Finding space for nature in cities: the considerable potential of redundant car parking

Written by Tom de Aizpurua Major cities can play a vital role in creating biodiversity gains through Nature Based Solutions (NBS). Finding space in dense and heavily congested urban environments is difficult, but research conducted at ICON Science shows that remodelling redundant car spaces to make way for green space could solve many city issues, […]

Why we should shatter Melbourne’s concrete creeks

Written by Tom de Aizpurua Our connection to nature continues to change over the years, for better or worse. Only in the 1960s did engineers and town planners decided to tame some of Melbourne’s vital rivers and streams with concrete to reduce the flood risk throughout the city, with the idea to protect neighbouring communities […]

Enabling Biodiversity Inclusive Design

In the day and age of the biodiversity emergency, architects, landscape architects, urban designers and even engineers are looking for answers to the question “How do we design for biodiversity?”. The ‘Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework’ specifically calls for the rise of biodiversity inclusive urban areas (See Target 12, Convention on Biological Diversity 2022). Biodiversity Inclusive […]

From ‘day of the species’ to ‘protecting species every day’

In April, I attended an art exhibition that helps people visualize the biodiversity crisis in Australia. ‘Day of the Species’ is a community art project with contributions from 200+ artists. As a contributing artist, you get to learn about and draw Australian biodiversity under protection by the EPBC Act. As a viewer, you can see […]

PhD Opportunity

The role of communication and messaging for community buy-in to threatened species conservation. We have top-up funding for a PhD student to undertake research on the role of communication and messaging for enhancing community buy-in and support for threatened species conservation. Potential topics include Increasing support for non-charismatic species: How to get the unloved loved? […]