Thursday, September 10, 2015 9:00 am
-
9:00 am
EDT (GMT -04:00)
Of the thesis entitled:ÌýForgotten Landscapes: Restoring our Rural Imagination
Abstract:
As
our
world
becomes
increasinglyÌýinterconnected
through
technology
and
global
trade,
consumers
are
more
and
moreÌýdetached
from
the
realities
of
our
consumption
and
the
cultivated
land
thatÌýsupports
us.
These
food
producing
territories,
vastly
exceeding
the
space
usedÌýfor
human
habitation,
are
structured
in
such
a
way
to
displace
environmentalÌýsystems
and
human
life,
while
simultaneously
being
degraded
by
the
growingÌýrequirements
of
today’s
urban
living.
Advancements
in
industrial
agriculturalÌýtechnology,
alongside
the
subsequentÌýmigration
towards
urban
centers,
hasÌýplayed
an
important
role
in
reinforcing
these
systemic
changes
and
the
growingÌýdisconnect
between
urban
and
rural.
Despite
this,
consumers
retain
a
strongÌýinfluence
over
land
management
and
food
production
techniques,
though
oftenÌýwithout
an
awareness
of
their
impact.
Thus,
redeveloping
human
relationshipsÌýwith
rural
landscapes
is
a
vital
element
to
addressing
land
remediation.
This thesis challenges the existingÌýremediation approaches to problems of dryland agriculture in Western AustraliaÌýby attempting to address the disconnect between consumers and their ruralÌýfootprint. By examining and documenting site history, psychology of ruralÌýplaces,Ìýlocal wildlife habitats and ecological functions, performanceÌýrequirements for remediation and long-term salinity management, the design of aÌýnew framework for land restoration using social infrastructure is developed.ÌýThis design proposes an intervention that engagesÌýhuman and environmentalÌýdynamics to catalyze discovery and responsiveness towards rural systems andÌýhealth. It promotes a diversity of social and environmental conditions withinÌýfarming landscapes, leveraging under utilized land, flexible implementationÌýstrategies,Ìýcultural vestiges and existing infrastructure. Through research andÌýdesign methods, this thesis hopes to reveal how an improved understanding ofÌýrural landscapes – by engagement with human scale intervention – can createÌýcross collaboration and heightened awarenessÌýbetween urban and rural to developÌýa new consciousness of farmlands and the larger environment, for the benefit ofÌýecological and human systems.
Ìý
This thesis challenges the existingÌýremediation approaches to problems of dryland agriculture in Western AustraliaÌýby attempting to address the disconnect between consumers and their ruralÌýfootprint. By examining and documenting site history, psychology of ruralÌýplaces,Ìýlocal wildlife habitats and ecological functions, performanceÌýrequirements for remediation and long-term salinity management, the design of aÌýnew framework for land restoration using social infrastructure is developed.ÌýThis design proposes an intervention that engagesÌýhuman and environmentalÌýdynamics to catalyze discovery and responsiveness towards rural systems andÌýhealth. It promotes a diversity of social and environmental conditions withinÌýfarming landscapes, leveraging under utilized land, flexible implementationÌýstrategies,Ìýcultural vestiges and existing infrastructure. Through research andÌýdesign methods, this thesis hopes to reveal how an improved understanding ofÌýrural landscapes – by engagement with human scale intervention – can createÌýcross collaboration and heightened awarenessÌýbetween urban and rural to developÌýa new consciousness of farmlands and the larger environment, for the benefit ofÌýecological and human systems.
Ìý
The examining committee is as follows:
Co-Supervisors:
MatthewÌýSpremulli,ÌýUniversity of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ
LolaÌýSheppard,ÌýUniversity
of
À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ
CommitteeÌýMember:
AndrewÌýLevitt,
University
ofÌýÀ¶Ý®ÊÓƵ
External Reader:
Dr. Fiona McKenzie, University ofÌýWestern Australia
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Ìý
Thursday
SeptemberÌý10,
2015
9:00AM
ARC
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.