There are a lot of green belts in our area – we can definitely do more than just mow one third of the city greenery

You can make fun of the national anthem by singing “Our land abounds in nature’s belts,” but you may not know how true that is. For example, in Melbourne more than one third of all public green space is green belts(This number includes roundabouts, medians and other green parts of the street.)

That’s an impressive amount. The nature strip is everywhere. A million little patches come together to form a giant park that spans the city, making it a major player in our urban ecosystems.

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The second thing worth noting is that the green belt is public land that private citizens are obligated to maintain by lawCouncils manage the trees, but it is we, the residents, who mow the lawns.

What rules apply to green areas?

Many residents go further and plant a street tree or garden plants – succulents, agapanthus and gazanias are the most popular. But it is likely that whatever garden is in the nature strip, it is against the rules.

Nature strip regulations vary by council. Some councils do not allow any planting. Others restrict planting by height or only allow plants native to the area. In some areas nature strips can only be planted to prevent erosion on steep slopes.

Some councils do not allow food plants, fearing historical lead contamination from leaded petrol. Others insist that no plants should be allowed within one metre of the kerb and two metres of the pavement.

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These regulations are inconsistent and illogical. For example, councils that insist on native species still plant exotic street trees. Councils that say plants must be less than 30cm high so as not to block drivers’ visibility still allow vehicles to park on the street, blocking visibility.

The regulations deny us many benefits

It is against common sense for council regulations to restrict or prohibit gardening on green areas. Street greenery, whether trees, shrubs or lawn, provides many benefits. The science is there.

Animals in cities employ street greenery as habitat, food and green corridors for movement.

Even for those who mow the lawns of nature strips, they are not just grass. They are home to more than 150 species of plants, as my unpublished data from a survey of almost 50 neighborhoods confirms. previous studiesMany of them, like clover, provide critical resources for pollinators.

One study in the USA showed that switching from weekly mowing to every three weeks increased the number of flowers on the lawn by 250%. Mowing less often is good news for bees and butterflies.

A recent, unpublished study by the author and colleagues found that gardening in green spaces enriches the streetscape with native plant species, increases biodiversity, and makes the structure more elaborate (more layers of plants, more types of things), which is critical for many species.

Street greenery helps water soak into the groundfiltering pollutants, replenishing aquifers and making rivers healthier. cools the streets AND helps counteract the urban heat island effect. That too promotes a sense of community, encourages walking and reduces the incidence of heart disease, diabetesasthma and depression.

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But councils are risk-averse, worried about being sued if someone trips on the ground cover or stubs their toe on an incongruous garden gnome.

Fortunately, this aversion to risk is not universal. For example, Vincent City In Western Australia, there is such a mighty push for residents to replace their lawns with water-saving plantings that it will be necessary to remove the turf and plant native plants.

But with climate change looming, bruised toes are not the primary risk we should worry about. Instead, we urgently need to rebuild our cities and our culture to be sustainable and resilient.

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Gardening becomes a neighborhood act

One of the best things about gardening in the countryside is that people are They are more likely to do it if their neighbors do itIt’s contagious, the feedback loop creates a greener street.

Our latest study shows that residents who engage in gardening in green areas are more likely to a sense of community than those who don’t.

Interestingly, the benefits of nature strips include: are not evenly distributed throughout the city. For example, newer neighborhoods have more greenbelts than older neighborhoods (although their trees are younger). People are more likely to garden on greenbelts on secondary roads than on major roads and in neighborhoods with higher social status.

Almost a quarter of residential properties in Melbourne there is a form of strip gardening. If councils encouraged this activity we could achieve more street greenery at little cost to our cash strapped councils. Such incentives would also relieve many residents of the frustration of having to maintain a nature strip but not being allowed to do anything except mow the grass.

Given that over a third of our public green spaces are green belts, many petite actions by residents can add up to significant positive changes.