International Making Cities Livable Paper -20-24 May, 2012, Portland, Oregon USA Master Planned Communities and the Re-formation of Cities for Health and Wellbeing: The Case of Selandra Rise

3 Summary Master planned estates are a common feature of modern cities. This paper explores residents' social practices to reveal connections between spatial and social features, daily routines and health and wellbeing. Abstract Master planned communities (MPCs) are designed to give residents a 'complete living experience' including access to educational facilities, shopping centres and parks. Although MPCs aspire to be suburban utopias much research focuses on identifying negative outcomes to reinforce notions that dreams of utopian futures are rarely realised. However, as a dynamic form of city re-formation, MPCs create an opportunity to 'get it right' by putting into practice lessons learnt from the past and principles of best practice planning. Selandra Rise is an MPC in Melbourne, Australia that has been designed to maximise the health and wellbeing of residents. Key elements incorporate access to nature, open space for physical activity, diverse housing, access to education, public transport, a local town centre and a focus on generating employment. This paper presents the details of a study designed to measure the role of built, natural, social and economic environments in the health and wellbeing of residents, taking account of the key design features listed. Using a social practice approach rather than taking an individual behavioural stance, the research focuses on households as a unit of study to reveal the connection between spatial and social features, daily routines and health and wellbeing. The paper presents the methods, outlines findings to date, and reflects on potential policy implications for creating neighbourhoods and cities to improve social and physical health. Introduction Master-planned housing estates (MPEs), or master-planned communities (MPCs) are an increasingly common feature of residential landscapes around the world, and for many countries like Australia, are the newest form of suburb creatio

P u b l i s h i n g Vocal behaviour of the Common Koel, Eudynamys scolopacea, and implications for mating systems

Abstract. The Common Koel, Eudynamys scolopacea, is a migratory cuckoo that occurs along the eastern coast of Australia. Its most conspicuous feature is the loud and persistent calling of males heard throughout the breeding season. Although the commonest vocalisation of the Koel, the Cooee call, is well known, other vocalisations have not been described in detail. Here we report on six vocalisations produced by adult birds, including duetting. The rate of calling of male Koels was investigated on two different scales: monthly over the breeding season, and hourly during the day and night. Calling peaked both in the early and late months of the breeding season, possibly associated with the availability of host nests. During the day, calling rates were significantly higher at dawn and dusk than at all other times of the day. Data collected on trees inhabited by Koels showed that calling males favoured trees with a particularly wide canopy and dense foliage; most often, these were species of Ficus. We speculate that the Koel shares with other cuckoos a basic breeding pattern based on male dominance interactions that lead to polygyny but that the discovery of duetting strongly suggests the possibility of short-term pair-bonding within this mating system

Rediscovering nature in everyday settings : or how to create healthy environments and healthy people

It is estimated that half of the world&rsquo;s population now live in urban environments. Urban living necessitates a removal from nature, yet evidence indicates that contact with nature is beneficial for human health. In fact, everyday urban places, such as where people live, study, and work, provide opportunities to bring nature back into cities to contribute to positive, healthy environments for people and to foster the human&ndash;nature connection. The inclusion of more nature in cities could have additional environmental benefits, such as habitat provision and improving the environmental performance of built environments. In the context of climate change, outcomes such as these assume further importance. This article explores how common urban places can foster links between people and nature, and generate positive health and well-being outcomes. We achieve this by exploring nature in the everyday settings of schools and residential housing. <br /

Introduction: Silent Spring, Raucous Summer, and the Looming Winter of Our Discontent

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