Urban wetlands in Australia provide benefits for climate change mitigation, pollution reduction, habitat provision and socioecological connection. However, in large cities like Sydney, urban wetlands are unseen because undergrounded, and, therefore not adequately understood. This illegibility, and loss of understanding by residents, planners and policy makers impedes wetlands’ good management. This project surfaces wetlands through visualisation in a multimodal knowledge platform focusing on two urban renewal sites, Green Square and Marrickville South. We leverage design ethnography to develop resources for strengthening multiple stakeholders’ socioecological engagement through methods empowering just, creative and open participation.

On Country

Based on an existing working relationship, the project has endorsement from Bangawarra

Bangawarra is the embodiment of a unique partnership led by D’harawal eora Knowledge Keeper Dr Shannon Foster and Wugulora academic Jo Paterson Kinniburgh. The Bangawarra team is the bridge between the wisdom of Ancestral knowledge and contemporary design practices, committed to the sustainable stewardship of Country.

Bangawarra are uniquely positioned to consult on how to visualise and realise a connecting with Country approach for the three urban renewal sites.

Bangawarra provides advice on place-based design research on Country through Indigenous Research Methods, such as ‘walking up Country’ (Foster and Kinniburgh 2019) and yarning.

This research was supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Projects funding scheme (project DP240101955). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Australian Government or Australian Research Council.