Melbourne 3
CYCLE 02 2023

Cardigan Commons

Cardigan Commons

Long Story, Short

We’re exploring Cardigan Street’s potential to transform into a more inclusive, collaborative and wild ‘greenscape’ with a focus on community perspectives and aspirations.

What We’re Exploring

What would it look like to transform Cardigan Street into an innovative green space that enhances local ecology, environmental health, and community wellbeing? ‘Cardigan Commons’ explores this question, investigating the opportunities available when reimagining local streetscapes – such as neighbourhood permeability, breathing life into public space, and connecting to nature and each other. The project will engage with local community groups and key stakeholders through activities such as surveys, vox pops, and workshops, culminating in a final exhibition of the community’s vision for the future of Cardigan Street.

Status
Active
This is a living research document. Check in regularly for incremental updates.
Share?
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Fine print
Read More
Get Involved

Project Team

Placelab-er
Woman smiling with curly hair.
Cherese Sonkkila

RMIT PlaceLab Research Assistant

Placelab-er
Man smiling with collared shirt on.
Luke Gebert

RMIT PlaceLab Research Assistant

Placelab-er
Woman with long hair smiling.
Paloma Bugedo

RMIT PlaceLab Research Assistant

Project and Local Contributors
Eloise Leopold
Read More
Event
03.08.2023

Wild Nights – Urban Wildlife Meet-And-Greet
Photograph by Animals of Oz

Discover extraordinary urban nature!

Wild Nights is a series of interactive nature and wildlife events at RMIT PlaceLab Melbourne as part of the Cardigan Commons Research Project.

Urban Wildlife Meet-And-Greet

Thursday 3, 6:30-8 pm @PlaceLab Melbourne

Get up close and meet the fluffy, scaly and feathery friends that share our city!

Join us for a meet-and-greet with delightful and incredible native Melbourne wildlife species. This wildlife experience will allow you to get up close and learn about the wonderful species that can be found right here in our city.

The session begins with short expert talks on the biodiversity thriving within the city – shedding light on the diverse wildlife that exists in urban environments, as well as emphasising the importance of habitat and the ways in which plants, animals and humans too, are interconnected. Participants will gain a deeper understanding urban ecosystems and of our incredible urban species and how they make a living here alongside us.

Following this, trained wildlife experts from Animals of Oz will bring along urban wildlife species for you to meet and get to know! You can expect to make many fluffy, scaly and feathery friends – such as a kookaburra, ring-tailed possum, blue tongued lizard, and grey-headed flying fox. This is a social event not to be missed!

Come along to discover and meet the incredible and often overlooked wildlife species that call this vibrant city home.

*please advise us if you have any animal phobias prior to attending this event

RSVP

Limited spots available. Registrations essential.

Registered your interest here.

Should you register and then not be able to attend please let us know so we can manage numbers.

Cardigan Commons

We’re keen to learn how you imagine the future of Cardigan Street.

RMIT PlaceLab’s “Cardigan Commons” research project is exploring Cardigan Street’s potential to transform into a more inclusive, collaborative and wild ‘greenscape’ with a focus on community perspectives and aspirations.
_

This survey should take around 5-10 minutes to complete. Questions will focus on your perceptions of Cardigan Street now, your dreams for it’s future, thoughts on the environment, and demographics. All responses are anonymous by default, your participation is voluntary, and you can opt out at any time.

As part of the survey you can opt in to receive information about participating in further Cardigan Commons research activities. If you opt in, your email address will be linked to your survey responses in order to help us to find the right people to participate.

At the end of the survey, you will have the chance to go in the draw for 1 of 10 $100 gift cards.

Click the link ‘Get Involved’ to enter!

‘Cardigan Commons’ is exploring Cardigan Street’s potential to transform into a more inclusive, collaborative, and wild ‘greenscape’ with a focus on community perspectives and aspirations.

The project asks the question, “What would it look like to transform Cardigan Street into an innovative green space that enhances local ecology, environmental health, and community wellbeing?” It investigates the opportunities available when reimagining local streetscapes – such as neighbourhood permeability, breathing life into public space, and connecting with nature and each other.

The project will engage with the local community and key stakeholders through activities such as surveys, vox pops, and workshops, culminating in a final exhibition of the community’s vision for the future of Cardigan Street.

We’d love you to be part of it. Follow us here & stay tuned.

RMIT Bowen Lane. Image: RMIT University

What Is: A ‘Commons’?

In its essential form, the commons is the natural and cultural resources available to all of society.

  1. About The Commons - International Association for the Study of the Commons

The term “commons” originated in medieval European as a term for “common land” managed collectively by a community. In modern times, it can apply to any kind of common resource; natural (such as a state park), urban (such as a street), or intellectual (such as Wikipedia).

Famously, ecologist Garret Hardin wrote “The Tragedy of the Commons” in 1968, in which he detailed his theory that any resource freely available to a group of people was doomed due to individuals acting in their own interest and depleting the resource.

  1. The Tragedy of the Commons

This theory has been widely criticised, and Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom demonstrated that throughout history and in different cultures, there have been and are many successful commons.

 

She detailed the parameters that made a successful commons, which included clearly defining the common resource and fostering a sense of trust within the community.

  1. Beyond Markets and States: Polycentric Governance of Complex Economic Systems

Crenshaw Community Garden, Los Angeles.

In an urban context, a commons is a space in which citizens have a common stake, and might include a park, open space or other neighbourhood amenities. In some cases, the public are key players in the use and planning of a commons, and co-create the city with governing bodies.

We see communities of students, residents, local businesses, planners, designers and carers of place building a new urban commons with our community in Melbourne, and we want to find out more!

Bundoora Open Day at RMIT Bundoora Campus. Image: RMIT University.

  1. About The Commons - International Association for the Study of the Commons
  2. The Tragedy of the Commons

RMIT PlaceLab acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the Eastern Kulin Nations on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University.

RMIT PlaceLab respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present, as the original and continuing Makers of Place.

Melbourne 4
CYCLE 02 2023

Flatpack : Repacked

Next Project
Woman in foreground mending chair on table. Man in background with headphones on.