Public land managers must work to understand the needs of an increasingly multicultural citizenry. Future research on how different cultures use urban parks should include more representation from all ethnic groups in Melbourne. Unless integrated water management strategies are adopted, new green space will not be sustainable due to limited water resources. This research promotes an interdisciplinary approach to water planning and efficiency in urban parks, offering a cross-disciplinary tool incorporating public and expert input for sustainable park design.

1. If public land managers are to be responsive to the changing needs and values of an increasingly multicultural citizenry, then
they must work towards a fuller understanding of those needs and values (Driver, 1996, pp. 5). Dwelling on the impacts that
cultures and societies have on the way people use urban parks, and given the multicultural place that Melbourne is, future
research should include a larger sample of raters representative of all the cultural/ethnic groups present in Melbourne.
Finally, unless integrated and systematic strategies to manage water-use in urban green spaces are adopted, and the total
water available from all sources is wisely used, new green space development in Australian cities will soon become
unsustainable. This thesis promotes among researchers, policy makers and designers the need for an interdisciplinary
approach to water planning and water-use efficiency in urban parks. It also offers a cross-disciplinary approach based on both
expert and public input and marries qualitative and quantitative paradigms from the fields of irrigation engineering and
landscape perception studies to produce a useful tool that park designers, planners and managers can use to plan sustainable
and water-saving park systems in the future.

2. If public land managers are to be responsive to the changing needs and values of an increasingly multicultural citizenry, then
they must work towards a fuller understanding of those needs and values (Driver, 1996, pp. 5). Dwelling on the impacts that
cultures and societies have on the way people use urban parks, and given the multicultural place that Melbourne is, future
research should include a larger sample of raters representative of all the cultural/ethnic groups
present in Melbourne [indicating direction for future research].
Finally, unless integrated and systematic strategies to manage water-use in urban green spaces are adopted, and the total
water available from all sources is wisely used, new green space development in Australian cities will soon become
unsustainable. This thesis promotes among researchers, policy makers and designers the need for an interdisciplinary
approach to water planning and water-use efficiency in urban parks [stating an implication of the research]. It also offers a
cross-disciplinary approach based on both expert and public input and marries qualitative and quantitative paradigms from
the fields of irrigation engineering and landscape perception studies to produce a useful tool that park designers, planners
and managers can use to plan sustainable and water-saving park systems in the future [stating the original contribution of the
research].