Urbanization is a defining feature of the modern age, yet the current model of urban development profoundly alters the natural environment, often reducing biodiversity and ultimately threatening human wellbeing. An ecologically based urban planning and design paradigm should consider a more harmonious relationship. Through a systematic literature review of 57 papers, this research identified relevant concepts and theories that could underpin this new paradigm. It revealed a noticeable increase in academic interest in this subject since 2013 and the development of concepts and theories that reflect a more holistic socio-ecological systems approach to urban planning and design based on a transdisciplinary integration and synthesis of research. Seven main themes underpin the academic literature: ecosystem services, socio-ecological systems, resilience, biodiversity, landscape, green infrastructure, as well as integrated and holistic approaches. Six of these can be organised into either a sustainability stream or a spatial stream, representing the foundations of a potential new ecological urban planning and design paradigm that applies sustainability-related concepts in a spatial setting. The final theme, integrated and holistic, includes concepts that reflect the fundamental characteristics of this new paradigm, which can be termed ‘urban consonance’.

1Policy and regulations for residential houses often consider the physical system alone and tend to 2 focus on the energy performance of the building. This ignores the effect of occupants' everyday 3 practices and their interaction with the building technologies. This research applies practice 4 theory and the concept of system of practice to eight Australian homes with the objectives of 5 providing a deeper understanding of the complexities of the home system as well as providing 6 approaches to enable (rather than persuade) resource reduction. The homes were investigated 7 through explanatory design mixed methods which combined results of one year of longitudinal 8 quantitative data collection and home occupant interviews. The results revealed that practices are 9 performed in a sequential temporal spectrum as part of a routine and are influenced by 10 interlocked practices as well as interlocking routines from other home occupants. Practices also 11 follow established daily patterns reflected by a frequency distribution curve where the standard 12 deviation reflects the degree of habituality of the practice. Highly interlocked practices with a 13 high degree of habituality are challenging to affect. However, automation could enable resource 14 intensive activities to be dis-interlocked from an established routine and make change within the 15 home system of practice easier and more flexible. 16

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The WGV project is an infill residential development in a middle suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its urban planning innovation is in its attempt to demonstrate net zero carbon as well as other sustainability goals set by urban planning processes such as community engagement and the One Planet Living accreditation process. It is a contribution to the IPCC 1.5 °C agenda which seeks to achieve deep decarbonization while also delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Solar photovoltaics and battery storage are incorporated into the development and create net zero carbon power through an innovative ‘citizen utility’ with peer-to-peer trading. The multiple sustainable development features such as water sensitive design, energy efficiency, social housing, heritage retention, landscape and community involvement, are aiming to provide inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable living and have been assessed under the SDG framework.

This research comprises a longitudinal study of a cohort of residents moving into a low-carbon development and their pre- and post-occupancy household practices that consume energy and water. They are the early adopters of living in low-carbon households and provide valuable insight into the influence of design and technology on household practices. Household energy and water consumption levels are measured and normalised to the metropolitan average to discuss the influence of design and technology on use. Heating, cooling and showering practices consume the largest proportion of household energy and water use and so the changes to thermal comfort and personal hygiene practices are examined along with a consideration of the influence of lifestyle and family composition on cooling practices. Household water and energy use decreases due to technology and design influences post-occupancy. However, the personal practice history of residents influences water and energy consumption. Changes to the meaning element of personal hygiene practices show how these are interlocked and unlikely to change in their duration when there are other demanding practices to be undertaken.