melbourne's bushfires: isn't it time to reflect new urban strategies?

8/14/2019 Melbourne's Bushfires: isn't it time to reflect new urban strategies?

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Victoriasbushfires:timetoreflectnewurbanstrategies

BEATRIZC. MATURANA | ARCHITECTSFOR

PEACE| PHDCANDIDATE, UNIVERSITY OF M

ELBOURNE | PROCESS@LOOP 4May09

Victorias Bushfires: isnt it time to reflect new urban strategies?

1. initial responses

2. the logic of reconstructing the same3. a sombre opportunity that we have not yet grasped4. a collection of scattered buildings dont make a town5. some suggestions


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First reactions

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erald9February20

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Premier John Brumby"Brumby Warns of Worse to Come." Kerry O'Brien, ABCNews, 7:30 Report (9 February 2009).

Dr.Nicholsontheotherhandwarnsof therealchancethatsomecommunitiesmay

neverberebuilt,whilealsonotingthatthedevastationinVictoriapresentsasombre

opportunity.OscarMcLaren,"BushfireTragedyRewritesRulesforArchitects,"ABCNews (11February

2009).

Larger pieces of land in the outer suburbs or suburbs in the bush are more affordable. AsGeorge Megalogenis notes, the population in the worst affected areas lived in an extensionof Mortgageville: communities with more children, and parents with less education, thanthe national average. George Megalogenis, "On the Edge," The Australian14 February 2009.

VictorianPremierJohnBrumbyrecommendsthatbuildingcodesneedrevision.

ArchitectLindsayJohnstondiscussesfireresistanthousesandtheconstruction

of underground bunkers in areasprone to bushfires, while also adding that

urban sprawl exacerbates the danger for these communities. Oscar McLaren,

"BushfireTragedyRewritesRulesforArchitects,"ABCNews (11February2009).


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Reconstructing the same brick by brick, said some defiant politicians.

Together we will rebuild each of these communities brick by brick, school by school,community hall by community hall. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in, B. Nicholson and D.Rood. We'll Rebuild Brick by Brick. The Age11 February 2009.

Contextual:

Global

warming

Emotional:

compassion

more of the

same: but

lets make it

tougher

Comprehensive short-term

technical solution


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Life between buildings some perceptions and implications

a sombre opportunity to be grasped

A threat Enjoyment of nature Social, cultural and economic Strategic All of the above


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Life between buildingsa collection of scattered building dont make a town

Some issues:

people v/s the road community cooperation spatial signifiers lack of collective modes of transportation cultural identity

Some issues: the bushfires threatened not only lives and property, it alsothreatened Melbournes ecology, agriculture, economy, communicationservices, power supply and water.


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Life between buildingsa collection of scattered building dont make a town

G. Davison discusses Australian cities and its deficiency in regards to social spaces. SeeGraeme Davison, "The European City in Australia, (2001). Note that Australia has one ofthe highest green house emissions per capita in the world.


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Opportunities to address some of the issues have not beengrasped

density and urban fringe

morphology car dependency the role of public transport social-economicdisadvantage and exclusion climate change andperipheral living


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Some suggestions:

density can be an advantage to some of

the local population less car dependency can bring manybenefits to populations living in the urbanperiphery public transport might present anopportunity to tackle more than justtransportation perhaps it is time to think of collectiverather than individual solutions to ourpredicaments. time to work in a cross-disciplinaryfashion


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Nature rebuilds itself within its own system. We are foreign tothat system and we need to reflect new urban strategies thatassists us to live with nature.

Find related article at:http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=8707
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=8707http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=8707


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melbourne's bushfires: isn't it time to reflect new urban strategies?

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