Key Takeaway:

• Role of woman in architecture at the turn of 20th century

• Importance of hand-drawing in architecture

• Importance of designing with indigenous environment

• Griffin’s work on selecting location for Port Stephen’s project – “New York of Australia”

• Griffin’s first contact with Aboriginal culture at Port Stephens and learning about their relationship with the land

• Story of establishing “ideal suburb” of Castlecrag, “Paradise on Earth”

• Principles of road design on sloped terrain

• Wider role of architects

• Municipal battle

         Key Takeaway:

• Realities of achieving the success – realizing project

• Struggle with bureaucracy

• Dedication to the idea

• Diverse roles of architect – from planning, landscaping, development manager, technology innovation, engineering, community builder

• Adopting various cultural influences and interpretations

• Building of Castlecrag community

         Key Takeaway:

• Understanding of some basic concepts in the current NSW planning system

• Instructions on where to find relevant information (NSW Planning Portal)

• Relevant strategic planning documents: Hunter Regional Plan 2036 (NSW Government) and MidCoast Council Local Strategic Planning Statement

• Brief overview of planning heritage at North Arm Cove

• “Paper subdivision”

         Key Takeaway:

• Various levels and interpretations of sustainability

• Triple bottom line – social, economic, environmental

• Eco-centric (deep and moderate), anthropo-centric, techno-centric and cornucopian world views

• “Carrying capacity” of Earth

• Faith in technology?

• Consumption? Reuse, repair, recycling?

• Energy – preservationism, conservationism, increased consumption with renewables

• Architecture and construction – hi-tech and low-tech

• Use of Tech and AI – links at 36:30 (algae video)

• Green rating tools – with questions. Performance gap? LEED Brain?

• Use of technology by older population

• Precent based systems

• Narara Eco-village, Hamilton Island

• Social sustainability

         Key Takeaway:

• Robotics and AI and impact on planning and design

• Use of big data and its potential

• Is there difference in implementation in urban and rural areas?

• Performance in design

• Apps that can help community – citizen engagement

• Interaction between designers and community/users

• Impact of new technology on local economy opportunities

• Private sector and community interactions

         Key Takeaway:

• Providing infrastructure is expensive enterprise

• Long repayment periods

• Rising community expectations

• Problems with rapid growth cities

• Staging

• Funding – public and private

• Political issues/influence – votes

• Drones and on-demand public transport

• Issuing bonds (in US) could lead to difficulties in difficult times

• Value capture – positive externality – increase in land/property value due to introduction of infrastructure

• Can government benefit from value capture on its own land – increased revenue, affordable housing?

• Introduction of infrastructure increases tax revenues and rates too

• Denver station, Hong Kong mass transit rail, Gold Coast light rail

• Opportunity for land owned by Council

• Example of infrastructure costs (roads)

• Council as developer (Muswellbrook same region) using their own land

• Rezoning done by different body (conflict of interest by Council)

• Defence as developers and funders – Newcastle airport/Williamtown Airbase?

         Key Takeaway:

• Importance of established goals to apply appropriate technology

• Saving time, reducing anxiety and stress

• Improving communication

• Sensors, data collection and interpretation for benefit of users

• Targeting outcomes (positive and negative)

• Improving safety – analytics

• Community management – providing improved services at time when needed at reduced cost

• Community title, shared resources

• Multiple micro-grids aggregation into virtual power plant`s (VPP)

• Various types of storage (chemical, mechanical/potential, crypto)

• Challenges – intermittency, electrification/transport, regulation, ownership, equitable distribution of costs and benefits, robustness, consumer expectation

• Examples – Toronto downtown (Sidewalk Labs), Atlanta, Georgia – autonomous vehicles public transport, WA Virtual Power Plant

• Pumped hydro storage – combined with water storage? Hydrogen, crypto

• Types of batteries – efficiency and “speed” or release

• Smart houses, advantages, and challenges – return on investments

   Key Takeaway:​​

• Infrastructure delivered on community level

• Superannuation management funds interested in delivery and management of infrastructure

• Water/sewer management/recycling can be integrated in urban/sub-urban environment

• Utilities could be delivered individually (water, sewer, power, data) or integrated

• Important to change community expectations and perceptions – COVIF-19 provided opportunity to re-assess our “normal” views

• Shift to resilience – self-sufficiency – ability to cope with change

• Reliance on data and online services

• Reduction of consumption, Reuse, Recycling, Cogeneration …

• Infrastructure operators are interested in delivering quality infrastructure to last long term

• Treatment facilities can be cost-effective for as little of 500 people/lots

• Community solutions “embedded networks” most sustainable and cost effective

• Challenges: Social acceptability important for delivery (drinking recycled water), Environmental impact, Practicality – doable, scalable, Regulatory – permissibility, Bureaucratic, Technological changes, Financial – funding, risk, viability, Political

• Examples in NSW, Sydney, Hunter (2000 to 20000 customers)

• WICA act enables private providers for water infrastructure

• Benefits for community

• Private funding options including Value Capture

• There are no technical or compliance reasons for not delivering community infrastructure in NAC. Various funding options available.

   Key Takeaway:​

• Different approach to democracy

• Informed decision making

• People dissatisfied with state of democratic process

• Difference between “public opinion” and “public judgement”

• Looking for compromise, middle ground

• Examples of the decision-making process – activities

• Principles of deliberations:

• Democratic lottery (random selection),

• information,

• time,

• influence not authority,

• ask genuine question,

• Dialogue, not debate, free response

• Examples of “citizens jury” in local government planning

• Planning system ideal role for “citizens jury”

• ”show, don’t tell” – run project instead of talking about them

   Key Takeaway:​

• NAPHN Policy Resource Guide – resource for presentation and further research

• Thinking of systems and ideas about restructuring current approaches

• Rethinking building energy policy – integrated framework

• Energy code calculation is implemented late in development process when crucial decisions have already been made – too late for improved outcomes

• Energy code should be looked at at early urban design and even at urban zoning/planning

• Increased density of cities improves/reduces carbon footprint – “Green Zoning”. Large suburban lots are less sustainable

• “Articulated” urban and building design is increasing carbon footprint – less sustainable

• Education of planners needed for sustainable planning

• Planning, urban design, architectural design, energy policy can’t be looked at individually and expect optimal design – “silo” system approach

• Passive House is comprehensive/integrated system – having scientific approach to measurable performance

• Similar systematic approach should be applied to policies – integrated approach towards improving efficiencies – Zoning, Design regulations, Building codes, Energy codes

• Cities are more sustainable way of living than rural villages

   Key Takeaway:​

• Managing Stormwater – safety and environmental sustainability

• Collection of stormwater in domestic or communal storage – used as pottable water

• “Grey water” collection, treatment, and usage for technical purposes – increasing efficiency of water usage.

• Benefits – Environmental protection, Improved livability, Sustainability, Diversification (Resilience)

• Challenges – Planning and regulatory framework, Spatial impact on development , Costs/investment, Public Perception

• Principles of stormwater management and waste water and grey water management

• Lot-based and precinct-based opportunities.

• Provisional costs and examples provided

• Precinct based system from 50 and scalable

   Key Takeaway:​

• Building beyond “net-zero” – creating urban environment that acts like nature

• Brussels – Passive House system is mandatory in construction and planning

• High-performance planning and construction is cost effective (same cost or less than usual construction)

• Examples of zero-energy projects

• Illustration of impact of ocean level rise on NAC

• 5 points to future-proof architecture (buildings and cities)

• Climate in Australia similar to various other parts of the world where high performance buildings are already implemented.

• Creative use of technology in design process and planning

• Permacities – regenerative cities

   Key Takeaway:​

• Why high performance buildings – not only energy saving

• Health, sustainability and affordability has to be addressed early in project – planning

• Health can’t be recovered in the future.

• We spend up to 90% of our time indoors,

• Temperature, moisture, and quality of air impact our health

• Sustainability – 37% CO2 emissions in building industry – big savings possible

• Housing is biggest expense in lifetime – saving on buying or renting is making everything else more affordable

• Information  provided on how to achieve healthy, sustainable and affordable homes through using Passive House standard

• Passive House – filtered air, permanent temperature and humidity range

   Key Takeaway:​

• Review of planning tools through history

• Publicly available planning tools in NSW/Australia

• Design/planning software