BU BUSHWA YS YS BUSHWAYS So what is a Bushway Introduction A - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

BU BUSHWA YS YS

BUSHWAYS Introduction

The word Bushway evokes images…. of winding walkways, slow moving rivers, tranquil

• pen

spaces. For urban dwellers, Bushways are a quiet oasis, helping to moderate the rush and noise

• f vehicles and people. In the suburbs,

Bushways promise undisturbed pathways for walking, cycling, canoeing, or horseback riding. Rural and wilderness Bushways conserve indigenous ecosystems, offer migration routes for wildlife, protect archaeological sites, and maintain places where people can experience the beauty and complexity

• f

nature. Bushways provide communities a way to define and preserve some of New Zealand’s most precious natural, cultural and historic resources. So what is a Bushway

A Bushway is a corridor of protected open space that is managed for conservation and/or recreational purposes. Bushways are similar to the overseas ‘Greenway’ concept, with the emphasis being upon the ecological aspects, and using New Zealand indigenous flora. The common characteristics of Bushways are that they follow natural land and water features, like ridges or rivers, or human landscape features e.g. abandoned rail corridors

• r old walking tracks. They link natural reserves, parks, cultural, and historical sites with

each other and, in some cases, with populated areas. Bushways not only protect our biodiversity and environmentally sensitive landscapes, but also can provide people with access to outdoor recreation and enjoyment close to their home. Bushways

• Act as natural buffers that maintain connections to allow interchange between native

plant and animal communities

• Allow trampers, equestrians and off-road mountain bikers to use them
• Walkers, cyclists, skaters and families can use Urban Bushways, which have paved

walkways or other improved surfaces. They can be enhanced with amenities such as bench seats, picnic areas or playgrounds

• They connect parks, recreation areas, neighbourhoods and other natural or established

facilities. Bushways can incorporate walkways or trails, which can be linked to the national walkway or simply lead to the local neighbourhood shops. A Bushway is an excellent means of improving the natural beauty of a neighbourhood, it can add value to adjoining properties, increase biodiversity, help to improve water quality, reduce risk of flooding, provide trails for alternative transportation, bring revenue into a community and provide close-to-home recreation, while generally improving the overall quality of life.

Bushways in New Zealand

Biolandscape believes that the time is right to “make the connections” between the hundreds of parks and open spaces in New Zealand. We can build on our existing parks and open spaces, walkways, cycleways, ecologically significant habitat areas, and historic and cultural treasures, to create connecting green infrastructure networks. There are three basic Bushway types with variable combinations

• Ecological
• Recreational
• Cultural and Historical

Green Infrastructure - Bushways Linking Nature and People

Bushways maintain environmental quality, provide economic benefits such as tourism, increase aesthetic values, liveability and improve the quality of life for people to enjoy. Bushways can be publicly owned, privately owned or a combination of both. Successful Bushways must be the result of strong partnerships between the community, local councils, government agencies and individuals.

Urban and Rural Bushways

In cities and suburban areas: Bushways encompass natural or man-made features and can be managed primarily for resource conservation or recreation in conjunction with existing and proposed recreational walkway systems. In rural areas: Bushways of planned natural corridors linking large natural areas e.g. national parks, reserves, wildlife refuges etc. Rural Bushways protect native habitats and wildlife migration routes, and can be an impetus to restore environmentally significant landscapes.

The Bushways Vision

Biolandscape Ltd is committed to the establishment of a green infrastructure network of linked areas and open spaces, promoting the Bushways concept at national, regional and local levels. Biolandscape Ltd provides professional and technical assistance to clients, private landowners, community organisations, and governmental agencies.

Biolandscape’s Bushway Kaupapa

• Advocate for the creation of an integrated green infrastructure network of Bushways at

the national, regional and local level.

• Make available the gathering of information, materials and techniques on Bushways for

use by the community.

• Advise and consult with government agencies, private land owners, community and

corporations in the effort to plan, design and implement specific urban and rural Bushway projects.

• Provide educational materials, to catalyse community involvement.

Biolandscape’s long term vision is for bush-lined walkways, protected waterways, wildlife corridors linking habitat refuges, communities criss-crossed by bike and walking trails. Bushways connecting communities to the outdoors and to each other, forging partnerships for a sustainable future in New Zealand. This network of Bushways could link natural areas, historic sites, parks and open space providing benefits for conservation, recreation and economic development while enhancing the quality of life for people of all ages, abilities and economic means. Bushways can complement and enhance the efforts of other public and private

• rganisations throughout New Zealand. Successful Bushways will be the result of strong

partnerships between private organisations, councils, government agencies and communities.

Bushway Benefits

Bushways can make the natural connection by providing a green infrastructure network linking our nation’s special places and providing a whole that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Bushways provide numerous ecological, economic, and quality of life benefits to the communities that embrace them. Bushways not only protect and restore environmentally important land and indigenous plants and animals, they also link people with the natural world and outdoor recreational opportunities providing;

• Protection of the biological diversity of plant and animal species by maintaining the

connections between natural communities.

• The enrichment of urban and suburban landscapes with ribbons of green that improve

the quality of life and enhance property values helping to maintain ecological integrity in human dominated landscapes.

• Protection of the quantity and quality of water, a natural resource vital to people, plants,

and wildlife.

Green Infrastructure - Bushways Linking Nature and People

• Direction of development and growth away from important natural resource areas.
• Alternative transportation routes that connect people, communities, and the countryside.
• An outdoor classroom.

Cities can use Bushways to reduce public costs for storm-water management, transportation, and other forms of built infrastructure (Ecosystem Services). Perhaps the greatest value of an interconnected green open space system is the financial benefit that may be gained when green infrastructure and the biological processes they host, reduces the need for built infrastructure. When designed to include stream networks, wetlands, and other low-lying areas, a city's Bushway system can for example provide numerous storm-water management benefits, including storing, carrying, and filtering storm water runoff.

Ecology of Bushways

Naturally vegetated Bushways help to maintain key ecological processes in contemporary

• landscapes. Their design needs to be based on a detailed understanding of specific

ecological phenomena e.g. riparian buffers should reflect a clear understanding of site specific conditions such as vegetation, soils, slope, and adjacent land use. With the rising concern over environmental degradation, preventing or reversing this degradation is the key focus of Bushway projects. However often in urban Bushways restricted to a very narrow width, creating a more aesthetically appealing space may be more of a priority. None-the-less the ecological function still needs to be considered and applied if at all possible. Ecologically Bushways can help to protect natural areas and reduce the isolating, disruptive influences of habitat fragmentation on wildlife and water resources. Their effectiveness will vary according to their width, shape, location, context and other factors. Human activity generates contaminants such as eroded soil, increased nutrient levels, and toxic chemicals, which reduce water quality in wetlands, streams and aquifers. Roads and

• ther impermeable surfaces divert the drainage of rainwater that would other wise soak into

the earth. Controlled surface drainage is directly discharged into waterways radically altering the hydrology of streams and rivers. Aquatic habitats and their biota become degraded by these contaminants. Local and regional biodiversity contributes to amenities like recreation, scenic beauty, and education, helping to maintain the stability of ecosystem services such as cleaning the air and water. Bushways not only protect habitat but also have the potential to link other natural areas together and to straddle and give protection to streams and rivers. Therefore Bushways have the capacity to alleviate the affect of habitat loss and fragmentation.

BUSHWAY PORTFOLIO - URBAN PROJECT 1 Rotary Bushway Auckland

Overall Plan

Detail Planting Plan 1 – Sect: A Detail Planting Plan 2 – Sect: B Detail Planting Plan 3 – Sect: C

Typical Estuarine Ecological Vegetation Sequences

(Gilbert Brakey / Frame Group Ltd. / Auckland Council)

Green Infrastructure - Bushways Linking Nature and People

BUSHWAY PORTFOLIO - URBAN PROJECT 2 Riverlea Avenue Auckland

Overall Plan (Gilbert Brakey / Frame Group Ltd. / Auckland Council) Ecological Section 1 Ecological Section 4 Ecological Section 2 Ecological Section 5 Ecological Section 3

Bushway Uses

Bushways consist of open space or natural areas that have a linear form established along a natural corridor, or along abandoned railway easements, roads etc. Apart from the ecological benefits Bushways provide, they also have a human function such as providing routes for urban walkways, rural walking trails, cycleways, and equestrian trails. Biolandscape’s focus is on the ecological benefits of Bushways and how the recreational benefits might best fit. Bushways are especially useful because they can include a diversity

• f habitats e.g. aquatic to riparian, ranging from coastal lowland forest to alpine within a

relatively short distance, providing numerous environmental benefits. Bushways located along riparian streams and rivers enhances their aesthetic and recreational appeal to users.

Bushways and Landscape Ecology

Bushway design is highly complex, and involves unique local conditions, which can present very different issues to be solved. Because Bushways must interact with the surrounding land mosaic it is important to consider a Bushways context within the landscape. Factors, which need to be considered, include

• Bushway width
• Fragmentation
• Edge affects
• Connectivity
• Restoration of degraded systems
• Recreational use

Bushways offer a prime opportunity to conserve a region’s natural heritage, particularly where fragmentation has occurred due to development. Design of Bushways reflects that they form part of the overall landscape. Until more recently a single discipline has not existed which gave consideration to the importance of linking a diversity of sites together to enhance ecological integrity with human-modified landscapes. The recently emerging profession of Landscape Ecology helps to combine both human activities and nature at the broad geographic scale necessary for Bushway design. Bushway design endeavours to maintain ecological integrity characterised by

• Natural levels of plant productivity
• A high level of indigenous biological diversity
• Natural rates of soil erosion and nutrient loss
• Clean water and healthy aquatic communities.

Where people have substantially modified natural conditions, maintaining ecological integrity requires careful design and management of many different landscape components.

Green Infrastructure - Bushways Linking Nature and People

The Goal of Bushways

1.To conserve a minimum amount of a full representation of a region’s natural heritage. The protection of all habitat types of an area to assure the continued survival of all plant and animal species that constitutes a region’s biodiversity.

• 2. The design of Bushways as functioning conduits for wildlife that must move from one

habitat area to another.

• 3. To build in, sufficient ability, through multiple habitat type for Bushway design to

accommodate habitat change in recognition of the dynamic nature of landscape processes.

• 4. To design riparian Bushways with adequate dimensions to provide optimal protection of

waterways by filtering contaminants and maintaining natural hydrologic regimes.

• 5. To engage in ecological restoration when the existing habitat network is inadequate and to

account for the technical complexities of this restoration.

• 6. To resolve the potential conflicts between people’s aesthetic preferences and the need to

maintain continuous, functioning Bushways. Landscape Ecology provides information for the proper design of corridors and green networks that can serve as plant and animal habitat, movement corridors, as riparian buffers, and as places of enjoyment for people.

Application of Landscape Ecology to Bushway Design

A new approach to planning and design A landscape ecological approach to the planning and design of Bushways is different to the more conventional environmental planning approach. Where traditionally planning focuses

• n regulation and control using engineering solutions, a landscape ecological approach

supports a more comprehensive approach, as it gives consideration to biodiversity conservation and seeks to protect water resources with ecologically sound, non-structural (soft engineering) solutions. Bushways are sited according to the context in which they will be developed i.e. the pattern

• f landscape structure and the pattern of elements, which make up the landscape, including

the trends found in the surrounding matrix. The ease or difficulty of establishing a Bushway is directly related to the Bushways position on the landscape modification gradient. At the natural end, in natural, managed and certain agricultural matrices Bushway planning can be relatively easy. On the other hand working within suburban and urban matrices ecological Bushway planning tends to become more constrained by landscape fragmentation and increasing development pressures. Land cover mapping and land ownership mapping are pivotal to understanding the context of Bushway design, allowing an assessment of physical potential for linkage, the condition of the local matrix, patches, and corridors, and the feasibility of implementing a Bushway design.

BUSHWAY PORTFOLIO - URBAN PROJECT 3 Pakuranga Auckland

(Gilbert Brakey / Frame Group Ltd. / Auckland Council)

Green Infrastructure - Bushways Linking Nature and People

Bushway Planning and Design

Bushway design requires a thorough knowledge of the ecosystems involved and their context in the landscape. Sometimes some of the information may be already available but original research is well advised. A comprehensive study can answer most if not all

• f the pertinent design questions.

The key components of Bushway design and management are

• 1. Selecting the alignments
• 2. Setting the widths of the Bushway
• 3. Preparing site designs and management plans

Ecological Bushway Design Methodology

The methodology outlined is intended to be an indicative framework only and is not a definitive universal procedure for ecological Bushway design. Biolandscape Ltd. tailors the design process to local conditions and requirements. The Bushway design methodology addresses biodiversity, water and recreational issues, which help to ensure that ecological issues are effectively addressed even when the main focus might be recreational.

Guidelines for Ecological Bushway Design Methodology

Stages

• 1. Understanding the regional context
• 2. Selecting project goals and having a clearly delineated study area
• 3. Defining the Bushway boundaries
• 4. Documenting and implementing site designs and management plans

Bushways provide a diversity of public and private functions and values that address both natural and human needs and benefit the environment and communities. Bushway systems help protect and restore naturally functioning ecosystems and provide a framework for future development. In doing so, they provide a diversity of ecological, social, and economic functions and benefits:

• Enriched habitat and biodiversity
• Maintenance of natural landscape processes
• Cleaner air and water
• Increased recreational and transportation opportunities
• Improved health and better connection to nature and sense of place.

BUSHWAY PORTFOLIO - URBAN PROJECT 4 Gosford Drive Auckland

(Gilbert Brakey / Frame Group Ltd. / Auckland Council)

Green Infrastructure - Bushways Linking Nature and People

BUSHWAY PORTFOLIO - RURAL PROJECT 5 Porterfield Auckland (Gilbert Brakey / Frame Group Ltd. / Auckland Council)

Maximum benefit to natural and human communities is achieved when they are connected as a system of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a collective whole that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. All elements of Bushway Green Infrastructure contribute to the greater good; however, the interconnectivity and distribution of Bushway elements across the landscape is an important factor contributing to their overall, long-term value. For example, while one walkway corridor within an urban area can provide recreation and health benefits, a series of interconnected walkway corridors can provide "closer to home" access to a broader segment of a community as well as numerous pathways to a diversity of recreational, commercial and other destinations throughout a region. The systems planning approach focuses on creating a comprehensive and interrelated system of parks, recreation areas, open spaces, and Bushways that:

• Respond to locally-based needs, values, and conditions
• Provide an appealing and harmonious environment and
• Protect the integrity and quality of the habitats and ecological functioning within the

systems. Bushways can provide a diversity of public and private functions and values that address both natural and human needs and benefit the environment and communities. These benefits need to be quantified and monitored, both in terms of their ecological values for people, the environment, and their economic values to a community.

A Strategic Approach to the Bushways™ Green Infrastructure System

Bushways need be carefully planned, designed, and expanded as communities grow. Bushways Green Infrastructure planning should be the first step in land-use planning, and ideally needs be coordinated with planning for grey infrastructure – roads, sewers, water lines, and other essential systems. Integrated planning and design must connect the two in a more effective, economic, and sustainable network.

Bushways™ are

• Designed holistically – Like our transportation system, Bushways need to be

designed to link diverse green space elements into a system that functions as a whole, rather than as separate, unrelated parts.

• Planned comprehensively - Like our power and telecommunication systems, our

green space systems need to be planned comprehensively to provide ecological, social and economic benefits, functions, and values.

Green Infrastructure - Bushways Linking Nature and People

• Laid out strategically - Like our roads and transit lines, our green space systems

need to be laid out strategically to cross multiple jurisdictions and incorporate green space elements at each level of government.

• Planned and implemented publicly - Like our transportation systems, our green

infrastructure systems must be planned and implemented with input from and involvement of the public, including community organisations and private landowners.

• Grounded in the principles and practices of diverse professions - Like the

design and planning of transportation systems, Bushways need to be based on sound science and should build on the knowledge of professional disciplines such as landscape ecology, urban and regional planning, resource management, and landscape architecture.

What is different about the Bushways™ proposal?

Biolandscape Ltd. believes that Bushways represents the next generation of conservation action, because it forges an important connection between land conservation and land use planning. Traditional land conservation and green infrastructure planning both focus on environmental restoration and preservation, but Bushway Green Infrastructure also concentrates on the pace, shape, and location of development and its relationship to important natural resources and amenities. Unlike more conventional conservation approaches, Bushway Green Infrastructure strategies actively seek to promote more efficient and sustainable land use and development patterns, as well as protect natural ecosystems. Bushway Green Infrastructure differs from traditional conservation efforts in the following ways:

• It focuses on the protection of connected natural ecosystems as the framework for

both conservation and development.

• It recognizes that physical linkage between green space elements is key to

sustaining natural ecosystems and landscape processes.

• It emphasises the importance of planning and protecting green infrastructure before

development.

• It recognizes the need to connect green space elements across multiple

jurisdictions, scales, and landscape types.

• It focuses on the creation of a green space vision that excites and engages people

and guides implementation actions.

• It considers the needs of both nature and humans – addressing both the

environmental effects of proposed development and the economic well being of a community. In doing all of these things, Bushways also helps provide a framework for development, ensuring that developers, individuals, and communities capture the cost advantages of location, create, and protect community amenities.

BUSHWAY PORTFOLIO - RURAL PROJECT 6 Turanga Whitford Auckland

(Gilbert Brakey / Frame Group Ltd./ WECS / Auckland Council)

Green Infrastructure - Bushways Linking Nature and People

In summary, Bushways™ is a concept that advances the conservation movement and responds to the need to act more strategically, build more public support for conservation, and articulate the benefits of open space protection for communities. About Biolandscape Ltd. Biolandscape Limited provides a direct and personal service to clients, presenting a unique mix of specialist skills, which commonly relate to Landscape Ecology. Where integrating sustainable landscape architecture, and natural resource management is applied to provide strategic environmental advice and high quality environmental services to the public and private sectors within the practice of Landscape Ecology. The integration of Landscape Architecture and Landscape Ecology provides an opportunity to support sustainable landscapes through ecologically based planning and design. The term Bushways™ was selected to emphasise its difference from traditional conservation practices and the need to change several popular perceptions about green space planning and protection.

• Where as green space is often viewed as something that is nice to have; the term

Bushway Green Infrastructure implies something that we must have. Protecting and restoring our nation’s natural life support system is a necessity, not an amenity.

• Where as green space is often thought of as isolated parks, recreation sites or natural

areas, the term Bushway Green Infrastructure emphasises interconnected systems of natural areas and other open spaces that are protected and managed for the ecological benefits they provide to people and the environment.

• Where as green space is often viewed as self-sustaining, the term green

infrastructure implies something that must be actively maintained and at times restored. Bushway Green Infrastructure is defined as an interconnected network of green space that when planned and designed will host natural ecosystem values and functions and provides associated benefits to human populations. Bushways also can be considered an approach to identifying conservation priorities and developing a framework for proactive, holistic, strategic conservation. The Bushways concept articulates the benefits of open space and emphasises the need for a conservation vision up-front that incorporates public input and includes a leadership forum to move implementation forward. It also emphasises the need for a design process that identifies priority lands for protection and for funding to be available to ensure protection. Bushways highlight the importance of linkage and connectivity of conservation lands, emphasizing that a design process should identify opportunities to connect the matrix of conservation lands, working landscapes, public recreation areas, etc.

Landscape Plan for a section of the Oratia Stream Henderson forming part of the ‘Project Twin Streams’ Green Network. Waitakere City New Zealand.

(Plan prepared by Gilbert Brakey/Richard Reid Landscape Architects).

Green Infrastructure - Bushways Linking Nature and People Biolandscape’s holistic design process, which is based on client needs, site ecology, aesthetics, and an understanding of human nature, results in affordable, sustainably attractive places for people, while creating wildlife habitat supporting a healthy natural environment.

Contact

Gilbert Brakey (BRM BLA NDH) PO Box 19681 Avondale Auckland 1746 New Zealand Address: 5A Willerton Ave I New Lynn I Auckland I New Zealand 09 620 9027 I 0274 378 867 I gilbert@biolandscape.co.nz