It represents a unique opportunity for studying urban systems dynamics, because it is one of the few fully planned cities in the world, the design of which was subject to an international competition in 1911.

Very few places provide such a detailed opportunity to compare a planned, purpose-built trajectory of urban development with what has actually happened. The city´s design was heavily influenced by the garden city movement and incorporates significant areas of natural vegetation that have earned Canberra the title “bush capital".

Canberra is currently the subject of discussions around nomination as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. In this presentation I will provide a snapshot of some of the key challenges facing urban Australia, introduce the new Urban Systems Program within CSIRO that has formed in response to these challenges, and highlight examples of our research in Canberra.

About Guy Barnett
Guy Barnett is a Landscape Ecologist with CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems in Canberra. He currently leads an Urban Environment Group in the recently formed Urban Systems Program.

His research interests are the study of cities as ecosystems and the way in which ecological knowledge can be integrated with urban design and planning to foster regional sustainability. Since joining CSIRO,

Guy has contributed to more than 30 applied research projects — ranging from assessments of mine site rehabilitation success to the design of urban landscapes for human health.