Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design Workshop

BSUD is a relatively new approach to urban biodiversity conservation which focuses on urban design. The aim is to create suburbs that are a net benefit to native species and ecosystems by providing essential habitat and food resources. It recognises the importance of well-designed and managed urban areas in conserving native flora and fauna, with significant links to maintaining the health and wellbeing of the community and on mitigating some of the impacts of climate change.

An essential part of BSUD is an integrated planning approach that draws on a range of disciplines, perspectives and knowledge such as: Traditional Kaurna knowledge and other First Nations groups, planners, ecologists, hydrologists, landscape architects, developers, community groups, community engagement experts, researchers, etc.

It can also overlap with the concept of urban greening depending on the project. Urban greening usually aims to increase vegetation cover to provide more livable landscapes, however BSUD aims to achieve specific biodiversity conservation outcomes. Over time the overlap is likely to increase as we better understand our local environments, communities and the needs of each.

The workshop will help you better understand BSUD and include presentations by the researchers who designed the framework - Georgia Garrard (University of Melbourne) and Sarah Bekessy (RMIT) - as well as case studies and group discussions.

This will be a great opportunity to meet and learn from the researchers, as well as network with other people and potentially create some awesome collaborative projects!

As part of the workshop we would like to work through potential local project ideas and discuss what the barriers and opportunities might be to incorporate BSUD into the landscape. If you have a project idea for a specific location, ideally something within the urban fabric, that you would like to be considered for a case study and group discussion, please submit a few dot points (background, objectives) and map to [email protected] by COB Monday 2nd August.

Arrive at 9am for a cuppa and chat, ready for a 9.30am start. Finishing at 12.30pm.

Morning tea will be provided.

Any questions please contact [email protected]

**IMPORTANT: This event will be capped at 50 people to ensure meaningful interactions and discussion. If you miss out, please put your name down on the waitlist. This will allow us to:

(i) contact you if a spot becomes available;

(ii) determine if there is enough interest to potentially run another event in the future.

If you book a ticket and then can no longer make the event, please cancel this ticket so it can be made available to someone else.

Additionally, we will be videoing the event and will make it available online at a later date.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Sanctuary, Adelaide Zoo, Plane Tree Drive, Adelaide, Australia