CENTRAL BRISBANE LANDSCAPE STUDY REPORT

LUKE BRINSMEAD - N6297498

DLB330 - PEOPLE AND ENVIRONMENT

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CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 OVERVIEW 3

1.2 CENTRAL BRISBANE LANDSCAPE STUDY AREA 3

1.3 METHODS 4

2.0 CENTRAL BRISBANE LANDSCAPE BACKGROUND

2.1 GEOGRAPHY 5-
9

2.2 CULTURAL HERITAGE 9-

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3.0 CENTRAL BRISBANE LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE APPRAISAL

3.1 STRUCTURE MAP 14

3.2 ATTRIBUTE TABLE 15-17

3.3 NETWORK DIAGRAMS 18

3.4 FLOWS DIAGRAMS 19

3.5 APPRAISAL OF LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE 19-20

4.0 FOCUS AREA LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE REDESIGN

4.1 FOCUS AREA LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE APPRAISAL 21-22

4.2 FOCUS AREA LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE REDESIGN 23-24

5.0 DESIGN DISCUSSION

5.1 USES OF LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN 24

5.2 LIMITATIONS OF LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN 25

CONCLUSION 25

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REFERENCES 26

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 OVERVIEW

The Central Brisbane Landscape Study Report analyses an aerial photograph with a scale
of 1:25,000 to outline and trace patches, corridors and networks which were used in a
landscape ecology context. The report begins with methods, then moves into cultural
history and geography; landscape appraisal and structure which includes structure a map,
associated attribute tables, a network and flow diagram; following that is the focus area
appraisal and redesign, which uses the upper right quadrant of the aerial photograph; the
discussion and conclusion discusses how the method of landscape ecology is useful and
summarizes major points from the findings. This report aims to aid landscape architects,
town planners and urban designers to better design/plan and redesign/plan on a spatial
scale to increase ecology, human equality and well being, natural capital and ecosystem
services.

1.2 CENTRAL BRISBANE LANDSCAPE STUDY AREA

Image 1: Satellite Photo. Source: Google Earth
Image 2: Aerial Photograph of Brisbane city and its nearby surrounding suburbs.
Source: Sun Maps

Brisbane is the third largest city in Australia with a population of around 1.6 million in the
greater metropolitan area. The city is located in the southeast corner of Queensland
(27.5°S, 153°E) and is 960km north of Sydney and 97 km north of the Gold Coast. Greater
Brisbane comprises over 180 suburbs and localities and covers an area of 1,141 km2.
Brisbane has a subtropical climate with temperatures ranging between 20-29°C in summer
and a very pleasant 9-20°C in winter. Brisbane has an average annual rainfall of
approximately 1150mm and 242 days a year of sunshine (BOM, 2009). Since the middle
of the 20th century, much of the farmland was replaced by suburban subdivision and some
medium the high density buildings. Queen Street was developed along the line of the first
convict buildings, they were purposely built there to be above a severe river flood level (de
Vries, 2003). Immigrants from southern Australia, the UK and Europe were attracted to
the rapidly developing town and sought opportunity to be lumberjacks, farmers and
craftsman who could then afford to purchase allotments of land, favouring hilltops which
provided a scenic and surveillance view over the farmed landscape (de Vries, 2003).

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1.3 METHODS
This form of map uses the land mosaic concept originally developed by Richard Forman.
Mapping principles such as boundary convolution and straightness as well as contrast and
granularity were used to aid the mapping. Maps are a form of data, should be made as
accurate as we can manage by the application of certain conventions that you will learn
about in the tutorial, but are never to be regarded as the whole story (Satherley, 2009).
The principals of landscape ecology were used as a foundation for this report.
Landscape ecology is the spatial pattern or structure of landscapes, ranging from
wilderness to cities, the relationship between pattern and process in landscapes, the
relationship of human activity to landscape pattern, process and change, the effect of
scale and disturbance on the landscape (Satherley, 2009). By knowing how the
landscape is arranged, whether naturally or not, it provides people with a better
understanding of the connections between each component and how a person’s design
could influence the landscape.

One of the primary ways this spatial variation is interpreted and represented in landscape
ecology is in the form of Land Mosaics: described by the Patch-Corridor-Matrix Model
(Satherley, 2009). The Patch-Corridor-Matrix Model in landscape ecology is one of the
tools people can use to interpret and design for landscapes, these complex
interdependencies of human and nonhuman functions and forms (Satherley, 2009). The
patch-corridor-matrix model can be viewed as being like a mosaic, comprising three main
structural landscape units: patches, corridors, and the matrix which sort of ‘glues’ them all
together (Satherley, 2009). As patches are relatively homogeneous areas that differ from
their surroundings, the difference of granularity and contrast between patches and
corridors was the main tool for categorizing different landscape units. Outside the
boundaries of patches and corridors is the matrix, it exceeds the total area of any other
landscape unit: it is the dominant landscape type within which the patches and corridors
sit, the ‘background.’ ‘The matrix covers an extensive area, is highly connected, and
controls landscape or regional dynamics … it encloses and affects patches, as well as
corridors’ (Forman 1995, p. 277). For the structure map of this report, Polylines were
drawn around these patches and corridors to distinguish them from each other, inside
these outlines different hatches were used to differentiate each landscape category.
Attributed tables were formed from the structure map to document each patch and
corridor’s attributes such as area size, edge convolution and shape.

Historical geological and cultural literature was researched to provide a better

understanding of the subject site. The major geological events over the past 300 million
years were used, as these events have had the most profound influence on the landscape.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Regional Ecosystem mapping service was used to
locate different forest types and whether any ecosystems include any endangered species.

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2.0 CENTRAL BRISBANE LANDSCAPE BACKGROUND

2.1 GEOGRAPHY
During the late Devonian and Carboniferous periods, circa (c) 370 to 300 million years ago
(mya), Australia was still part of Gondwana (Willmott, 2004). The coastline was much
further inland and a volcanic mountain chain developed along the edge of the continent as
a result of an oceanic crustal plate being subducted under the continent, see image 1A
(Willmott, 2004). As a result friction melted rocks to form magma which then rose to the
surface and was erupted as volcanic lava (Willmott, 2004). These events took place
along much of the east coast, from Mackay to Newcastle and is known as the New
England Fold Belt (Willmott, 2004). Large amounts of sediments eroded from the
volcanic mountain chain and deposited on the continental shelf were some settled and
remained (Willmott, 2004). At the end of the Carboniferous period, c 300 mya, there was
an episode of compression and intense deformation of the deep water sediments, see
image 1A (2) (Willmott, 2004). They became hardened and converted into rock by
pressure, heat and cementing materials such as silica which as a result formed meta-
sediments (Willmott, 2004). The subduction process beneath the continental edge
reduced by the end of the Carboniferous period (Willmott, 2004).

During the preceding early Permian period, c 286 to 265 mya, the crust beneath the
continental shelf edge relaxed, subsided and extended laterally, as a result shallow seas
spread across the continental edge and deeper basins, such as the Esk Trough in the
Brisbane Valley, subsided, see image 1B (Willmott, 2004). New sediments were
deposited atop of the previously deformed meta-sediments, however the crust still had a
high heat flow which melted some magma (Willmott, 2004). Further to the east from the
early Permian to mid-Ttriassic times (280 to 235 mya), volcanic rocks and marine
sediments ere being deposited, possibly along an offshore island arc above a new
subduction zone, or in shallow seas behind it, see image 1C (Willmott, 2004). From mid-
Permain to mid-Triassic times (about 265 to 235 mya) the continental edge was subjected
to major periodic compression, known as the Hunter Bowen Orogeny, see image 1D
(Willmott, 2004). The crust again relaxed and extended in the late Triassic period (235 to
215 mya), with renewed heat flow and further eruption of volcanic and generation of
granites, but no meta-sediments as a result, see image 1E (Willmott, 2004). After the
volcanic-intrusive episode in the latest Triassic times (215 mya) the continental edge
became much more stable.

Small flood plains developed in valleys in the mountains of the meta-sediments and the
volcanoes. Despite some lingering volcanic activity, the older rocks were gradually
covered by shales, siltstones and sandstones deposited in and beside these rivers
(Willmott, 2004). Coal seems formed in swamps on the flood plain, these deposits were
most prominent around Ipswich and Brisbane (Willmott, 2004). At the end of the Triassic
period and extending into the Jurassic (about 215 to 180 mya), more extensive areas
began to be covered by sediments brought down by much larger streams. Large
volumes of sand and gravel with some silt were deposited in braided channels and flood
plains of high energy rivers to the west and south of Ipswich, and north of Brisbane, see
image 4 (Willmott, 2004). In the latest Jurassic to early Cretaceous times (around 140
mya) the easternmost edge of the continent was again subjected to deep crustal heating,
possibly as a result of renewed subduction process to the east of the present coastline,
see image 5 (Willmott, 2004). In the early Tertiary period (65 to 45 mya) several small

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basins subsided across the region as a result of the tension in the continental crust, see
image 6.
This was probably a legacy of the tension related to the opening of the Tasman Sea
(Willmott, 2004). During the mid and late Tertiary period (30 to 22 mya), eastern
Australia, although essentially stable, was the scene of extensive volcanic activity, which
left as its legacy remnants of large volcanoes still visible today, see image 8 (Willmott,
2004). Many of the mountain national parks near Brisbane were formed by these
volcanoes. After the volcanic episode of the mid-Tertiary, erosion continued and the
landscape as we know it began to take shape. While the climate was still moist one or
more periods of deep weathering and leaching created deep soil profiles, termed lateritic
profiles (Willmott, 2004).

Figures 3: Geological Events, source: Willmott, 2004

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Figure 4: Brisbane Soil Classifications, source ASRIS/Google Earth.

The main soil type in the study area is Hydrosols, with some Ferrosols around Kangaroo
Point area, some Chromosols south east of Brisbane and some Rhodosols to the south
west of Brisbane.

Figure 4: Historic Palimpsest (Author photos) Figure 5: Subtropical Adaption – Shade

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Figure 6: Brisbane Metropolitan Regional Ecosystem Map, source: EPA (2009).

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Within the study area the following regional ecosystems can be viewed in figure 6:

12.1.2: Saltpan vegetation including grassland and herbland on marine clay plains.
12.1.3: Mangrove shrubland to low closed forest on marine clay plains and estuaries.
12.2.15: Casuarina glauca open forest on margins of marine clay plains, classified as
ENDANGERED.
12.3.5: Melaleuca quinquenervia open forest on coastal alluvium, classified as OF
CONCERN.
12.3.6: Melaleuca quinquenervia, Eucalyptus tereticornis, Lophostemon suaveolens
woodland on coastal alluvial plains.
12.3.11: Eucalyptus siderophloia, E. tereticornis, Corymbia intermedia open forest on
alluvial plains usually near coast, classified as OF CONCERN.
12.3.14: Banksia aemula woodland on alluvial plains usually near coast, classified as OF
CONCERN.
12.5.3: Eucalyptus tindaliae and/or E. racemosa open forest on remnant Tertiary surfaces,
classified as ENDANGERED.
12.9-10.4: Eucalyptus racemosa woodland on sedimentary rocks.
12.9-10.17: Open forest complex often with Eucalyptus acmenoides, E. major, E.
siderophloia ± Corymbia citriodora on sedimentary rocks.
12.9-10.19: Eucalyptus fibrosa subsp. fibrosa open forest on sedimentary rocks.
12.11.18: Eucalyptus moluccana open forest on metamorphics ± interbedded volcanic.
12.12.14: Shrubby woodland usually of rocky near coastal areas on Mesozoic to
Proterozoic igneous rocks, classified as OF CONCERN.
(EPA, 2009)

2.2 CULTURAL HERITAGE

When commandant Henry Miller and his men first arrived into the Brisbane city region
many of the local Aboriginal clans were displaced and felt they were being squashed out,
and literally thats what happened. Surrounding the white settlements were local
indigenous people with their spears defenseless against an opponent with gun weaponry.
After some quarrels with the locals Miller and his team found themselves settling in the
triangle of land, now know as the city CBD. It was chosen by commandant Miller
because it provided a safer location from Aborigines as well as having less chance of
Malaria compared to the original Redcliff settlement site (de Vries, 2003). The Ngundari
and Yagura Aboriginal clans previously roamed through this area until the settlement,
which was known for its scenic water views (de Vries, 2003).

The first stone buildings of the Moreton bay settlement were constructed by convicts, the
first of which was the Military Barracks, built in 1828 (de Vries, 2003). Queen Street was
developed along the line of the first convict buildings, they were purposely built there to be
above a severe river flood level, see figure 7 (de Vries, 2003). Some of the stores in the
newly developing Queen Street included a butchery, tannery, fellmonger and a drapery.
Stone buildings were constructed of sandstone, while some composed of a small amount
of granite on ground level. The courier building, designed by architect Richard Gailey,
was one of the first tall buildings in Brisbane, fives stories high.

Apposite from the courier building was the Australian Mutual Provident Society (AMP), it
was designed by architects Blackmann and Parks and was built of sandstone and had
replaced a collection of tumbledown wooden shops known as ‘Refuge Row’ which had
burned down several times in the past (de Vries, 2003).
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Many of the small cottages surrounding the CBD had dirt floors, timber walls, brick
chimneys, bark roofs and exterior toilets (de Vries, 2003). Surrounding these cottages
were usually fowl-runs, vegetable gardens, fruit and nut trees such as Banana, Lemon,
Orange, and Paw-Paw, larger yards had Bunya Pines, Moreton Bay Fig, Camphor Laurel
and Mango trees (de Vries, 2003).

In the late 19th century double-decker horse-drawn trams were introduced to transport
people to and from nearby suburbs within approximately five kilometres from the CBD.
Horse-drawn trams would not be replaced by electricity until 1898, by 1921 some 180
electrified trams were in service (de Vries, 2003). In the 1960s, the Brisbane City Council
decommissioned the trams and replaced them with buses. The street’s ground surface
was still unpaved by 1886, causing quagmire to form during heavy rain. In the early
1880s, Queen Street was in a very poor condition as state funds had been spent on public
buildings such as Parliament House, the Treasury Building and the Supreme Court.
Consequently, little funds were left to pave Brisbane’s dirt roads (de Vries, 2003).

More immigrants from southern Australia, the UK and Europe were attracted to the rapidly
developing town and sought opportunity to be lumberjacks, farmers and craftsman who
could then afford to purchase allotments of land, favouring hilltops which provided a scenic
and surveillance view over the farmed landscape. As the trees were removed for timber,
farmland was then made available on the flatter areas to grow Maize, Bananas,
Pineapples, Sugarcane, Cotton. Beef and dairy cattle as well as sheep were grazed on
this newly cleared land (de Vries, 2003). Security surveillance for preventing Aboriginal
attacks was also increased by default as a result of the clearing. Many of the early tracks
radiating outward from the settlement were formed by either indigenous routes or
lumberjack trails. Since the middle of the 20th century, much of the farmland was
replaced by suburban subdivision and some medium the high density buildings.

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Figure 7 (de Vries, 2003)

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Figure 8 (de Vries, 2003)

Figure 9 (de Vries, 2003)

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Figure 10 (de Vries, 2003)

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3.0 CENTRAL BRISBANE LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE APPRAISAL

3.1 STRUCTURE MAP

Figure 11: Brisbane Structure Map

The structure map, figure 11, shows Brisbane’s suburban dominated landscape 68%,
within the medium density residential greenfield spaces are found on more so on the flatter
areas in the southern suburbs. Many of the greenfield patches are highly fragmented
from one another. Most of the high density buildings are located near the major bridges,
which supplement the city apartment views at night. The river divides northern and
southern suburbs with the city also being the dividing land feature. Road and rail
networks use the city as a node to allow people to travel from north to south and east to
west.

Many of the natural patch’s edges are convoluted, particular the largest remnant patch,
however most of the built environment patches have straight edges. There is very little
remnant vegetation near the river’s edge and on the south eastern side of the river, the
only large amount is located to the far west of the study site. Most of the remnant
vegetation patches are poorly connected and are islandised by the suburban metropolis.
The patches adjoining the river or roads usually have a smooth edge on the river or road
side and a convoluted edge on the alternate side. Their boundary width appear to be
narrow where patches adjoin built environment and wider adjacent to greenfield space.

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3.2 ATTRIBUTE TABLE

Figure 12: Attribute Table 1

The matrix (low to medium density residential) area the vast, representing 68% of the
study area, it permeates through the landscape without leaving few linkages for wildlife to
enter, cross or exit. On the edges adjacent to the large remnant path the edge is highly
convoluted, whereas on the edges adjacent to medium to high density buildings the edges
have much more straightness to them. The patch’s internals are very well connected to
ultimately form the two very large patches, quite the opposite attribute for the small
remnant vegetation patches. Many of the remnant vegetation patches, which occupy just
7.3% of the subject area, are mostly rounded, with the exception of areas sounding rivers
or creeks. These islands may be the result of uncleared steep areas unfavourable to
farming or even buildings. The edges which are more convoluted may indicate steep
areas whereas smoother edge may indicate flatter ground.
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Most of the medium to high density residential patches have straight edges, typical
characteristic of man-made patches and which is more obvious as the patch size
decrease.

Figure 13: Attribute Table 2

Most of the greenfield patches have a curvilinear and partly convoluted edge, this maybe
attributed to adjoining remnant vegetation patches, cul-de-sac encroachment or because
greenfields are sometimes used by council or developers to fill the in-between
undeveloped areas. This level of convolution and curvilinearity decreases as the patch
size decreases. Much of the patches are situated on their lonesome with little or no
connection with remnant vegetation patches or other Greenfield patches.

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Figure 14: Attribute Table 3

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3.3 NETWORK DIAGRAMS

Figure 15: Network Diagram

The river’s curvlineararity is highlighted by a thick dashed line in figure 15, showing how
the river creates ‘pockets suburbs’ like New Farm, West End and St Lucia which has few
main roads within their peninsula type neighbourhoods. The level of curvlineararity also
shows the different hardness of the land’s surface, as the river deflects off the harder rocks
and penetrates through the softer material. Many of the roads are not straight, with the
exception of some roads close to the city or on flat land. All of the roads had no
convolution, which was used to help map their smooth boundaries. Many roads narrow
as they meander towards the city, indicating increased building density. However the
railway lines increase in width nearer to the city. Wildlife networks adjacent to the river
are somewhat narrow and disconnected from each other by residential houses close to the
river’s edge, they are also disconnected from nearby remnant patches.

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3.4 FLOWS DIAGRAM

Figure 16: Flow Diagram

Much of the surface water flows to the river, which can be seen in the flow map, therefore
the river can be seen as the natural sink. To the north west there is little housing which
can be used as a guess that the area is quite step which generates more surface water
flow. Any greenfield near the city was characterized as a sink for birds, as it provides
them with food and a relatively safe temporary habitat from their natural predators. Most
of the human flow in directed towards the city, indicated by the tall buildings and lack of
vegetation or green space, this therefore represents the human sink. Standout fields,
such as the Brisbane Cricket ground, can be classed as another human sink. There are
many more human sinks on this map, such as the University of Queensland, which are not
clearly shown as sink on this particular map and therefore not mapped. The large
granular commercial or industrial patches are also seen as a human sink for materials and
products.

3.5 APPRAISAL OF LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE

The matrix has a finer granularity than the medium to high density landscape unit,
indicating a detached houses with private garden buffers surrounding each dwelling. The
low to medium density residential of detached housing dominates the landscape, as a
result there is little greenfield space and remnant vegetation. This is probably due to the
automobile allowing mass people movement during the time of development surrounding
Brisbane and indeed other areas of Australia and America. Analysing the structure map,
the previous farming areas can be imagined where suburbanism has now replaced.

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It is interesting to note that no farming is practiced near Brisbane, compared to many non
automobile developed cities around the world which have many farmed fields near cities
and towns. As mentioned, the suburban low to medium density matrix area is very well
fused to form Brisbane “city” as it is known.

The area of road corridors is mapped at approximately 10%, however if all the roads were
to be mapped then this figure would easily reach 20% or more. Because most of
Brisbane is undulating and hilly in areas, most of the roads appear as meandering
networks. There is not defined legible ring road surrounding the city, which many other
well planned cities have to exclude unnecessary vehicular traffic and to clearly define its
boundaries. The roads were more clearly identified as they cut through vegetation,
providing contrast between the urban beige and the greenery.

The medium to high density patches have less greenery surrounding them compared to
low to medium density patches, causing the patches to more easily stand out and appear
more granular. These patches are found orientated mostly around the river, which are
replacing valuable ecosystem space. The city centre, being the largest of these patches,
dominates the study area by having a homogenous pattern which has little or no patches
in or near it. Some medium to high density patches were also mapped adjacent to main
roads, in terms of retail it would allow for good customer exposure to advertising and allow
for ease of delivery of products and ease of customer finding.

Remnant vegetation patches were quite easily mapped, having a strong contrast between
dark green of the canopy and beige of the building roofs. These patches are quite
homogenous, comparing to the matrix, further aiding the outlining of these patches. To
the north west of the map, the large remnant patch’s edge is being divided up by the
matrix, whereas to the east and south little remnant vegetation exists. A reason for why
little of the presumed mountain area where much of the remnant vegetation lives can be
found in sun exposure, farming on south-facing slopes in the southern hemisphere is not
as productive as farming on north-facing slopes due to the reduced sun exposure during
winter.

The edge of the waterways are smooth and curvilinear, and the corridor’s homogenous
interior contrasts greatly with the heterogeneous landscape. These attributes make the
Brisbane river such a dominant feature within the study area, even though the landscape
percentage is dwarfed by the matrix. The river divides the matrix, I am of the opinion if
there was no Brisbane River then the matrix would completely surround the city with its
islands of greenfields and remnant patches within the super matrix.

Most of the greenfield spaces are surrounded by the matrix, with the exception of the City
Botanical Gardens and Roma Street Parklands, or some adjoin natural patches or
corridors. Most of the smaller patches showed straight edges which indicated they were
parks or fields in relatively flat areas. Most greenfields contrast quite well with the urban
beige and aided the accurate outline of their boundaries.

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4.0 FOCUS AREA LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE REDESN

4.1 FOCUS AREA LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE APPRAISAL

Figure 17: Focus Area Structure Map

I chose the Brisbane city and its nearby areas to for the focus appraisal (figure 17) and
redesign as I thought the “heart” of Brisbane can become an interesting subject to work
with. The focus area comprises all bar the remnant vegetation unit, forming
juxtapositions and varying contrasts. However, most of the green fields are not
connected, such as the City Botanic Gardens and Roma Street Parklands. There is little
remnant vegetation surrounding the river near the city, however if more riparian vegetation
was in place the river’s water quality may improve and would most certainly promote safe
wildlife movement near the city.

One side of the city is swiped by a main road, which covers a riparian zone near the river
and would most certainly detrimentally affect the sense of place within the city perimeter.
Relocating the main road would possibly increase the sense of place to be more similar to
nearby pocket suburbs and reduce city air pollution. As can be seen in the structure map,
there is less Greenfield space in the focus area, with the Greenfield patches being

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Figure 18: Focus Area Attribute Table

In figure 18 it can be seen at the zoomed in scale that the matrix is broken up into smaller
patches by roads intercepting, as most of the roads at the previous scale appeared to not
clearly divide the matrix. Some of the medium to high density and greenfield patches
were trimmed a little in the zoomed process, however most retained their original shape.

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4.2 FOCUS AREA LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE REDESIGN

Figure 19: Focus Area Redesign

This redesign (figure 19) represents a consolidation of ecology and human problems
caused by poor land clearing practices and poor road planning, it is a compromise
between built environment and ecology. In summary the problems of the central
Brisbane area include: Lack of remnant vegetation, poor connectivity between each
remnant or greenfield patches, main road too close to the city, no defined city ring road to
decrease vehicular traffic inside the CBD. Few large individual patches or corridors
provide more habitat and diverse mico ecosystems within them than many small patches
or corridors. However, the Brisbane layout does not allow for large amounts of land to be
altered, instead I chose to form the large parallel corridor adjacent to the river to maximize
diversity in a perpendicular restricted site. I have proposed riparian revegetation along
select areas of the Brisbane River, the diagonal hatching represents revegetation where
possible. For example, there are medium to high density patches adjacent to the river
which have gardens which could be eco-logically retrofitted with native regional ecosystem
species, no buildings would need to be relocated for this retrofit. There are also
areas where roads adjacent to the river could be narrowed to allow for even more room for
revegetation. The nature-inspired riparian revegetation pattern flows with the and species
flow river, many remnant and greenfield patches outside the focus area would benefit from
reshaping to be more linear with nature rather than just an afterthought. Many of the
parks near the river are partly open and would benefit from a denser canopy to decrease
to level of sun exposure to people. The retrofit would allow wildlife to use the river’s
conduit the safely travel up and down the river with little risk of impediment from roads.
The revegeation would also improve stormwater runoff and the urban heat island effect
with improved infiltration and increased level of shading respectively.

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The two major gardens in the CBD are currently divided between each other by the city’s
metropolis, I am proposing a main eco-axis down Albert Street to allow people and wildlife
to traverse through the CBD to gain relatively good access to either patch. To promote
the CBD to regain its original peninsular sense of place, I have proposed the main road
adjacent to the CBD to be relocated and completely placed underneath South
Brisbane/Bank to retain their own sense of place. The relocation of this road would also
improve the air quality and ecology surrounding the city botanical garden to help recover
its more historically natural placeness. It is also hoped from this redesign that estuary
ecology will improve along the intertidal areas due to improved habitat and increased food
supply. To help encapsulate the city’s sense of place, I have proposed a small ring road
to circulate vehicular traffic on the perimeter of the CBD to decrease the dominance of the
automobile on the CBD culture and allow for better human circulation within the CBD.
Complementing this ring road would be vehicular traffic control measures such closings of
many carparks in the centre of the CBD and where appropriate roads closures inside the
ring road.

5.0 DESIGN DISCUSSION

5.1 USES OF LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Knowing the location of patches and corridors and the connectivity between them can
assist a landscape architect in better understanding is spatially organized how the
landscape interacts between each element. The attributes of natural patches such as
their convolution can be used as an ideal ecological template for designing parks and
buffering zones in new suburban areas. Knowing how fauna move through patches and
corridors complements knowledge of landscape mosaics and helps assist landscape
architects to promote ecology to move through a dominant built environment.

By knowing the percentage of landscape units, it can provide statistical information to

improve the equality of unbalanced elements within a landscape or to prevent further
monopoly of certain elements such as suburban sprawl or unnecessary roads. Features
of patches such as boundary width can provide buffering areas for patches and a more
diverse ecosystem within a natural patch. In the context of land planning management,
Forman quotes ‘think globally, plan regionally, and then act locally’ (p435, Forman (1995),
instead of think globally, act locally. Adding to this Forman also quotes ‘The perennial
challenges in planning, design and management of an area are not only to take a broad
spatial view and a long temporal view, but also address all major environmental and
human issues present’ (p436, Forman (1995). Together with this he states that on too
many occasions large areas of land are planned with only one primary object, suburban
residential living is the primary object in many suburbs of Australia since industrialization.
Forman finishes this argument by quoting ‘By focusing on the preceding principles in
landscape and regional ecology the approach is broader, incorporating cultural,
socioeconomic, aesthetic, and other human dimensions that are explicit, i.e., used in
physical planning, are schematically integrated’.

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5.2 LIMITATIONS OF LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN

In reference to this particular report, the main concepts of landscape ecology can be used
on various different scales, however if government or council do not use these principles in
their town planning guidelines then developers will continue to develop landscapes the
same way which has resulted in the problems points highlighted in this report in 3.1 and
4.1. Excluding politics from the limits of landscape ecology, the theory is limited to
guessing from map reading. For example, there are many roads and natural/human
sinks which on many resolution-restricted, non hybrid (without suburbs, roads and major
nodes) maps cannot be generated. However, if a hybrid map was used then this could
be overlaid over an aerial map to map these landscape features to map the sinks. In
general however, there are few limitations to landscape ecology in terms of contradictions
and or impracticality. It though could prove to be a timely exercise though for some
landscape practices and therefore may not be done to reasonable level during a site
appraisal/analysis.

6.0 CONCLUSION

From the historical and geological history information to the landscape appraisals this
report has documented how previous events have ultimately formed Brisbane as it is
known presently. The information generated from structure maps, network and flow
diagrams has developed a mosaic representation of the central Brisbane area as well as
developing a discussion about its spatial characteristics. By focusing on a particular
quadrant of the central Brisbane map the same principles were applied to formulate a
structure map, a network diagram and a proposed redesign. In summary, the redesign
within the focus area represents an opportunity, not an unrealistic challenge, for future
decision makers (mostly politicians) as well as landscape architects to better improve
Brisbane’s CBD to partly restore its ecology by integrating nature with the built
environment.

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7.0 REFERENCES

Bureau of Meteorology (2009). Climate statistics for Australian locations. Accessed

25.5.09. http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_040214.shtml

de Vries, S and J (2003). History Brisbane: Convict Settlement To River City. Brisbane:
Pandanus Press.

EPA (2009) Regional Ecosystems Listing,

http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/projects/redd/listing.cgi. accessed 25.5.09.

EPA (2009). Regional Ecosystem Maps. Accessed 25.5.09.

http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/biodiversity/regional_ecosystems/introducti
on_and_status/regional_ecosystem_maps/

Forman, R.T.T. (1995). Land Mosaics: The Ecology of Landscapes and Regions.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Satherly, S. (2009). Lecture 1: Introduction to Landscape Ecology. Brisbane: Queensland

University of Technology.

Willmott, W. (2004). Rocks and Landscapes of the National Parks of Southern

Queensland. Brisbane: Geological Society of Australia Incorporated, Queensland Division.

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