INTERNATIONAL IDEAS COMPETITION FOR URBAN SEA LEVEL RISE
An international ideas competition SEA-CHANGE 2030+ has been launched by the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA). This is the world’s second urban sea level rise ideas competition and the first to invite active participation from both design professionals as well as tertiary and school students to tackle the effects of climate change.
AILA has support from over 12 public agencies representing all levels of Australian Government.
The competition invites design proposals to either protect the city from rising Harbour water or to make modifications to the environment to ensure sea level rise does not adversely affect property, parks and open spaces.
AILA NSW President Sacha Coles is enthusiastic about the ideas competition generating scenarios for positive futures to the long term challenges of sea level rise officially projected by the NSW Government at 0.4m by 2050 and 0.9m by 2100.
“Sydney Harbour offers a rich diversity of environments to explore innovative solutions to the long term challenges facing waterfront cities. Landscape architects believe that cities such as Sydney can be early adapters to sea level rise. Especially vulnerable are many seminal, and well loved public Sydney projects designed by landscape architects such as Long Nose Point, Darling Harbour, Ballast Point Park, Pirrama Park (the former water police site) and Bradleys Head Park. Our world renowned cultural icons such as the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge need good ideas to protect them in the long term.
“We are using the ideas competition, as a pilot project to generate community engagement in sustainable development and the rapidly evolving area of climate change adaptation. These innovative ideas can also be shared with other coastal cities and towns in Australia and even globally.”
The competition has an international jury with climate change adaptation experts from Germany and New Zealand along with leading professionals from Australia.
The jury will be chaired by Allen Kearns, Deputy Chief CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems and Team Leader, Sustainable Cities and Coasts, Climate Adaptation Flagship.
Entries are due by 30 June and prize winners announced in late July.
WEB SITE http://www.aila.org.au/sea-change/
