Designing with Country
The Office of the Government Architect NSW is working to develop a stronger presence for Aboriginal culture in the NSW planning system. Designing with Country is being developed in conjunction with recognised Aboriginal knowledge holders, built environment experts, and the wider community.
The aim is to develop a set of broadly applicable Cultural Design Principles and an implementation framework that can be applied to all built-environment projects. These tools can help ensure that the value of both contemporary Aboriginal culture and Aboriginal heritage are recognised and respected by practitioners in the design and planning of our built environment.
What is Designing with Country?
Designing with Country is an approach to design and planning that recognises the unique systems of knowledge and ways of being of Aboriginal people. Our existing systems of planning and design are based on Western understandings of 'country' and an approach to design that prioritises humans and their needs over other design attributes such as the environment and nature.
For Aboriginal Australians, however, Country (with a capital C) holds a very different meaning:
“Country means much more than land, it is their/our place of origin in cultural, spiritual and literal terms. It includes not only land but also skies and waters. Country soars high into the atmosphere, deep into the planter crust and far into the oceans. Country incorporates both the tangible and the intangible, for instance, all the knowledges and cultural practices associated with land. People are part of Country, and their/our identity is derived in a large way in relation to country" [1].
Designing with Country recognises that spaces have both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal histories that need to be shared and acknowledged. The disruptive impacts of Colonisation to Aboriginal people, landscape, and culture can be addressed through bringing to light histories of Country that have been marginalised over time. Traditionally, Aboriginal people walked Country, storytelling about important cultural sites. This practice can be continued today with local Aboriginal Elders to understand and acknowledge Aboriginal histories in the future design of spaces.
Designing with Country also shifts away from a human-centred design approach to a Country-centred design which views all natural systems including people, animals, resources, and plants, as equally important parts of a connected ecosystem.
“Our statutory land use planning system is not yet equipped to deal with the concept of 'Country' and its multi-layered relationships with Aboriginal peoples.”
— Greg Kitson - Cities Research Institute, Griffith University
Why do we need a new approach?
Designing with Country is being developed in recognition that the current NSW planning system does not incorporate Aboriginal perspectives that recognise the unique Indigenous cultural relationship with place. This new approach aims to move beyond the existing, narrow definitions of Aboriginal significance which are primarily based on practices of archaeological investigation and recording sites of Aboriginal heritage.
By understanding more about our strong and vibrant Aboriginal culture and heritage, and incorporating Aboriginal forms of knowledge about Country into design and planning practices, Designing for Country enables a sustainable method for managing Aboriginal culture within the field of urban design.
For more in-depth information about Designing for Country see GANSW Designing for Country Discussion Paper which has been released for public comment.
You can also use the following collection of resources to learn more about how you can incorporate and respect Aboriginal perspectives in your work:
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Government Architect NSW 2020, Designing with Country Discussion Paper