Industrial parks as ecosystems

Industrial ecology and metabolism provide a conceptual framework for the transformation of our production and consumption system into a transition toward sustainable development. This is consistent with the expressed views of a wide range of industrial and business associations. Burnside Industrial Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, provides an opportunity to investigate the application of the concept to small businesses. The Park is a diverse assemblage of more than 1200 businesses. A survey of 278 of those businesses indicates strong support for changing business practices. Preliminary research has resulted in developing a set of principles, strategies and guidelines for designing and operating industrial parks as ecosystems. A second phase of the research will encourage and assess symbiotic relationships among businesses and evaluate the effectiveness of various information transfer mechanisms based in the Burnside Cleaner Production Centre.