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Item How then could we live? Towards the pragmatic creation of sustainable ecological habitus in cities : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Management at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2018) Taylor, Alice DenaCreating ecologically sustainable ways of life is desirable, necessary, and urgent for the collective future of life on Earth. Although this is acknowledged, aspired to, and increasingly pursued in action, broad-scale sustainability remains unrealised. Western cities offer a strategic place to exemplify and accelerate global sustainability transitions. Such cities are characterised by dense human populations with excessive per capita resource use, but they can also be cornucopias of economic development, progressive politics, and diverse culture and correspondingly act at global hotspots of innovation and change. This exploratory research proposes pragmatic backcasted pathways for furthering such change, constructing future visions of more sustainable ways of life in Western cities, identifying present day barriers to realising these, and generating practical solutions ‘here and now’ that could contribute strategically to overcoming the barriers, towards a sustainable future. An insight and foresight rich distillation of evidence-based knowledge and practical experience was generated to inform these pathways, through qualitative interviews with 25 esteemed experts specialising in fields of socio-ecology and cities, including planning, design, sociology, psychology, philosophy, art, activism, economics, and government. To analyse this data and conceptualise alternative pathways, ‘ecological habitus’, an emergent socio-ecological theory, was developed and employed as a practical framework for conceptually linking broad-scale socio-ecological issues with everyday practice; analysing the inter-dependent variables (e.g. normative, material, social, and psychological) of social reproduction and change; and assessing their sustainability at different scales (e.g. individual and institutional). Two components were added to the theory: ‘natural capital’ (the ecological/biophysical factors within socio-ecological relationships), and 'ecological reflexivity’ (people’s responses to natural capital whether intentional-critical, periodic-conscious, or routine-subconscious). These enhance ecological habitus as a versatile tool for socio-ecological and sustainability-transition research. The ultimate research outcomes are three backcasted pathways towards a future of ‘sustainable ecological habitus’, which could begin pragmatically with: collaborative practice among city authorities to develop as ecologically-reflexive sustainability leaders and overcome disciplinary silos; strategic enrichment of cities with accessible, place-based natural capital to enhance human nature connection; and everyday self-, or socially-directed sustainability micro-interventions among city-dwellers, to incrementally grow mainstream sustainable ecological habitus. These actions combined could accelerate sustainable ecological habitus in Western cities and beyond. The power is ours.Item Sustainable ecological systems and urban development in New Zealand : a wetlands case study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ecology at Massey University, New Zealand(Massey University, 2013) Palmer, Karen ThelmaThe destiny of urban wetlands lies largely in the hands of the urban planners. The results of this study suggest that planners are underestimating the importance of the urban wetland with irreversible consequences. The ecological integrity of natural systems like wetlands is inevitably compromised when they occur in urban environments. The Resource Management Act 1991 altered the approach to urban development from being entirely anthropocentric to one of consideration of the environment in which such developments were planned. Supposedly, adherence to the Act has resulted in a more focused approach to environmental outcomes in district and regional plans. However, this research into the effects of urban development on urban wetland riparian areas identifies a lack of appreciation of their structure and function. Eight palustrine wetlands were assessed for health and riparian function. They comprised two non-urban wetlands that provided the best-available ecological data on wetland health and six urban wetlands. Ecological indicators and urbanisation data were incorporated into a multi-metric model (named the Urban Wetland Health Index) to evaluate the biological health of urban wetlands. A key finding of this research is that the urban wetlands have poor ecological health and functioning indicated by excessive nutrients and algal blooms. Other key findings included the inadequate structure and function of the wetland riparian areas; the loss of riparian habitat associated with a lack of indigenous vegetation; the minimal cultural values given to the urban wetlands; and the negative impacts of urban imperviousness and inadequate stormwater infrastructure on wetland health. Notably, older residential areas that had poor stormwater connections to appropriate drainage also had the least healthy urban wetlands. The role of stormwater runoff in compromising the health of the urban wetlands was not addressed in the 2010 Kapiti Coast District Plan Review documents regarding Landscape and Biodiversity. These documents guide the development of the ‘second generation’ district plan. The Urban Wetland Health Index was found to be robust and reliable with this research. It was designed to address a gap in the tools available to planners, ecologists and other professionals seeking to assess the impacts of urban development on urban wetland ecosystem health. This Index is an important tool for use by councils in reviewing their district plans and undertaking plan changes. The incorporation of ecosystem services science into their policies and plans, and the understanding of the value of urban wetland ecosystem services, is needed to foster urban sustainability.Item Auckland and sustainable neighbourhoods : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Resource and Environmental Planning at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand(Massey University, 2011) Ford, MarilynProjections for continued growth in Auckland create pressure to expand an already spread-out city. It is essential that housing supply can meet growing demand, but it is also important that new developments support healthy lifestyles and a healthy environment. A key issue in striking such a balance is the way in which new developments are deemed fit for purpose. This research uses a model of neighbourhood sustainability to assess housing in Auckland neighbourhoods. There are two key questions which the research aims to answer: how sustainable are Auckland neighbourhoods, and is there an ‘Auckland approach’ to neighbourhood sustainability. Case studies were made of eight neighbourhoods, four recent Auckland developments and four international developments documented in literature as being exemplary of sustainability in some way. The four Auckland neighbourhood developments were evaluated using a Neighbourhood Sustainability Observational Tool by Beacon Pathway (2008b). The observational assessments showed that the sustainability performance of the neighbourhood cases was reasonable overall, and a common area of strength was the delivery of quality public spaces and street networks. Comparison of the Auckland case studies to the international case studies showed that the common strengths of the Auckland examples were also areas of strength internationally. The international neighbourhoods demonstrated a greater range of sustainability initiatives, however. In particular, if the Auckland cases paid greater attention to the provision of community-based infrastructure, and social equity, they could achieve a more whole expression of neighbourhood sustainability.