Dr Janis Birkeland Earth & Environment ︱ Dr Birkeland, with co-authors Birte Christina Renger and David J. Midmore, discuss the positive role buildings could play in carbon sequestration. Buildings

are currently a major CO2 source but the usual approach is to compensate Eco-positive design: for the emissions from a building’s Moving beyond ecological restoration operation, and not the emissions used in resource extraction and construction. They show quantitatively that, with a With a background in art, ities and buildings have greatly CHANGING OUR BUILT different approach to design, buildings architecture, planning and law, improved human life but at a ENVIRONMENTS could sequester more CO2 than they Dr Janis Birkeland from the C huge cost to the planet around Dr Birkeland has long advocated changing emit over their full lifecycle (Renger et al., University of Melbourne is well us. We have decimated the very thing the way we think about and 2015). By designing buildings to support positioned to understand and that ultimately sustains us – nature ecological design. What is now called substantial and permanent planting, address the current obstacles itself. According to the World Wildlife ‘’ only aims to carbon amortization can be achieved to sustainability. As the Fund, for example, 50% of the earth’s improve upon best practice – which is far far earlier in the building’s lifecycle originator of net-positive design biodiversity has been lost in 50 years from ecologically and socially sustainable. compared to using only renewable energy and development or ‘Positive (WWF, 2018). At its core, Positive Each construction project diminishes the systems. They propose a simple tool Development can be one with the natural landscape. Development’ theory, Professor Development theory, set out by Dr earth’s life support systems. Dr Birkeland to assess performance. Birkeland believes that cities, Birkeland in her 2008 book, posits that attributes our failure to aim beyond ‘do buildings and infrastructure, the built environment can create a positive no harm’ to ‘closed-system’ thinking It is crucial that buildings compensate Positive Development proposes fixed the ‘built environment’, could relationship between natural and human which limits our perspective to reduction, for the ecological damage caused by past become sustainability solutions. systems – moving beyond the goal of recycling and restoration. “Despite more development – which they suggest is only baselines to measure progress in lieu However, different systems of ‘minimum negative impact’ to buildings positive rhetoric, sustainable urbanism still possible if ecology becomes an intrinsic of current practices. urban governance, planning that increase net benefits for both nature aims to enhance the good and mitigate part of a building’s design and assessment. and design are needed if and society. The idea that buildings and the bad—not to increase the life support Dr Birkeland introduced the idea that can be modified for many different island effect, air quality etc.). Positive buildings are to measurably cities could give back more than they take system” (Birkeland, 2012). buildings could be designed to support contexts, functions and aesthetics. Development outlines new analyses to “give back more than they is now gaining currency, but this has not ecosystem functions and services identify and design for sustainability gaps take” to nature and society. been matched by the uptake of ‘eco- To reverse the devastating effect that (Birkeland, 2002). Building-integrated Dr Birkeland argues that each new in the area. Big data analytics will allow Her mission has been to define these changes. positive’ standards, methods and tools our current form of development has ecosystems can provide for the production construction should address social more comprehensive planning analyses, that can make this a reality. had on the planet, future generations of clean air, water, soil and many other and economic deficiencies in the but the issues that are now considered and the less fortunate among us, we need public benefits of natural systems, surrounding area and make positive and mapped must be expanded. to move from decision-based to design- while improving life quality and amenity environmental and community Net-positive sustainability will require a based thinking. The infuence of decision (Birkeland, 2009). For example, take contributions. However, many wholesale shift in the way the construction theory in urban planning and design ‘green scaffolding’ – structures constructed sustainability issues are not yet considered industry, city councils and designers think. has limited us to choosing between poor around, between or inside existing in planning analyses, design guidelines or options with negative, or at best neutral, buildings that support carefully-selected the assessment of the social and economic BIODIVERSITY OFFSETTING ramifications. Choosing the lesser of micro-habitats, ecosystem services criteria (which cover everything from ‘Offsetting’ is a term that is becoming two evils doesn’t cancel out the long- and biodiversity. There is no simple one- community engagement to stakeholder more widespread – the idea of using one term cumulative negative outcomes. size-fits-all approach. Each building is as participation, recreational value, health (positive) action to compensate for another Design-based approaches can create unique as its setting. However, adaptable and well-being etc.), and environmental (negative). A common example is where more positive options with multiple design ideas such as green scaffolding criteria (which include microclimate, heat airline companies allow you to pay extra benefits. Further, existing social and ecological problems are not effectively Net Positive Development (2008) weighted and addressed: we measure CC BY-SA 2.0 The creation A representation of the idea of expanding the ecological base and public of positive synergies estate to create surplus eco-services and public amenity. the wrong things in the wrong ways. between urban and Positive Development is a revolutionary regional or ‘rurban’ areas Net positive Green represents the ecological base, or total stock of natural capital way of designing the built environment Design for Ecological development - an (energy, healthy soil, water, air, biota, etc) and ecosystem goods and services eco-services (urban) restoration (rural) increase in the (production and absorption functions), biodiversity, ecological health and to create truly symbiotic outcomes ecological base resilience, bio-security, etc). It is the life-support system and means of survival. for the ecology and the community. Natural capital White arrows represents the reduction of the resource stocks and flows and Existing Greening built Eco-productive eco-services eco-services are (ecological base) in urban and rural development. While partly driven by environment farming, NET-POSITIVE BUILDINGS forestry, being eroded despite population, the design of production and construction systems can make a People are beginning to look more etc. mitigation measures bigger difference to sustainability than even population reduction. In other words, people in some regions consume hundreds of times more resources and more at architecture as a way to drive than people in other regions. Impacts of the Impacts of industrial changes toward social, economic and built environment agriculture, fishing, Ecologically responsible practices (eco-efficient production, farming, environmental sustainability. However, forestry, etc. forestry, , ‘responsible’ mining, etc) can mitigate the impacts the methods to assess the impact of these Population-related issues of development (rep-resented by downward arrows). Design for eco-services can actually increase the ecological base, public estate and carrying capacity design strategies are fawed – measuring (represented by upward arrows) or the ‘roof’ of the new structure.

Picture credit: Rory Hyde, Flickr. Originally published under negative and up to zero but not beyond.

www.researchfeatures.com changes to cities to reduce the impacts of natural disasters (fire,f oods, cyclones, earthquakes, etc.), provide ‘direct’ access Behind the Research to basic needs, or address social problems such as economic and racial segregation. The other proposes urban biodiversity Dr Janis Birkeland credits for development, but these would not increase net ecological E: [email protected] T: +61 042 608 6559 carrying capacity or alter the nature of buildings. They assume that ‘leaving things better than you find it’ is good References enough. Instead of measuring the distance Research Objectives from current unsustainable conditions Birkeland, J. (2018). Challenging policy barriers in sustainable Dr Birkeland critiques ‘sustainable development’ concepts and practices, Positive Development development. Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, and tools as being about incremental improvements on a measures the distance to sustainability. 40(40), 41–56. DOI: http://doi.org/10.2478/bog-2018-0013 failed model of development. She outlines the necessary It proposes various fixed baselines to changes in systems of planning, decision making and design Janis Birkeland & Stephen Knight-Lenihan (2016). Biodiversity to enable net-positive outcomes. measure progress, such as pre-industrial offsetting and net positive design. Journal of Urban Design,

Picture credit: Rory Hyde, Flickr. Originally published under CC BY-SA 2.0 ecological conditions. 21:1, 50-66, DOI: 10.1080/13574809.2015.1129891 Positive Development would increase the ‘positive’ of nature. Despite the immense challenges, Birte Christina Renger, Janis L. Birkeland & David J. Detail Midmore (2015). Net-positive building carbon sequestration, Dr Birkeland contends that eco-positive Building Research & Information, 43:1, 11-24, DOI: Dr Janis Birkeland Positive Development measures distance cities are attainable. Governments 10.1080/09613218.2015.961001 Honorary Professorial Fellow from sustainability instead of the distance can at least ensure a basic standard Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning of living, equal opportunity and long- Janis Birkeland (2012). Design Blindness in Sustainable University of Melbourne from current unsustainable conditions term environmental security for all their Development: From Closed to Open Systems Design VIC, Australia Thinking, Journal of Urban Design, 17:2, 163-187, DOI: citizens through built environment design and practices. 10.1080/13574809.2012.666209 standards. Cities offer a vast amount of Bio Before entering academia in Australia, Dr Birkeland was to offset the carbon footprint of your Even if every urbanised area was to put vertical space that can be used to provide Janis Birkeland (2018 in press). Eco-Positive Cities, in Ashish an architect, planner and lawyer in the USA. She chose fight. Biodiversity offsets often include in place restorative measures such as ecosystem services, public spaces and Kothari, A., Salleh, A., Escobar, A. Demaria, F. and Acosta these fields to gain insights into the barriers to ecological methods to make up for biodiversity these, they would not actually compensate environmental amenities. Retrofitting A. (eds) Pluriverse: A Post-Development Dictionary. Delhi, Authors Up Front and Tulika. sustainability and social justice. Her PhD was Planning losses caused by a development, such for our past and present adverse (renovating) concepts such as green for Sustainability (1993) and books include Design for as regenerating degraded habitats or effects on the natural environment. The scaffolding, play gardens, retrofit modules Birkeland, J. (2009). Eco-Retrofitting with Building Integrated Sustainability (2002) and Positive Development (2008). permanently reserving land in another ‘ecological footprint’ (the equivalent land and solar cores can contribute to multiple Living Systems. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment location. In a 2016 paper, Dr Birkeland and water area used in development) public benefits in urban areas. Urban Conference Proceedings. Delft, Netherlands, www.sasbe2009. Collaborators and her co-author Stephen Knight-Lenihan already exceeds the earth’s regenerative ecosystem enclaves could also provide com/ Dr Birkeland is associated with the Thrive Research Centre, University of Melbourne. gave an example from the New Zealand capacity. Development should, therefore, a hedge against ecological uncertainty Janis Birkeland (2008). Positive Development - From Vicious Government’s biodiversity offsetting compensate for a portion of the and eventually be used to regenerate Circles to Virtuous Cycles through Built Environment Design. legislation. Here, when one ecosystem cumulative damage of development the bioregions. Dr Birkeland presents London, Earthscan. has to be removed for a development, it in general by, for example, increasing a Positive Development Test as basic Personal Response Janis BIrkeland (2002). Design for Sustainability: A Sourcebook is the developer’s responsibility to restore ecological space, carrying capacity and criteria for development (Birkeland 2018). of Integrated Ecological Solutions. London, Earthscan. You mention the role of governments in ensuring another nearby habitat. Doing this might biodiversity. The positive development WWF [World Wildlife Fund] (2016). Living Planet Report 2016: a minimum quality and security of wellbeing. involve implementing improved land movement is the way forward: creating The transformation can begin immediately What steps would you like to see put in place Risk and resilience in a new era. Gland, Switzerland: WWF. management practices and the removal innovative design frameworks that put by the eco-positive retrofitting of cities, at a government level to ensure that positive Available at: www.wnf.nl/custom/LPR_2016_fullreport/, DoA: of grazing animals, for example. However, the life support system of the planet – its because efficiencies in energy and development becomes the design template for the 21.02.2018. such actions do not increase nature, only ecology – front and centre in the system. water and reductions in health costs future? remediate it. can pay for themselves in a few years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_Development Our systems of governance and decision making ECO-POSITIVE GROWTH and offset the sustainability measures were designed before there was any real awareness of Dr Birkeland and Knight-Lenihan suggest There are many building regulations (Birkeland, 2008). As Dr Birkeland says: ecological issues, let alone natural resource limits. They that these current offsetting methods that set minimum health and safety “Sustainability requires not only disruptive underwrote resource allocation and confict resolution do not go far enough: “Phrases such standards, urban policy declarations that innovations and radical worldviews, but processes that respected the rights of stakeholders. as ‘no net loss’ of biodiversity in nature set aspirational targets, and building the reformation of design and decision- However, there can be no fairness among present and future generations without sustainability, including or ‘net zero’ ecological impacts in rating schemes that certify a building’s making frameworks on ethics-based environmental equity, security and sound ecological construction … only move the finish line performance – all of which Dr Birkeland and eco-positive principles. Decision- foundations. The book Positive Development (2008) closer to the starting gate.” We should believes fall well short. Earlier this making systems can make better choices, proposes a system of eco-governance that can address be aiming for a positive infuence – not year, Dr Birkeland published a paper but only design can create more and the ethical issues underlying sustainability. Currently, just a zero outcome. The authors highlight challenging such standards and strategies, better choices.” It is time to change the governmental reform is highly unlikely. However, that our current attempts at sustainability using two recent and important policy goal posts of urban planning, decision existing legislation and rules could be tweaked are not enough to even balance the documents as examples. One states making and design to go beyond aiming to require development to have positive purposes and public benefits. equation, let alone shore up some degree principles for urban development but for “no harm” to aim for “net good”. of resilience within the ecological system. these would not result in adequate

www.researchfeatures.com www.researchfeatures.com