Designing and managing biodiverse streetscapes: key lessons from the City of Melbourne

Abstract

Underutilised public spaces such as streetscapes offer substantial opportunities to integrate habitats that increase biodiversity into existing urban landscapes and create more ecologically connected cities.Cooperation and collaboration from diverse stakeholders are paramount to achieving this because growing conditions for plants in streetscapes are often much harsher than remnant habitats or urban parks and little is known about the horticultural performance of many native understorey species in these novel urban environments. This paper describes how the City of Melbourne collaborated with researchers from the University of Melbourne to develop and test a suite of understorey plant species to increase streetscape biodiversity. To do so, we selected species using criteria from a horticultural planting guide which guided the design and creation of four streetscape plantings within the municipality. Here, we document the process and discuss lessons learnt from this project to assist other cities to design, construct and maintain streetscapes with successful, cost-effective plantings that improve urban biodiversity and aesthetic value. Key to the long-term success of these biodiverse plantings was thorough soil preparation and weed management before planting, and the implementation of a clear, ecologically sensitive management plan. To support this plan, suitably quali ed and experienced landscape maintenance staff were essential, particularly those with horticultural knowledge and experience with indigenous and native plant species. Our project highlights the often con icting needs of local authorities and ecological researchers and the necessary trade-offs needed to meet realistic goals and achieve successful project outcomes for creating more biodiverse urban landscapes.

Rapid responses of bees and butterflies but not birds to targeted urban road verge habitat enhancements

“…nectar for insects and insectivorous birds, shrubs for bird nests; see Tan et al. (2022) for more detail). We selected three control sites for each impact site (giving a total of 16 sites) that had no road verge understorey plantings but similar surrounding land use and overstorey street trees to the impact site using satellite imagery (NearMap).…”

“…aspx), a plant palette of predominantly native flora designed by University of Melbourne researchers specifically to increase urban vegetation complexity and provide food, shelter and reproduction resources needed by local bees, butterfly and bird species (e.g. nectar for insects and insectivorous birds, shrubs for bird nests; see Tan et al (2022) for more detail). We selected three control sites for each impact site (giving a total of 16 sites) that had no road verge understorey plantings but similar surrounding land use and overstorey street trees to the impact site using satellite imagery (NearMap).…”

Deciphering the Evolution, Frontier, and Knowledge Clustering in Sustainable City Planning: A 60-Year Interdisciplinary Review

“…Moreover, urbanization engenders profound ecological transformations, culminating in 'urbanatura', a complex and often undesirable fusion of natural and urban terrain [5]. Having been confronted with a burgeoning global crisis, scholars have sought to synthesize urban paradigms with auspicious sustainability models: ecological urbanism [6], biodiverse city planning [7][8][9], biophilic urban design [10,11], nature-based urban planning [12,13], nature-inclusive city planning [14], and eco-friendly urban development [15]. Despite the pejorative implications associated with cities in environmental and health discourses, the imperative for urban sustainability remains undiminished.…”