Apocalypse now: Australian bushfires and the future of urban settlements

Newman, P. Covid Cities and Climate: historical and potential transitions for the new economy. Urban Sci. 4, 32 (2020).

Article  Google Scholar 

IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Climate Change 2001: Synthesis Report. A Contribution of Working Groups I, II, and III to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (eds Watson, R.T. et al.) 398 (2001).

IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (eds Solomon, S. et al.). 996 (2007).

IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (eds Pachauri, R.K. & Meyer, L.A.) 151 (2014).

Garnaut, R. The Garnaut Climate Change Review: final report. 634 (Cambridge University Press, 2008).

IPSOS, Australians’ environmental concerns in January 2020. https://www.ipsos.com/en-au/australians-environmental-concerns-january-2020 (2020).

Arriagada, N., Palmer, A., Bowman, D., Morgan, G., Jalaludin, B. & Johnston, F. Unprecedented smoke-related health burden associated with the 2019–20 bushfires in Eastern Australia. Med. J. Aus. 213, 2 (2020).

Google Scholar 

Australian Parliament, Evidence of the National Bushfire Recovery Agency. Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee Senate Committee. 2 March 2020 Estimates Proof, Parliament of Australia (2020).

Biddle, N., Edwards, B., Herz, D., & Makkai, T. Exposure and the Impact on Attitudes of the 2019–20 Australian Bushfires. (Australian National University Centre for Social Research and Methods) (2020).

Dickman, C. More than one billion animals killed in Australian bushfires. https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2020/01/08/australian-bushfires-more-than-one-billion-animals-impacted.html (2020).

Remeikis, A. Canberra chokes on world’s worst air quality as city all but shut down. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/03/canberra-chokes-on-worlds-worst-air-quality-as-city-all-but-shut-down (2020).

Smith, E. & Burkle, F. Collective trauma is real and could hamper Australian communities’ bushfire recovery. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/collective-trauma-is-real-and-could-hamper-australian-communities-bushfire-recovery-131555 (2020).

Norman, B. Are autonomous cities our urban future? Nat. Commun. 9, 2111 (2018).

Article  Google Scholar 

Thomson, G., Newton, P. & Newman, P. Urban regeneration and urban fabrics in Australian cities. J. Urban Regen. Renew. 10, 1–22 (2016).

Google Scholar 

Diamond, J. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. 575 (Viking, 2005).

Steffen, W et al. Planetary boundaries: guiding human development on a changing planet. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1259855 (2015).

Meyer, K. & Newman, P. Planetary Accounting, 21 (Springer, 2020).

Climate Council of Australia, Summer of Crisis. https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/summer-of-crisis/ (2020).

Boer, M. M., Resco de Dios, V. & Bradstock, R. A. Unprecedented burn area of Australian mega forest fires. Nat. Clim. Chang. 10, 171–172 (2020).

Article  Google Scholar 

BoM (Bureau of Meteorology (Australia)), Annual climate statement 2019. http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/aus/ (2020).

BoM (Bureau of Meteorology (Australia)), Australian rainfall deciles in December 2019. http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/month/aus/archive/201912.summary.shtml (2020).

Newman, P., Beatley, T. & Boyer, H. Resilient Cities: Overcoming Fossil Fuel Dependence, 220 (Island Press, 2017).

Cai, W. et al. Increased frequency of extreme indian ocean dipole events due to greenhouse warming. Nature 510, 254–258 (2014).

CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

Abram, N. J. et al. Coupling of Indo-Pacific climate variability over the last millennium. Nature 579, 385–392 (2020).

CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Australia)) and BoM (Bureau of Meteorology (Australia)). Climate Change in Australia—Technical Report. 216 (CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne, 2015).

CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Australia)) and BoM (Bureau of Meteorology (Australia)). State of the Climate 2016. 22 (CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne, 2016).

IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change. A Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (eds Edenhofer, O., R. et al.) 1465 (2014).

IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Global warming of 1.5 °C. An IPCC Special Report on the Impacts of Global warming of 1.5 °C Above Pre-industrial levels and Related Global Greenhouse Gas Emission Pathways, in the Context of Strengthening the Global Response to the Threat of Climate Change, Sustainable Development, and Efforts to Eradicate Poverty, (eds Masson-Delmotte, V., P. et al.) 616 (2018).

C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group & Global Covenant of Mayors. Summary for Urban Policy Makers: What the IPCC special report on global warming of 1.5°c means for cities, 30. https://www.ccacoalition.org/en/resources/summary-urban-policy-makers-what-ipcc-special-report-global-warming-15%C2%B0c-means-cities (2018).

Newman, P.W.G. & Kenworthy, J.R. Cities and Automobile Dependence, an International Sourcebook, 388 (Gower, 1989).

Newman, P.W.G. & Kenworthy, J.R. Sustainability and Cities: Overcoming Automobile Dependence, 442 (Island Press, 1999).

Newman, P. & Kenworthy, J. The End of Automobile Dependence: How Cities are Moving Beyond Car-based Planning, 300 (Island Press, 2015).

Urry, J. The system of automobility. Theory Cult. Soc. 21, 25–39 (2004).

Article  Google Scholar 

Piorr, A., Ravetz, J. & Tosics, I. (eds). Peri-urbanization in Europe. 142 (University of Copenhagen/Academic Books Life Sciences, 2011).

Thomson, G. & Newman, P. Urban fabrics and urban metabolism: from sustainable to regenerative cities. Resour. Conserv. Recy. 132, 218–229 (2018).

Article  Google Scholar 

Norman, B. & Gurran, N. Adapting to long term coastal climate risk through planning approaches and instruments. CoastAdapt Information Manual 5, 3rd ed, 31 (National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, 2018).

Osbaldiston, T. Seeking Authenticity in Place, Culture, and the Self: The Great Urban Escape. 175 (Springer, 2012).

Sutton, P., Goetz, A., Fildes, S., Forster, C. & Ghosh, T. Darkness on the edge of town: mapping urban and peri-urban Australia using nighttime satellite imagery. Prof. Geogr. 62, 119–133 (2009).

Article  Google Scholar 

Ruane, S. Integrating wildfire risk management and spatial planning – A historical review of two Australian planning systems. Int. J. Disaster Risk Reduct. 53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101984 (2021).

Bradshaw, S. D., Dixon, K. W., Lambers, H., Cross, A. T., Bailey, J. & Hopper, S. D. Understanding the long-term impact of prescribed burning in Mediterranean-climate biodiversity hotspots, with a focus on southwestern Australia. Int. J. Wildland Fire 27, 643–657 (2018).

Article  Google Scholar 

Norman, B., Weir, J., Sullivan, K. & Lavis, J. Planning and bushfire risk in a changing climate: urban and regional planning systems. 78 (Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre, 2014).

Zylstra, P., Hopper, S., Bradshaw, D., Dixon, K. & Lindenmayer, D. Submission No. NND.001.00262 to the Royal Commission into Natural Disaster Arrangements, Australian Government, 27 (2020).

Dixon K. Controlled burns destroy ecosystems and may not reduce fire risk, ABC Science Show. https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/scienceshow/controlled-burns-destroy-ecosystems-and-may-not-reduce-fire-risk/11774496 (2019).

Zylstra, P.J. The unlearned country. Meanjin. https://meanjin.com.au/blog/the-unlearned-country/ (2020).

Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements. (Australia, 2020).

Planning Institute of Australia. 2014 National Planning Awards for Excellence. https://www.planning.org.au/awards/2014-national-award-winners. (2014).

Norman, B. et al South East Coastal Adaptation: Coastal urban climate futures in SE Australia from Wollongong to Lakes Entrance, 130 (National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, 2013).

NCOSS (NSW Council of Social Services) Mapping Economic Disadvantage in Fire Affected Communities, 14 (2020).

O’Donnell, T. & Mummery, J. The 2017 budget has axed research to help Australia adapt to climate change. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/the-2017-budget-has-axed-research-to-help-australia-adapt-to-climate-change-77477 (2017).

ACT (Australian Capital Territory) Government. ACT Climate Change Strategy for 2019–2025. 140 (Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, 2019).

Resilient Energy Collective. https://www.resilientenergy.com.au/ (2020).

Witchcliffe Eco Village. https://www.ecovillage.net.au/ (2020).

Newton, P., Prasad, D., Sproul, A., and White, S. (eds). Decarbonising the Built Environment: Charting the Transition, 555 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019).

Guy, S., Marvin, S., Medd, W. & Moss, T. Shaping urban infrastructures: intermediaries and the governance of socio-technical networks, 240 (Earthscan, 2011).

AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator). Integrating Utility-scale Renewables and Distributed Energy Resources in the SWIS, 53 (2019).

Peter, A. How have Puerto Rico’s new microgrids performed during its massive power outage? Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/90450772/how-have-puerto-ricos-new-microgrids-performed-during-its-massive-power-outage (2020).

Newman, P. The rise and rise of renewable cities. Renew, Energy Environ. Sust. 2, 10 (2017).

Article  Google Scholar 

Green, J. & Newman, P. Citizen utilities: the emerging power paradigm. Energy Policy 105, 283–293 (2017).

Article  Google Scholar 

Bowman, D. & French, B. Our land is burning, and western science does not have all the answers. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/our-land-is-burning-and-western-science-does-not-have-all-the-answers-100331 (2019).

Prescribed Burning Conference. http://www.pbc2019.com.au/abstracts.php (2019).

Webb, R. et al. Sustainable urban systems: co-design and framing for transformation. Ambio 47, 57–77 (2018).

CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

Elmqvist, T. et al. Urban tinkering. Sustain. Sci. 13, 1549–1564 (2018).

Article  Google Scholar 

Thomson, G. & Newman, P. Geoengineering in the anthropocene through regenerative urbanism. Geosciences 6, 46 (2016).

Article  Google Scholar 

Calthorpe, P. The Next American Metropolis: Ecology, Community, and the American Dream, 160 (Princeton Architectural Press, 1993).

Norman, B. Climate Ready Cities. Policy Information Brief 2, 6 (National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, 2016).

Norman, B. Sustainable Pathways for our Cities and Regions: Planning within Planetary Boundaries, 189 (Routledge, 2018).

Norman, Barbara, Newman, Peter, Steffen, Will. Metadata supporting the published article: Apocalypse Now: Australian Bushfires and the Future of Urban Settlements. figshare. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.13114643 (2020).

Collins, J. J. The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature. 351 (Eerdmans, 1998).

Cook, D. Contemporary Muslim Apocalyptic Literature (Religion and Politics), 282 (Syracuse University Press, 2005).

Reddish, M.G. Apocalyptic Literature: A Reader, 352 (Hendrickson, 1998).

Cook, S.L. The Apocalyptic Literature: Interpreting Biblical Texts, 234 (Abingdon Press, 2003).

Newman, P. in Handbook of Engaged Sustainability, (ed Marques, J.), 297–308 (Springer, 2018).