GREEN BUILDING GUIDE
Australia $53 billion by 2031 if left unchecked. All of
these issues amplify and compound other problems
that individuals, families and communities are facing
– problems like stress-related illness, mental health
issues and community disengagement.
The strategy outlines actions for resilience across all
of these areas. For example, the Metropolitan Urban
Forest Strategy was developed to mitigate the heat
island effect and improve soil moisture, while the
Neighbourhood Project is creating public spaces that
facilitate community cohesion.
At the same time, initiatives to make insurance more
affordable for low- and middle-income earners in
Melbourne foster economic resilience and bolster the
city’s ability to bounce back when disasters do occur.
When you look at cities that have faced major
environmental catastrophes, you can see how
important these kinds of economic and social initiatives
are to long-term sustainability.
For example, studies have found that as few as 53 per
cent of those displaced following Hurricane Katrina
in New Orleans in 2005 had returned to the city one
year later. More than a decade on from the disaster,
many of the worst hit areas are still littered with vacant
blocks where residents simply have not returned to the
community to rebuild.
This has a lasting impact on the city from both a
cultural and economic perspective, not to mention for
the individuals whose community connections and
networks of local support have been severed.
The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council
has developed a fact sheet to help organisations consider
how they can contribute to city resilience. ASBEC argues
that resilient systems share specific attributes. They
are flexible, and can easily adopt alternative strategies
in times of crisis. They are reflective, and use past
experiences to inform future decisions and actions.
Resilient cities have robust and integrated systems that
have spare capacity when an acute shock hits. They are
also inclusive and resourceful – fostering a sense of shared
ownership, and looking for better ways to use existing
resources in both good times and bad.
Here in Australia there’s a real focus on housing
affordability as a pathway to enhanced urban
resilience. For example, the affordable housing levy
program at Sydney’s Green Square has seen more than
100 affordable rental housing units built, with a target
of 230 more for the suburb.
GOVLINK » ISSUE 3 2016
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