Renowned urban ecologist receives RMIT honorary doctorate

RMIT Council has recognised internationally renowned urban ecologist and placemaking expert Salvador Rueda Palenzuela with an honorary doctorate.

Rueda is one the world's foremost experts on urban planning, celebrated for his vital contribution to built environments.

He is known for developing and planning 'superblocks', a concept pioneered in Barcelona, which reimagines the typical city block by diminishing car traffic to improve community, liveability and sustainability.

Rueda received his honorary doctorate in front of about 100 PhD graduands at RMIT's city campus.

"I sincerely thank RMIT University for this distinction, which I receive with humility and gratitude," he said.

"It makes me proud and motivates me to continue working in support of my principles, which are none other than those related to ensuring a future where the highest human values and respect for the laws of nature are the foundation of all actions.

"Since I was very young, I have been committed to applying knowledge to the common good through academic ecology and activism. Today, more than ever, current uncertainties - the climate emergency, artificial intelligence, the population explosion, accentuated in some continents, the loss of biodiversity, and, more recently, geopolitics - force us to shift our paradigm."

"It's no longer about improving the future - improving the future isn't enough - it's about securing the future, and to achieve this, we need new theoretical frameworks, methodologies, and tools adapted to the new scenario."

Rueda, who is the Director of the Urban Ecology and Territorial Foundation, has developed a coherent ecological theory of urbanism: ecosystemic urbanism, which is being taught in many universities across the world, placing human beings and the laws of nature at the centre of planning.

He has dedicated his career to addressing the escalating climate crisis, and has been a strong advocate for the underprivileged, working to improve health and quality of life outcomes in the city fringes through better planning and design.

He has consulted to more than 140 cities around the world, addressing the interaction of different elements within cities that affect the potential for environmental remediation.

While in Melbourne, Rueda participated in a range of industry and public events discussing urban planning, sustainability and community impact.

RMIT University also has a presence in Spain, where it established its European Innovation Hub in 2013 in Barcelona.