In late 2009 Ella Lawton was awarded a PhD scholarship with Victoria University to research the Ecological Footprint of 'the kiwi lifestyle'. Ella's research is part of a larger collaborative research project between Otago Polytechnic, Victoria University and Manakau City Council which received a 3-year research grant from FRST for their project Footprinting Urban Form and Behaviour in New Zealand.

 

The research project is designed to provide knowledge on how to lower the “ecological footprints” that make up human living patterns, in order to guide policies and practices for robust future settlement development. The outcome will be a set of footprinting tools for use by local authorities and communities to help guide their future development decisions. The action research required to engage New Zealand communities will use the FSSD as a basis for understanding and planning for a 'low-footprint' future.

 

For further information about this project contact Ella Lawton.