Epic Ecologies:An Eco-Innovation Precinct for

Christchurch

Dr Dushko Bogunovich

Assoc. Professor of Urban Design

Dept of Architecture & Landscape Architecture

Unitec, Auckland

Epic Ecologies:An Eco-Innovation Precinct for

Christchurch

Dr Dushko Bogunovich

Assoc. Professor of Urban Design

Dept of Architecture & Landscape Architecture

Unitec, Auckland

Epic Ecologies:An Eco-Innovation Precinct for

Christchurch

Dr Dushko Bogunovich

Assoc. Professor of Urban Design

Dept of Architecture & Landscape Architecture

Unitec, Auckland

“The Creative Corner” should be about

“eco-innovation” – innovation in

sustainable design & green technology

(clean-tech; eco-tech)

What is happening with this

urban planet?

What is the future of cities??

URBAN SUSTAINABILITY?

URBAN SUSTAINABILITY:

1. Resilient Regions

2. Sustainable Sprawl

3. Innovative Infrastructure

Future City = RR + SS + II

URBAN SUSTAINABILITY:

1. Resilient Regions

2. Sustainable Sprawl

3. Innovative Infrastructure

150 x 200 km

Climate Change

Global warming is accelerating…

Global warming…and weirding!

Cities depend too much on urban

infrastructure … RISK !

“vulnerability”

Cities depend too much on urban

infrastructure … RISK !

“vulnerability” ….

RESILIENCE

The new ideal efficiency …. AND sufficiency

More than just the ‘car

dependence’ problem…

L

o

n

d

o

n

Cities are dissipative structures….entropy is their ‘natural’ state, but…

Linear metabolism

Linear metabolism

Circular Metabolism>>>

Urban Sustainability - ot about density, or ‘compactness’,

but about:

• Resilience of the whole urban regions;

• ‘sustainable sprawl’ (green bdgs & minimal, clean transport;

• Green Infrastructure

(RR + SS + GI)

Urban Sustainability - ot about density, or ‘compactness’,

but about:

• Resilience of the whole urban regions;

• ‘sustainable sprawl’ (green bdgs & minimal, clean transport;

• Green Infrastructure

(RR + SS + GI)

In summary:

Questioning the link between density and sustainability

‘Compacting’ the sprawl is a very limiting strategy

Cities depend on their regions – why separate them?

Resilience is becoming bigger issue than sustainability

Urban infrastructure will change profoundly (TT; ITC; ET; GI)

‘Sustainable sprawl’ is possible (but conditions apply!)

Polycentric decentralisation is OK! This in fact is NOT ‘sprawl’…..

THE NEW URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE:only the local nature and decentralised technologies are reliable

Rather then fighting an uphill battle to protect the ‘rural character’ and conserve the habitat, we should engage the remaining nature and covert it into ‘green infrastructure’ and use its ‘ecological services’. We need more ‘working nature’.

The whole urban infrastructure concept needs to be re-examined in the light of new, decentralized, distributed, clean technologies. ET + ICT + TT. Decentralisation will remain a powerful force in shaping the city of the 21st century and will reduce reliance on big technical systems.

Green Infrastructure

Conclusion The new urban sustainability paradigm is about a regional approach;

smarter use of low density areas; and hybrid infrastructure. In other words, it is about creating a symbiotic relationship between the city and its region; enticing polycentric development with multiple densities across the entire region; and an integrated mix of green, blue and grey infrastructure

Most of the urban landscape is suburban and peri-urban. However this is not the parasitic suburbia of the 20th century, completely dependent on urban infrastructure. This is a productive, low-density landscape, populated with partly autonomous properties which are supported by a highly decentralized, ‘smart’, ‘clean’ and literally green infrastructure.

……..The only realistic strategy is to make Global Urban

Sprawl sustainable while retaining its present density, as it is

easier to change the design of buildings and infrastructure

than the entire urban form and structure. In the end, on top of

being more sustainable, such urban sprawl would be more

resilient too.

An urban transformation on

epic scale!