CHRITIES WALK - History of an EcoCity

Christie Walk project was the result of a long planning process, which started in 1991, when a group of friends formed a community non-profit educational association call Urban Ecology Australia (UEA). Motivated by eco-city principles , their first scope was to build capacity that generated critical thought between politicians and local stakeholders regarding their ideas (Downton, 2009). In 1993, the organisation implemented the Centre of Urban Ecology Australia, based on non-authoritarian structure and relying only on volunteer work. This team developed the ‘Halifax’ project; the first eco-city technical proposal for Adelaide. In 1993, the organisation implemented the Centre of Urban Ecology Australia, based on non-authoritarian structure and relying only on volunteer work. This team developed the ‘Halifax’ project; the first eco-city technical proposal for Adelaide.

UEA began to build trust between public and private sectors presenting the ‘Halifax’ project as a technical tool to establish partnerships with local authorities and build capacity involving citizens in the proposal. In addition, it created legal bodies and collective enterprises, such as a non-profit development cooperative called Wirranendi Inc., and the EcoCity Developments Pty Ltd that was supposed to take the role of a traditional developer in the construction process. However, when external developers were selected by the City Council to build the project, UEA and their core sustainable ideas were excluded, losing the possibility to achieve Halifax’s Eco-city objectives (Downton, 2009).

The idea of developing Christie Walk arose as a reaction to Halifax failure, recycling the capacity building and community trust generated.

For the construction the economic resources came directly from the people involved in the cooperative, complemented by ethical borrowers . Governmental support was available only for the acquisition of photovoltaic panels. All interviewers affirmed that the absence of financial advice and economic assessment during the planning process generated economical imbalance in the cooperative until present day (resident’s interviews).

All interviewers affirmed that the absence of financial advice and economic assessment during the planning process generated economical imbalance in the cooperative until present day (resident’s interviews).

The Architect was a fundamental actor in the project. Performing as an advocate planner, he guided the process and linked the community with local authorities. The design and implementation stages were developed following open, inclusive and transparent bases. This strategy consolidated trust and participation from community’s members. The cooperative structure of Wirranendi and the social capital developed by UEA promotes the involvement of many volunteers, whose role was fundamental to keep prices down.

Christie Walk eco-city project was implemented in 3 stages, which helped to create technical knowledge and local jobs during the process. The political support built through the first stages of UEA found the project with fewer parking spaces than what was defined in the planning scheme (11 parking spaces for 27 dwellings). This important detail allows the development of more community spaces to promote neighbour’s encounters and human relations.

Montserrat Delpino-Chamy