Livable Cities - London AMPS | City, University of London Page 146 environments.5 This study builds on three interrelated projects shifting focus from built fabric, public space, to urban ecosystems. 'Cremorne', 'Melbourne Cool Lines', and 'Wilding the Campus', combinedly demonstrate how typological approaches to sustainable urban transformation allow to respond to large sites in strategic ways. The paper concludes with the necessity of hybrid responses in to respond across the three domains of urban landscape, urbanism and architecture to particular sites. PROCESSES OF ADAPTING EXISTING CITIES The process of sustainably adapting existing cities to the current challenges of climate and biodiversity requires multifaceted approaches due to the complexity and variety of existing urban environments. Comprising buildings, open spaces, green areas and waterways as well as existing uses and users, unique characteristics and needs of different urban areas need to be well-considered. In the described design-research suite, we examined for each design context, existing buildings, spaces, and communities, but also climatic, topographic, ground conditions and proximity to water. These are key to develop strategies for sustainable adaptation targeted towards their needs. Thereby urban retrofitting was chosen as the obvious carbon-neutral approach.6 A crucial site-specific approach started with conducting extensive site visits, interviews and observation of how people used spaces together with extensive studies of historical maps to understand manmade changes to landscapes. This data was used to create comprehensive maps, detailing aspects of vegetation, ground conditions, topography and water elements or accessibility, existing programs and needs. In addition, understanding the city's climate, wind patterns, shade, and exposure to various elements provided valuable insights into how to better adapt the city to its environment: identifying dormant opportunities and obstacles to be overcome through precise networked interventions. Identifying needs, opportunities, and constraints aided determining the types of interventions needed, and the areas and situations where to effectively implement those. The studies were conceived around a method comprising a series of typical interventions that strategically connect. This approach has been a powerful tool in proposing large-scale schemes for adapting cities, that start from mapping out existing potential and needs to discuss most effective intervention types. Such strategic interventions may expand existing pedestrian spaces within the city and reconnect gaps that may exist in those connective urban tissues. The method enables a systematic approach to city adaptation, and progressive implementation of strategies, intervention by intervention. This ensures that changes can be made gradually and effectively. The strategic mappings created at the start and end of the studies have served as both an initiating point for identifying strategies and ideal intervention areas, as well as tool of synthesis, structuring proposed strategies. Maps, as a key tool in the method, provide a clear overview of proposals of the current state of the city, enable the tracking of progress for the discussion of final outcomes. Mappings were further effective at creating comprehensive and comparative views of the different interventions. In the discussed projects, maps were combined with keys of interventions. Represented as icons, the representations triggered reflections on commonalities and differences between interventions, while structuring propositions around common narratives. Each map’s critical reflection informed the next study’s objectives, expanding previous investigations into an overarching thread. FIRST EXAMPLE: FOCUS ON BUILT FABRIC AND COMMUNITY The first study Building Mixity!7 aimed at the sustainable transformation of a then relatively preserved post-industrial Melbournian area, Cremorne. We focused on its uniquely diverse built fabric, history, and community, as the area had hosted factories, workers housing, shops and pubs creating a unique mix of industrial types. It was still with street life and a deep sense of community. This led us to develop the university research through extensive community consultation, reflecting the importance of
