A landmark collaboration between retirement living provider ECH and the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium (BGSH) is set to boost resident wellbeing and create greener communities through an innovative new project that will bring more nature into urban design.
The South Australian organisations have unveiled Project Eden, which will establish a clear and consistent framework to guide ECH decisions on how they approach the redevelopment of their outdoor spaces in the future, supporting healthy ageing to enhance resident independence and wellbeing. This will draw on BGSH’s extensive horticultural and conservation expertise to help ECH embed biodiversity-rich design into gardens that will be tailored to each village and its residents. The project will use horticultural approaches to support climate resilience, whilst being sensitive to Adelaide’s varied micro-climates across ECH sites.
Central to the framework is the involvement of ECH residents and staff in shaping decisions for their own communities. Designs will be chosen with ease of maintenance in mind, ensuring that greener spaces remain practical, sustainable, and genuinely enjoyed by the people who live and work in them.
ECH Chief Executive Officer, Alan Morrison, said the program represents a major step toward positioning ECH villages as leading examples of sustainable, community‑focused retirement living.
“It is proven that spending time in nature strengthens mental, physical and social wellbeing, and we want to provide our residents with those benefits, whilst supporting our environment as the climate changes,” said Mr Morrison.
Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium Director, Michael Harvey, said the project is a new way to share horticultural expertise and contribute to Adelaide’s broader urban greening efforts, whilst highlighting the real health benefits of being in natural surroundings.
“Together with ECH, we are creating a model for purposeful urban greening that is sustainable, therapeutic, and deeply connected to nature, supporting residents today while shaping sustainable communities for the future” said Mr Harvey.
Project Eden builds on a long-standing partnership between ECH and BGSH, established in 2020, and strengthens shared commitments to wellbeing, community connection, and environmental stewardship.
Project Eden is set to begin with the development of a pilot site in late 2026.
