Native Networks
Joint Winner of the 2022 AA Prize for Unbuilt Work
About
We need to begin sharing our cities.
Climate pressure is urging us to wild our cities, creating environments which provide refuge for plants, animals and insects. The latest estimation by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a 1.5 degree temperature increase by 2030 - 2052. This will have a devastating impact on biodiversity and food security.
The City of Sydney highlights that a major threat to biodiversity in our city is not only the lack of habitat availability but the lack of habitat connectivity.
This proposal seeks to address these issues through the creation of an Indigenous Flora Network. By using the Central and Eveleigh train lines to link the Royal Botanic Garden, Hyde Park and Sydney Park, the network becomes a connecting device between these important parklands and creates new urban habitat for our endangered indigenous flora. The proposal seeks to re-invent both the typical urban street condition and our existing rail lines to encourage urban biodiversity.
The Flora Network is to be populated with a range of Australian Native Plants. This creates additional habitat for the 501 Flora and Fauna entries listed under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act in the Sydney Basin Bioregion. In particular the Green & Golden Bell Frog, Long-Nosed Bandicoot and Powerful Owl, identified as endangered species in the city of Sydney LGA by the NSW Government Office of Environment and Heritage. It will also increase the presence of a wide variety of insects and most importantly, pollinators, with designated areas for native flowering nurseries as well as apiaries.
The network requires the immediate urban street condition to be challenged, reducing car lanes, implementing bike lanes and prioritising connecting gardens and elevated nature strips. Buildings become frameworks for native Australian plants to grow and reclaim the city. The effect of increased plant and tree coverage promotes the cooling of the city through their transpiration and reduces the risk of flooding as water is absorbed and collected through gardens, whilst excess is drained and recycled to sustain the ecosystem.
The Network bridges over Central train lines as an extension of Royal Prince Alfred Park while connecting Surry HiIls to the newly zoned ‘Tech Hub’. As Royal Prince Alfred Park is aimed toward sport and recreation, the extension over Central will facilitate various types of habitat for endangered species. The network will be divided into microcosms of forest, wetland and grassland habitats, increasing biodiversity. It will also provide opportunity for education on the sustainable practices of Indigenous Australians with an Indigenous Bush Food Farm, teaching forthcoming generations how to respect and sustain native Australian Flora.
The Network’s aim is to promote a symbiotic relationship between all of the city’s inhabitants both human, animal and plant. This connection is encouraged through pathways, cycleways, pavilions & sculpture, transforming a daily commute into an immersion in nature. The network captures the opportunity Sydney’s existing rail networks could provide in increasing urban biodiversity, whilst recognising the role conserving biodiversity plays in improving the quality of life for Sydney’s residents.
The Project is located on Gadigal Land.
Joint Winner of the 2022 AA Prize for Unbuilt Work
