Professor Sarah Bekessy - Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design

Sarah Bekessy is a Professor in Sustainability at RMIT University and a Lead Councillor of The Biodiversity Council. Sarah leads the ICON science research group, working to understand better and manage the interactions between society and our natural environment.A leading expert in biodiversity-sensitive urban design, Professor Bekessy co-developed the Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design protocol, which has now been used by numerous developers, governments and NGOs, helping us work towards cleaner, greener more biodiverse cities.  Amid this biodiversity crisis, and with ever-expanding urban areas, the pressures on nature and biodiversity are immense. But here Sarah shows us how cities can actually be part of the solution in sustaining species—an essential and timely chat.In this episode, we discuss:Sarah’s extensive background in biodiversity and sustainabilityThe gradual decline of biodiversity in cities around AustraliaThe benefits of urban greening, but the need to consider biodiversity while doing so The fundamental flaws of using offsets as an approach to biodiversityHow many cities are actually hotspots for threatened speciesSustainable midrise housing as a way forward in urban areasUrban growth boundaries and nature corridorsEquitable access to green spaces within citiesIndigenous-led biodiversity projects within urban areasSarah’s involvement with Biodiversity Council and Bush Heritage AustraliaThe need for reliable green building codes10 easy ways we can all act for nature and help biodiversityFind the Biodiversity Council’s factsheet on the impact of roaming pet cats on Australian wildlife here.  A must-read for any cat owner!To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.