The garden of villages

New foundations for regional development

Rethinking our settlements Arup sees the opportunity to showcase the potential of an integrated design approach to Urban-Rural Ecology that can future proof both farming and residential communities in one development proposal. Current planning and design separates farming and residential communities, both consuming too much of unsustainable resources. Creating sustainable futures A sustainable future of our settlements is much more interconnected creating rural-urban ecologies - integrating energy, water and waste systems - closing water, nutrient and carbon cycles future proofing both residential as well as farming communities. Our integrated design thinking helped us understand and identify the synergies and opportunities in the design of sustainable communities, tackling the future challenges of climate change and resource shortages, rethinking our cities and settlements, doing much more with much less.

A U S T R A L I A P T Y LT D

ENERGY
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Central Energy Plant

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Food

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Biogas

Inorganic Waste Organic Waste

Biowaste

FUTURE PROOF FARMING

Fruit, Fish, Vegetables, Poultry

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Central Waste Facility

FUTURE PROOF LIVING

Fertiliser

Inorganic Waste

Towards the Ecological Age In recent decades there has been a strong realisation that there can be no viable future for humanity without a healthy planet. Our current economic system and our ways of living are destabilising the planets life support systems, the very systems that support us and the future of our children. A global transition is underway to move into an ecological age of human civilisation moving us to a sustainable way of living within environmental limits, allowing for continued human development, genuine prosperity and population growth, while adapting to climate change impacts. New Foundations for regional development Arup in partnership with Managed Growth Australia developed an alternative model for sustainable rural development. The Garden of Villages a concept which is founded on sustainable and closed loop systems, integrates food and fuel security with water collection, waste management and attractive living environments. It can redefine the Australian contemporary village by establishing self-contained integrated networks of farms and villages creating opportunities for sustainable attractive livelihoods in regional communities that are future-proof and well adapted to the challenges of climate change and peak oil. The concept is deemed applicable across many regions in Australia. The Garden of Villages outcomes The outcomes of a Garden of Villages proposal can be measured across a range of indicators such as food security, farmers productivity and chemical dependency, farmers income, reduced carbon emissions, increased water efficiencies and increased diversion of waste going to landfill.

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Bio Nonpoteable Sludge Water

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WATER
Water Storage Water Treatment

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Arup 2009

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Our Services Include Resource Flow and Business Case Modelling Masterplanned Urban-Rural Design Integration Technology Assessment and Optioneering Planning Applications and Approvals Investment and Sponsor Attraction

100% 75% 50% 25% 10% 0% 100 80 50 10 50 30 100 100 100 100 100

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Food security
4 fold increase

Farmers productivity Chemical dependency 2 fold increase ten fold decrease

Farmers income
2 fold increase

Carbon emissions
3 fold reduction

4 fold reduction

Water use

Waste to landfill
5 fold reduction

Business as Usual

Urban-Rural Ecology

www.arup.com