.
CHALLENGES AND THREATS
An estimated 55,000 residents live in the core central activities district of Melbourne with up to 900,000 people visiting weekly. Melbourne’s urban population will double over the next 20 years. Greater Melbourne will be Australia’s largest city with 8 million people by 2055. Pressure is increasing on the environment, buildings, open space, businesses, transport and people. All species in our urban ecosystem will be impacted by climate change, storm and flood events, extreme dry periods, rising seas and heat.
WHAT MUST WE DO?
Sustaining healthy and liveable spaces in Australia’s fastest-growing city (and indeed the planet) is the defining challenge of our time. We need to use smarter architecture and design technologies, save waste, use greener energy, improve social equality, cool our city with plants , walk and cycle, protect our wildlife and stop pollution. To reduce, re-use and recycle. We must plan and educate ourselves together: Schools, communities, homes, businesses and governments – we cannot do it alone.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?
Sustainability means being in balance – balancing today’s consumption and waste with tomorrow’s needs. Sustainability also aims for a society with respect for nature, human rights, economic justice and a culture of peace. To survive we need new and ‘greener’ models of environmental management, social responsibility and economic practice. Our Government accepts that our climate is heating up due partly to greenhouse gases from burning carbon-based fossil fuels such as coal and oil. This is why Melbourne City has strategies (below) to stop the increase in carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere (net zero emissions) by 2020.
MELBOURNE DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE FOR A SUSTAINABLE GREEN FUTURE
Nature in the City. Ten-year strategy to connect people to nature, and improve urban ecosystems and biodiversity of Melbourne including plants, soil, insects, birds (239 species), mammals and frogs. Managing issues such as air pollution removal, carbon storage, urban cooling, healthy soil, stormwater control, wind abatement, water filtration, and nutrient recycling.
SEE:
- Carbon neutral Fed Square
- Urban ecology or ecosystem strategy: Study and management of the interactions between all living creatures and their physical city environment including blue (river), grey (built) and green (parks) networks.
- Caring for Country: Utilise land management and cultural practices of traditional owners.
- Urban Forest Strategy. Doubling the tree cover in the City of Melbourne by 2040 to reduce inner city heat temperature, improve water use and adapt to climate change. There are currently 77.000 trees.
- 1200 Buildings Program: Foster the environmental retrofit of two-thirds of the commercial stock to improve water and energy efficiency 38% to eliminate 383,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year. VIDEO
- Watermark Strategy. Improve water recycling and stormwater purity, reduce mains water consumption 40%, increase water capture from alternative sources. Melbourne Walks is a member of the Yarra Riverkeepers Association.
- Zero Net emissions by 2020: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35 percent, reduce household and commercial waste, reduce energy use from non-renewables 50%, and increase renewable green energy use to 45% of demand. Create a voluntary carbon trading precinct. Invest in carbon sequestration. VIDEO
- Create our own Wind Farm!! With 14 partners – universities, business, local govts. Reduce 96,000 tons of greenhouse. VIDEO
- Waste and Recycling Strategy. Degraves Street, Kirks Lane, Lacey Lane, Stevensons Lane. VIDEO
- Degraves Street Recycling facility. 392 tons diverted from landfill.
- Biophilic design: The new $9 billion underground metro.
- Green Lanes. Turning your small neighbourhood green.
- Sustainable Gardens and urban food production to maximise the health of the city, ourselves and the planet.
- Melbourne Rooftop Project: Gardens, solar and cool roofs mapping. In June 2017 there were 78 roofs vegetation, 755 roofs solar panels, 322 roofs solar hot water systems. Rooftops could potentially carry 236 hectares (heavy) and 328 hectares (light) of garden ie almost 1400 acres!!!
- Bike share: 600 bikes, 51 stations, $3 per day.
- Melbourne Bicycle Plan. Increase to 10% of traffic by 2030. There 51 bike share stations with 600 bikes. However, 3400 commuter bikes were stolen in five years. RMIT Building 80 secure bike room.VIDEO
- Melbourne Walking Plan. Walking safely creates a vibrant city, increases well-being, economies and reduces fossil fuels. Increase to 30% of all trips.
- Walking connectivity/knowledge economy Increase walking connectivity by 10% = $21billion per annum.
- Green Star and NABERS ratings Buildings use 40% of the world’s energy. NABERS measures their efficiency. One star is poor. Six stars is market leader.
- E-waste locations. Reduce the 1000,000 tons of waste TV, PCs and phones per year.
- Alternative housing models – the Nightingale Model Sustainable social cheaper housing e.g The Commons
- Female Lights. Gender quality and ‘unconscious bias’. More education of girls reduces populations and greenhouse gases.
SCHOOL SUSTAINABIBILITY RESOURCES
- How to be a citizen forester in Melbourne
- Getting started with sustainability in schools
- Get resourced by Sustainability Victoria
- Make your school a Greenhub with help from Greening Victoria
- Green Money: Earn rewards by changing home, work, school
- Suscribe free to The Fifth Estate
- Science Data and Sustainability
SCHOOLS: RESEARCH SUSTAINABLE DATA FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR MOBILE PHONE!