The nature of cities - a collective blog on cities as ecological spaces

     Friend and colleague Mark Hostetler recently posted a blog about Conservation Developments with a unique web site called the Nature of Cities.  It is a blog space that hosts the thoughts on urban ecological spaces of a collective of writers from all over the world.
      Mark's recent contribution asks, "How functional is a conservation development in terms of conserving biodiversity?"  He defines conservation development as "an approach to the design, construction, and stewardship of a development that achieves functional protection of natural resources, while also providing social and economic benefits to human communities." 
     But how well do they work? Mark poses four key evaluation questions - and as someone who (it has to be said) almost nags her clients about monitoring and evaluation, I believe he's making an important contribution.
      Even better, his blog is lengthy enough to give a really thorough answer to his four questions. They are:

1. What kinds of tree protection and natural area conservation strategies have been employed?
2. Is there a long-term environmental education program for residents in the conservation development?
3. Do the Covenants, Codes, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) address any environmental issues?
4. What types of plants are used for landscaping within the conservation development?

      I've taken a good look at Mark's blog and the list of other postings - they look excellent.
      What questions can we ask about the ecological functionality and effectiveness of our own development projects?

Click here to read Mark's blog and on the links below to find out more about Mark's work. 

• Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation: see http://www.wec.ufl.edu  
• Wildlife information: see http://www.wec.ufl.edu/extension/ 
• Program for Resource Efficient Communities: see http://www.buildgreen.ufl.edu/ 
• Solutions for Your Life: see http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/

Setting up the conditions for creativity

      A couple of weeks ago I spoke on innovation at a conference on that theme for the civil construction sector. One of the many fascinating things about creativity is its need for the right conditions before it can emerge - both in our brain and in our organisations.
      The brain is a very energy-hungry organ: just 2% of our body weight, it appropriates 20% of our energy intake to fuel its work. Yet oddly, when we're daydreaming or even just staring vacantly into space, its energy use is much higher than when we're intensively focused on a task. This intensive focus is important and productive, and when in that project execution mode, we feel satisfyingly efficient - but we're not necessarily being creative, as Gay Claxton noted many years ago in his marvellous book, Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind.
      By contrast, when we're in "vacant" mode, a number of major areas in the brain start working together in what neuroscientists now call the "default network", when the brain seizes the opportunity to get back to its most important work - sifting, sorting and finding patterns in the vast amounts of sensory input that bombards us every day. It's not surprising, then, that brain science and studies of famous thinkers and modern innovators are leading us to the conclusion that this default mode is a key supporting condition for creativity to emerge.
      One example is that of the eminent German chemist Kekule, who for many years had been trying to work out the structure of the benzene molecule. Giving up on his research one winter's afternoon, he left his desk and sat in an armchair in front of the fire. Dozing off in comfort, he envisioned a snake with its tail in its mouth - and awoke to realise he'd solved the problem: the snake represented the benzene ring.
      Even with such insights, however, our moments of inspiration can wither and die without the right organizational support. It's too easy to think that bright ideas are all we need, but while they're necessary, they're not sufficient. Stephen Shapiro says that companies wanting to nurture creativity must dedicate a budget and set up supporting processes to bring bright ideas to maturation. Norman Chorn suggests organizations also need a CCO - a Chief Creativity Officer. This person needn't be burdened with the responsibility of being the source of all of a company's creativity, but he or she does need to understand and support the creative and entrepreneurial processes that Chorn and Shapiro talk about.
      So after several months of intense work leading up to the Frankfurt Book Fair, I'm about to give my default network some dedicated time by going on a week-long meditation retreat. And I'll be taking a notebook with me....

Find out more about Guy Claxton's thinking here. And click on their names to find out more about the work of  Stephen Shapiro and Norman Chorn.

Huffington Post gets a green blog

      My friend and colleague Mark Hostetler has started a blog on green development for the Huffington post. Focused on urban environments, where most of us in the world now live, it is chatty, interesting and very informative.

      One of Mark's recent blogs is based on his book "That gunk on your car: a unique guide to the insects of North America" and is not only hilarious but very educational - did you know there is a real scientific reason why insects are fatally attracted to cars?

      He also reveals how America's suburban lawns can be a major threat to ecosystems - even those far away from urban centres and, as I am a major fan of evaluating the effectiveness of plans and programs, I was delighted to see his recent series on evaluating green communities.

You can read Mark's blogs here. And I think I'll follow them....

Science and sustainability win the day at Ellerslie International Flower Show

      Urban sustainability exhibits won several awards earlier this year at the Ellerslie International Flower Show in Christchurch, New Zealand. My colleague Dr Colin Meurk helped create Landcare Research's 'Transitions' exhibition garden that won the Supreme Award for Horticultural Excellence. 
      The destruction of much of this beautiful city as a result of the devastating series of earthquakes has led to a great deal of community reflection on how to rebuild, and locals have expressed a strong desire for a greener central city. In its exhibition Landcare Research showcased some possibilities for introducing more indigenous plants into urban areas, including pocket parks, living walls, green roofs and natural water treatment. The exhibition showed how people, nature and sustainable urban water management can be drawn together in a way while restoring some of the plants and wildlife that have been lost during the city's development.
      Find out more about Colin's award-winning garden here and here. 
      And another science-based exhibit, also a crowd favorite and winner of the Judge's Supreme Award, was 'Max's Pipe Dream, An Engineer's Garden'. Designed by Paul Roper-Gee of Beca (a major engineering consultancy), the garden won three awards and was the clear-cut winner for the Supreme Award, being fun, innovative and with great styling. Everyone loved the garden for its connection with the Mackenzie Country's hydro engineering landscape. Click here and here to find out more. 
      These awards are great news for the science of urban sustainability, showing how people, plants and animals can all enjoy attractive urban landscapes.