Rethinking Birrarung

Abstract

This thesis investigates the regeneration of the riparian corridor of Birrarung (the Yarra River) as a dynamic landscape system that supports ecological connections, water retention, and meaningful human engagement. Post-colonisation urban development, agricultural land-use, water extraction and climate change have fragmented the corridor, disrupted seasonal flows, and reduced the frequency of floodplain inundation. At the same time, steep and privatised river banks limit physical and visual access to the river, causing a disconnect from the river in urban life and underutilisation as a public space. Existing literature highlights the benefits of ecologically connected riparian corridors with space for natural river dynamics, both for the health of river ecosystems and for fostering social connection and human wellbeing.
Using a landscape-based design approach and the Research Through Design method, this project proposes an integrated spatial framework for riparian regeneration. As a form of landscape infrastructure, the river links diverse spaces along its course, allowing local interventions to generate effects at a broader, system-wide scale. The framework is based on four strategies, which came about through layered analysis of the Yarra River system and lessons from precedents. The strategies cover the themes of: (1 & 2) resilient and (re)connected riparian ecological networks, (3) improved riparian water buffer capacity, and (4) improved human-river connections. These are translated into design principles and tested at two scales, a system-wide vision and two detailed interventions, demonstrating how site-specific strategies can contribute to corridor-wide resilience.
The design interventions focus on restoring ecological structure and function through riparian revegetation, increasing water retention capacity, and enabling public engagement with the river’s seasonal dynamics. Slow recreation, visible flood indicators, and reshaped riverbanks form part of a broader effort to reframe the river not as a threat, but as a living system to be experienced and understood.
The outcome is a spatially adaptable and place-sensitive framework that bridges ecological and social needs. While specific to the Yarra River, the approach offers relevant insights for other urbanised river systems seeking to reconnect fragmented corridors, improve hydrological performance, and promote deeper human-river connections through landscape-based design.