Regenerative-adaptive design: patterns to coastal resilience

Extensive literature, research and projects are dedicated to identifying solutions for coastal communities in Australia to achieve long lasting sustainability, and to be resilient against extreme hazards and natural disaster events, climate change impacts, and pressures of urban growth. Yet there is very little recognition of design and planning processes that consider the principles of regenerative or sustainable design as part of adaptive planning, pushing the boundaries of climate change adaptation beyond the standard practice narrative. The aim of this paper is to address this issue, identifying the principles of a regenerative-adaptation process, and testing this at six key coastal locations along the Victorian coast. Using an innovative new Design Based Adaptation Model, this paper reflects the considerations from communities along the Victorian coast, recording results of applying the Method, the design options and solutions proposed by local residents, and identifying how lasting sustainability can be achieved if a balance can be reached between the natural and the built environment. The paper concludes that we as humans shape the places where we live and contribute to the positive growth of the natural environment through applying Regenerative-Adaptive Design. As such, assisting in regenerating the natural resources around our coastal settlements and adapting to future impacts of climate change in a co-evolution scenario of the built and natural environment.