Victoria’s Bushfires: isn’t it time to reflect new urban strategies?

1. initial responses
2. the logic of reconstructing the same
3. “a sombre opportunity” that we have not yet grasped
4. a collection of scattered buildings don’t make a town
5. some suggestions

strategies
e to reflect new urban
Victoria’s bushfires: tim MELBOURNE | PROCES
S@LOOP 4 May 09
VERSITY OF
CE | PHD CANDIDATE, UNI
| ARCHITECTSFORPEA
BEATRIZ C. MATURANA
 an 
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h e re  ution  o  inc   bush hanges News, 7:30 Report  (9 February 2009).
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Larger  pieces  of  land  in  the  outer  suburbs  or  “suburbs  in  the  bush”  are  more  affordable.  As 
George Megalogenis notes, the population in the worst affected areas lived in an extension 
of  “Mortgageville:  communities  with  more  children,  and  parents  with  less  education,  than 
the national average”. George Megalogenis, "On the Edge," The Australian 14 February 2009.
Victorian P
remier  Joh
Architect  L n Brumby r
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of  undergro nston discu that  buildin
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" ABC News  nities.  Oscar   that 
 (11 Febru ary 2009).   McLar en, 

strategies
e to reflect new urban
Victoria’s bushfires: tim MELBOURNE | PROCES
S@LOOP 4 May 09
VERSITY OF
CE | PHD CANDIDATE, UNI
| ARCHITECTSFORPEA
BEATRIZ C. MATURANA
Reconstructing the same “brick by brick”, said some defiant politicians.

Contextual: more of the

Emotional:
Global same: but
compassion
warming let’s make it
tougher
Comprehensive short-term
technical solution

“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 Age 11 February 2009.

strategies
e to reflect new urban
Victoria’s bushfires: tim MELBOURNE | PROCES
S@LOOP 4 May 09
VERSITY OF
CE | PHD CANDIDATE, UNI
| ARCHITECTSFORPEA
BEATRIZ C. MATURANA
“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

strategies
e to reflect new urban
Victoria’s bushfires: tim MELBOURNE | PROCES
S@LOOP 4 May 09
VERSITY OF
CE | PHD CANDIDATE, UNI
| ARCHITECTSFORPEA
BEATRIZ C. MATURANA
“Life between buildings”…
a collection of scattered building don’t 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 also
threatened Melbourne’s ecology, agriculture, economy, communication
services, power supply and water.

strategies
e to reflect new urban
Victoria’s bushfires: tim MELBOURNE | PROCES
S@LOOP 4 May 09
VERSITY OF
CE | PHD CANDIDATE, UNI
| ARCHITECTSFORPEA
BEATRIZ C. MATURANA
“Life between buildings”…
a collection of scattered building don’t make a town

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

strategies
e to reflect new urban
Victoria’s bushfires: tim MELBOURNE | PROCES
S@LOOP 4 May 09
VERSITY OF
CE | PHD CANDIDATE, UNI
| ARCHITECTSFORPEA
BEATRIZ C. MATURANA
Opportunities to address some of the issues have not been
grasped…

 density and urban fringe

morphology
 car dependency
 the role of public transport
 social-economic
disadvantage and exclusion
 climate change and
peripheral living
 …

strategies
e to reflect new urban
Victoria’s bushfires: tim MELBOURNE | PROCES
S@LOOP 4 May 09
VERSITY OF
CE | PHD CANDIDATE, UNI
| ARCHITECTSFORPEA
BEATRIZ C. MATURANA
Some suggestions:

 density can be an advantage to some of

the local population
 less car dependency can bring many
benefits to populations living in the urban
periphery
 public transport might present an
opportunity to tackle more than just
transportation
 perhaps it is time to think of collective
rather than individual solutions to our
predicaments.
 time to work in a cross-disciplinary
fashion…

strategies
e to reflect new urban
Victoria’s bushfires: tim MELBOURNE | PROCES
S@LOOP 4 May 09
VERSITY OF
CE | PHD CANDIDATE, UNI
| ARCHITECTSFORPEA
BEATRIZ C. MATURANA
Nature rebuilds itself within its own system. We are foreign to
that system and we need to reflect new urban strategies that
assists us to live with nature.
Find related article at:
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=8707

strategies
e to reflect new urban
Victoria’s bushfires: tim MELBOURNE | PROCES
S@LOOP 4 May 09
VERSITY OF
CE | PHD CANDIDATE, UNI
| ARCHITECTSFORPEA
BEATRIZ C. MATURANA
 strategies
e to reflect new urban
Victoria’s bushfires: tim MELBOURNE | PROCES
S@LOOP 4 May 09
VERSITY OF
CE | PHD CANDIDATE, UNI
| ARCHITECTSFORPEA
BEATRIZ C. MATURANA