Rethinking Estuary Urbanism—Preparing Australian Estuary Cities for Changes to Come in the Climate and Biodiversity Emergency

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Interesting article addressing a current issue for urbanism: how to reconnect urban design with water and nature?
The introduction is clear and puts the questioning of the article into perspective. The materials and methods section is also clear.

On the other hand, part 3 seems much less clear and effective. It is not clear what the objective is... There are too many long presentations of the context before getting to the heart of the analysis, which has the effect of diluting the demonstration, and one loses the thread a little during this part. Similarly, I am not entirely convinced by the figures in this part: they are not sufficiently legible and explicit. This part 3 would benefit from being reworked (lightened? presented differently?) so as to better bring out the essential. This would make the article as a whole more homogeneous and its demonstration more convincing.

Author Response

Thank you for your review. We are carefully considering all comments and have addressed in the reviewed version.

1) CRITERIA 1: Are the arguments and discussion of findings coherent, balanced, and compelling? We have carefully reviewed and made changes aimed at better articulating this section.
2) CRITERIA 2: For empirical research, are the results clearly presented? It is not a quantitative investigation, although some elements, such as mapping, measuring and representing data. Most of the discussion and results are presented qualitatively. 
3) PART 3 (STRATEGIC THINKING AND DESIGN METHOD). 
The feedback provided is instrumental. We have been making part 3 more concise, precise, and articulated with the design and methodological approach. 
Part 3 addresses a methodological approach looking into both case studies in multiple scales and interdisciplinary, studying the territorial, urban and precinct-specific conditions. The analysis is also part of the design and methodological proposal trying to point out the importance for designers to: a) approach design from a multiscale and interdisciplinary approach; and b) Propose a method of designing and planning in estuary cities that can understand the context deeply. Thus, we consider the analytical and descriptive phases fundamental in this research.
4) FIGURES: We have incorporated legends, connecting figures with the paper and improving figures‘ explanations.

Reviewer 2 Report

Thank you for the opportunity to review this article. In the article, the authors raise a very important issue concerning urban design methodology and its evaluation due to the current development of cities and urbanised areas versus climatic conditions. In my opinion, however, I would change the entire layout of the article and also the detail of the individual sections. I would rethink the title of the article and the abstract itself. This is dictated by the fact that you have read the material available on the Place Value Ashfield project website which is encouraged by the annotation at the end of the article (as one of the examples referred to by the authors). Currently, the abstract is, as it were, in two parts, which is not quite right, it introduces some ambiguity from the outset as to what the purpose of the article is. It could focus on one issue (the second part of the abstract), e.g. the aspect of precisely the methodology promoting a place-specific approach using both descriptive and design-exploratory methods, and describe and "illustrate" this more strongly on the basis of the materials produced by the Place Value Ashfield project in the article - adopting the principle from the 'big picture' (strategic objectives) to the detail (specific solutions).
My remarks concern also graphic elements of the article: illegibility, unclearness, in the present form of figures (e.g. figure 6 (a), (b))  - It seems that an additional legend, description, scheme, diagram could be added - this would improve the readability of the whole article.  There is a lack of reference in the text of the article to all the figures in both examples ( a ) and (b). I would also suggest rethinking the pledging of specific examples, solutions, "illustrated issues" in one figure as figure ... ( a) and (b).
The presented Figure 6 (a) in this form is unreadable and presenting it in at least a similar form (more graphic-textual information) as on the Place Value Ashfield project website would immediately make the article more readable.

Yours sincerely.

Author Response

Thank you for your review. We carefully consider all comments and have addressed them in the reviewed version.
1) CRITERIA 1: Are all the cited references relevant to the research? A extensive literature is being developed while working in the paper and research. We have thoughtfully incorporated the more relevant, trying to avoid a very extensive bibliography. Based on your feedback, some updates and additions have been made to ensure we have all the importnat references. Most adding are related to WSUD/NbS strategies and the discussion part.
2) CRITERIA 2: Are the research design, questions, hypotheses and methods clearly stated?
We have reviewed and improved the research questions. 
3) CRITERIA 3: Are the results clearly presented for empirical research? It is not a quantitative investigation, although some key elements, such as mapping, measure and represent data. Most of the discussion and results are presented qualitatively. 
4) LAYOUT and INDIVIDUAL SECTIONS: Your feedback is instrumental. We have made the first section of Part 3 more concise, precise, and articulated with the design and methodological approach. This way, we aim to make it works better articulated and consistent.
4) ABSTRACT: We have reviewed and updated the abstract.
5) PLACE VALUE ASHFIELD PROJECT: One of the authors is a co-author and participated in the Place Value Ashfield project.
6) FIGURES: We have incorporated legends, connected figures with the paper and improve the figures‘ explanations.

Reviewer 3 Report

·      This paper addresses the important issue of maintaining and/or reclaiming ecological sustainability in estuarine areas which have undergone substantial modification since European settlement. It brings to the table a perspective from urban landscape designers rather than the traditional hydrological approach used by most urban development engineers. Suburbs are more than catchments of water supply, sewerage & stormwater infrastructure, and it requires a more philosophical & creative approach to create a sense of place with a nature focused aesthetic value. Nonetheless these aesthetics need to be grounded in sound biophysical principles.

·       The authors have used the genre of the design profession to write this paper….consequently it is long on words, design philosophy, social cause ( eg empowerment of first nation insights)  and value judgements. This makes it very different to a traditional scientific  paper, and makes this reader impatient for the undoubted nuggets of biophysical & ecological insights. I recommend that the paper be severely shortened with the social/design philosophy allocated to an extended Introduction, with the rest of the paper focusing on describing the mechanics of data collection, display, manipulation and reconstitution. I found the continual reference to design philosophy scattered throughout the text irritating. Presumably a reviewer from a Planning /Design journal would not ! 

·      The big picture as I see it, are two very different estuaries that have attracted dense urban settlement of the last two centuries, and in so doing have destroyed habitat & ecological function and/or created substantial  public health risks from floods. Nonetheless both estuaries are attractive places for people to live & work, and this creates the economic resources to “do things better”. Both estuaries have large aquifers associated with them but the existential risks differ between locations because of geomorphological & climate differences.

·      Future solutions are based on well understood WSUD and flood management practices , which are often concentrated in public spaces such as parks, road verges, bioretention basins, flood detention and/or infiltration basins. These hydro ecological solutions need to be better described and the authors need to show how their urban design skills have added value to the overall solution

·      Considering the importance of graphics in the telling of this story, I was surprised & disappointed at their quality & information content.

·      Figures 1 a & b would be better as colour with associated cross sections to show differences in geology on an E-W transect

·      Figure 2a&b would be much better in colour…and a bolder font text

·      Figure 3a clearly shows the Swan Canning Estuary & the geographic location of Ashfield

·      Figure 4a shows the Swan Canning Estuary  in more detail   but its not clear what the colours mean

·      Figure 5a shows Ashfield in more detail but its not clear what the colours mean. The use of brown tones makes it difficult to understand. Also no numbers are put on the GW contours…how deep is the GW ?

·      Figure 6a shows the conceptual design for densifying Ashfield but it’s not clear why the tree corridors follows this pattern vs some other spatial pattern

·      Figures 3a,4a,5a,6a should be clustered together . Use the same Figure clustering for Newcastle

·      Fig 3b…nice graphic but need to better explain what the colours mean

·       Fig 4b…needs a better explanation of the flood risk….the meaning of the symbols is not clear…but the overall graphic is good

·      Fig 5b….the blue green buffer is clear where marked in text…but not sure what’s happening on the west bank of Thorsby Creek

·      Figure 6b….I can’t see the relevance of the aquifer lithology…the main point is the green riparian buffer to reduce local flood risk ( the lithology X section would be better used to explain the 3 main aquifers in Perth)

·      Other general comments

o   Reduce the jargon where ever possible…eg spatiotemporal cartography ..line 197

o   What is deep time ? How does it inform current design options ?

o   Line 333…Perth also receives about 40% of its water from groundwater…need to expand this point. Also explain that climate change has caused runoff into surface reservoirs to become negligible ( give web link to WaterCorp streamflow graphic)

o   Line 339…..are you sure the local aquifers are highly polluted ?

o   Line 349….great cost is a value judgement…use a more objective phrase

o   Line 362….up-zoning would be better replaced by densification

o   Line 380….wetlands fed by aquifer…Fig 5a is the appropriate graphic to quote

o   Lines 424-427…..key point….but buried in a wordy text

o   Lines 448-451…. interesting historical comment….a supporting graphic would be most interesting to this reader

o   Line 470….sewage overflows do not cause flooding

o   Lines 493-496….these are well established flood mitigation strategies…need to better emphasise this point. Ditto for Lines 501-503  & 516 to 518

o   Lines 525-528….this is essentially  the philosophy of WSUD….more reference to WSUD publications is called for   eg Water by Design…. https://waterbydesign.com.au/download-category/water-sensitive-urban-design)

o   Figure 6b ( line 541) is supposed to support the claim of integrates water servicing technologies to minimise demand, reduce reliance on imported  water, promote decentralised urban water systems and mitigate the effects of changed  hydrology. The aspiration is sound but the graphic is lacking

o    Lines 574-575….excellent sentiments….but hardly unique….suggest you spend more text on the water sensitive city  concept well described in publications found on the CRC for Water sensitive Cities web site ( https://watersensitivecities.org.au/)

o   Lines 589-602 ….I’m having trouble with this text..it reads more as an ideology than a design philosophy …doesn’t fit with this journal’s style 

o   Line 648….good point…but again the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities have published extensively on decision making processes  by local gov bureaucracies. Suggest you refer to these publications.

o   Line 658…..the re-naturalization of urban creeks is an increasingly popular  activity in the Stormwater/WSUD profession….suggest you place your  conclusions in the context of this paradigm shift. 

 

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Thank you for your review. We carefully consider all your comments and have addressed them in the reviewed version.

1) All figures have been improved, updated, and better articulated within the paper.

2) All Comments have been clarify and/or updated in the paper.

•  Reduce the jargon where ever possible… Review and modify when applicable.
• What’s deep time? How does it inform current design options? We have incorporated an explanation. There is also a reference to specific bibliography.  literature review: 

• • Yunkaporta, T., Sand talk: how Indigenous thinking can save the world. 2019, Melbourne, Victoria: Text Publishing.
  •  Berrizbeitia, A., Between Deep and Ephemeral Time: Representations of Geology and Temporality in Charles Eliot's Metropolitan Park System, Boston (1892-1893). Studies in the history of gardens & designed landscapes, 2014. 34(1): p. 38-51.
  • McGinnis, M.V., Bioregionalism. 1999, London;New York;: Routled
  • Bertram, N. and C. Murphy, In time with water : design studies of 3 Australian cities. 2019, Crawley. Western Australia: UWA Publishing.

• Line 333…Perth also receives about 40% of its water from groundwater… We do not mention groundwater but desalination, and we reference to the Water Corporation graphic.
• Line 339…..are you sure the local aquifers are highly polluted? See reference: W Glamore, S.M., J Ruprecht, K Dafforn, P Scanes, A Ferguson, D Rayner, B Miller, M Dieber, T Tucker, P Rahman, and I King., The Hunter River Estuary Water Quality Model, in Australasian Coasts & Ports 2019 Conference. 2019, Engineers Australia: Hobart.
•  Line 349….great cost is a value judgement…use a more objective phrase. Modified.
• Line 362….up-zoning would be better replaced by densification. Updated.
• Line 380….wetlands fed by aquifer…Fig 5a is the appropriate graphic to quote. Modified.
• Lines 424-427…..key point….but buried in a wordy text. Reviewed and updated.
• Lines 448-451…. interesting historical comment….a supporting graphic would be most interesting to this reader. Incorporated in Figure 4b and 5b
• Line 470….sewage overflows do not cause flooding. Updated (drainage).
• Lines 493-496….these are well established flood mitigation strategies…need to better emphasise this point. Ditto for Lines 501-503 & 516 to 518. Further literature review is being added.
•  Lines 525-528….this is essentially the philosophy of WSUD….more reference to WSUD publications is called for. Thank you for the recommendations. An extensive literature review and case studies were conducted in WSUD and NbS strategies, although they were not sufficiently included in the paper. Now added.
• Lines 574-575…. excellent sentiments….References reviewed and new recommendations reviewed and added.
• Lines 589-602 …. I’m having trouble with this text. It reads more as an ideology than a design philosophy …doesn’t fit with this journal’s style. Unable to find the line and the relation with the note since the version sent by MPDI doesn’t match the original one sent.
• Line 648… CRC for Water Sensitive Cities have published extensively on decision making processes by local gov bureaucracies. Suggest you refer to these publications. Additional references were reviewed and added.
• Line 658…..the re-naturalization of urban creeks is an increasingly popular activity in the Stormwater/WSUD profession….suggest you place your conclusions in the context of this paradigm shift. Added to (4.1) Key finding and lesson learned.
• Future solutions are based on well understood WSUD and flood management practices, which are often concentrated in public spaces such as parks, road verges, bioretention basins, flood detention and/or infiltration basins. These hydro ecological solutions need to be better described and the authors need to show how their urban design skills have added value to the overall solution. Further details have been added to design strategies, and legends included in Figures to clearly state the strategy. 

Additionally, We have been making part 3 concised and articulated with the design and methodological approach. This way, we aim to make it works better  and consistently.

Reviewer 4 Report

The manuscript investigates the challenges and opportunities of urban estuaries exposed to spatial, urban, and environmental shifts exacerbated by climate change and population growth, and proposed some methods that can inform future practices leveraging water as a design tool to improve urban resilience. It’s an interesting work, and suggested that the manuscript can be published after minor revised.

 

[1] There were several methods proposed in the manuscript, but most of them are just general description, lacking quantitative evaluation. It is suggested to supplement quantitative analysis, such as ‘Projective-Explorative Design Methods’ should be introduced in detail.

[2] Line 176 ‘Table 1.’? ‘Figure 1’ may be more appropriate, and it should be cited in above paragraph.

[3] Line249-301, these paragraphs cited many researches about the effect of urbanization on natural environment, but quantitative data analysis is little, It is suggested to supplement quantitative analysis.

[4] The manuscript proposed ‘leveraging water as a design tool to improve urban resilience’, it is suggested that specific implementation approaches be supplemented in the manuscript.

Author Response

Thank you for your review. We are carefully considering all comments and have addressed them in the reviewed version.  

1) For empirical research, are the results presented? CONNECTED TO “Several methods were proposed in the manuscript, but most are just general descriptions, lacking quantitative evaluation. It is suggested to supplement quantitative analysis, such as ‘Projective-Explorative Design Methods’ should be introduced in detail”:  The feedback provided is very useful. We have made part 3 more concise. We have better articulated “Conclusion and Discussion” with the design and methodological approach. The investigation is quantitive in terms of mapping, compiling and representing data in both case studies. These is being presented through a comparative (same scale and in multiple scales) mapping process, including the study of geomorphological, hydrological, geophysical, urban and architectonic condition for both river basin and estuaries. Such maps are georeferenced and available for further research and investigation, outside the scope of this paper. The primary purpose of this paper is to present strategic and spatial design strategies, arguing that design disciplines and qualitative design are fundamental in spatial decision-making.  

3) Line 176 ‘Table 1.’? ‘Figure 1’ may be more appropriate, and it should be cited in the above paragraph. The table presents the methodological approach presented in the paper and applied in both case studies. We have reviewed and adequately cited.  

4) Line 249-301, these paragraphs cited many researches about the effect of urbanization on the natural environment, but quantitative data analysis is little; it is suggested to supplement quantitative analysis. We refer to 70% of wetlands filled in Perth and specific statistics on Hunter transformation. Further details are cited in the literature.  

5) The manuscript proposed ‘leveraging water as a design tool to improve urban resilience; it is suggested that specific implementation approaches be supplemented in the manuscript. The case studies present site-specific responses to environmental issues (biodiversity loss, urban heat island, contamination, etcetera), presenting the opportunities that living with water and nature offers to reduce risk (flooding, overflows, pollution, etcetera).  

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

much improved....well done. But there are orange right angle symbols in many of the graphics 

In future i think that Google or Nearmap images would be a better foundation for many of the graphics