Model for Sustinable Conservation
linky to article: http://dirt.asla.org/2010/03/22/rewilding-a-model-for-sustainable-conservation/
In light of the discourse that still surrounds climate change, in which the consequences seems that much more immediate - the issue of biodiversity then can be forgotten. From its conservatory roots, the environmental movement has evolved leaps and bounds.
The problem I have found with rewilding,is that beyond the rather piecemeal economic incentives, there is little binding the community with the project in te long term. Yes, using economic mechanisms can be one of the best ways to implement such green-projects, but sometimes (without some wealth of literature at hand) it can be difficult to counter arguments addressing immediate needs of individuals taking precedence over environmental concerns.
The encroachment of habitats by human development is one of the underlying tensions. With an increasingly urban population, this means that cities will have to bear most of this growth. To do this, and with spatial restricting on horizontal growth, this would mean increased densities [ we shan’t go into argument on the merits of compact cities, nor New Urbanism, thats for another day…].
What really interests me, is the immediate reactions against the term ‘density’ or ‘intensification’. Residents seem to immediately conjure up dystopian acropolises, something in line with a sci-fi movie rather than the reality of medium rise, or even terraced housing. Hong Kong is an often cited example, yes the density is on the extreme side, but reality, it isn’t that bad. Being an Hong Kongian (or whatever the proper term is - no one seems to know) in New Zealand, I think I have the authority to comment on both models.
I realise I had sort of diverted from the article’s core ideas of ‘re-wilding’, sustainability, and biodiversity. Be that as it may, to achieve this would require requestioning of societal misconceptions on some important concepts.
linky to article: http://dirt.asla.org/2010/03/22/rewilding-a-model-for-sustainable-conservation/
