Create Natural Infrastructure
Natural infrastructure is an urban design approach that uses natural ecosystems to deliver services that traditionally might have used engineering methods. For example, a concrete channel and a living stream will both convey water from the catchment to a river but a living stream will also provide multiple benefits such as improving water quality, providing habitat and biodiversity, cooling and an area to be enjoyed for passive recreation.
Natural infrastructure is to be preferred wherever it is feasible as it provides multiple environmental (improved air and water quality, reduced urban heat, flood mitigation, increased biodiversity), social (improved community interaction, physical and mental health and better child development), and economic (tourism, reducing infrastructure costs and improving property values) benefits. ‘Free’ ecosystem services provided to us by nature.
Natural infrastructure may be blue or green. Examples include swales, living streams, rain gardens, wetlands, (blue), native verges and street trees, ecological corridors, multifunctional parks and conservation areas (green).
This section provides resources to help you learn about or empower you to create natural infrastructure.
Resources
'Living Stream Lite'
Pippa Constable with Jeremy Maher and Jane Chambers A NatureLink Perth Intern Project with Water Corporation
‘Living StreamLite’ is a stripped back version of a traditional living stream conversion focusing on a single basic element: riparian trees. By planting of locally endemic Melaleuca rhaphiophylla (swamp paperbark), across suitable drain sites considerable ecological, environmental, and social benefits can be gained. As an intermediary solution, this initiative aims to produce rapid benefits in a straightforward and cost-effective manner while ensuring drains can retain the potential to be developed into full-scale living streams in the future.
You can download the information guide, practical support tool or get all the info in Pippa’s full report.