Nature Positive Cities – presenting the legal case and policy pathways

The project will examine how the law can promote N+ in the urban context. It will evaluate existing laws and policies and propose how N+ outcomes can be facilitated at the local government and individual lot levels. For example, how landscaping (gardens) and untapped opportunities of the nature strip/street verge can contribute to biodiversity protection and restoration in alignment with N+ values.

A key outcome is to produce a legally robust set of local and lot based prescriptive and performance-based N+ planning controls that express a ‘no regret’ approach (extinction crisis), are adaptable to environmental change and future proofed. These will build on existing NSW greening city guidelines and frameworks that lack legal enforceability.

There are three main actions:

* Examine the nexus and opportunities of existing environmental, conservation and planning laws

* Explore how these can be used to codify prescriptive and performance-based N+ planning controls

* Test the validity of this approach and explore a new imagination of a N+ city through a consultative process involving planners, lawyers, environmental managers and community groups.