UDF Conference 2008: Design for Vitality in Rural Communities
24 October - 26 October
To be held in Nathalia and Shepparton, Victoria
Nathalia, you ask, where is that? Well read on! In the tradition of very interesting boutique gatherings, this year’s National Urban Design Forum will be held in Nathalia and Shepparton in rural Victoria. The theme will be “Design for Vitality in Rural Communities” Recent NUDFs have been in state capital cities and major regional centres, but never in a rural town. Yet today, large shires, after having catered for their larger towns are now engaging firms to do planning and landscape designs for many of their smaller rural towns - with varying success. Part of the reason for this may be the lack of local knowledge, and the differences between larger urban and regional centres and smaller communities. Nathalia provides the quintessential environment in which to hold this discussion. (Locate it on a map or Google Earth!)
Some of the questions we will address include:
- how do you change the town centre streetscape (often only one or two blocks long) in a rural town and contribute to its economic strength, its amenity and its social cohesion?
- how can planners, landscape architects and artists acknowledge existing assets and create built form solutions that compliment these?
- what will be the effects to design (ESD for example) in rural communities in a future with greenhouse effect taking hold?
- what will be the effects of planning with the possibility of “peak oil” reducing travel to larger rural centres for materials and entertainment? (even before ‘peak oil’, current prices are affecting travel patterns to regional centres).
Nathalia
Nathalia is a town of 1495 people. Once renowned as a centre for the river redgum timber industry, it has survived the decline of this industry. It is the town acknowledged with the lowest rainfall of any town in Victoria, yet it is surviving the drought and remains renowned as a major agricultural area. It was rocked with job losses and income when it lost its status as the shire seat at the time of Jeff Kennett’s changes of council borders, yet has gone on to create a streetscape and amenity second to none for a town its size.
It embarked in (2004) on an economic and social Strategy Plan, built a new library (2006), a new police station (2007), is currently building a new hospital (2008-2009), is the subject of a town Planning Strategy, and has commissioned (2007-2008) Romaldo Giurgola AO to produce a ‘test’ Master Plan, with Pamille Berg Consultants for a proposed Living Arts/Rural Arts Centre. It is a town which has creatively sought to acknowledge and build upon its assets.
Program
Friday 24 October
- 8.30am bus Central Melbourne (9.00am Tullamarine airport for Interstaters)
- 12noon Nathalia - Welcome and lunch at Bernie’s.
- Session 1: ‘It’s a question of scale’
- Session 2: ‘So ya reckon you’re small!’
- Walk the town and then Bonfire Barbeque at the Footy Ground
Saturday 25 October
- Session 3:‘Community initiatives’
- Session 4: ‘Art into landscape’
- Session 5: ‘Is the economy stupid?’
- Session 6: ‘Getting it all together’
- The Famous Forum Dinner will be at Brereton’s Bakery, hosted by renowned yarn spinner, Tammy Muir.
Sunday 26 October
- 9.00am bus Nathalia to Shepparton
- Session 7: ‘Shepp Town Centre’
- Session 8: ‘Future Shepparton’
- Walk the town and lunch
- Session 9: Panel discussion
- 3.15pm bus to Tullamarine (5.30pm) and Central Melbourne
The questions
Some of the questions we will address include: * what will be the effects to design in rural communities with climate change taking hold? * what will be the effects of “peak oil” reducing travel to larger rural centres for people and materials? * how do you change the only town centre streetscape (often only one or two blocks long) in a rural town and contribute to its economic strength, its amenity and its social cohesion? * how can planners, landscape architects and artists acknowledge existing assets and create built form solutions that compliment these?
But that is just for starters. What questions do you want addressed? What successes do you want to showcase? What do you want to contribute to the opportunity and challenge of revitalising the towns of Regional Australia?
Space is limited. Registration packs will be available shortly from this website.
Registrations are now open, and it is necessary to book ASAP because places are limited. Registration for the three days (including transport from Melbourne, all meals and events) costs just $490.00. Accommodation of your choice needs to be booked separately. Contacts and options in and around Nathalia will be provided with the registration information. Single day registrations will also be available for locals for some sessions on an at-cost basis depending on events and meals required.
