The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) has released Australia’s first heat resilience assessment tool Cool Suburbs NSW; helping architects, developers and town planners build heat resilience into the homes, workplaces, towns and cities of the future.

WSROC President, Councillor Barry Calvert, said “Cool Suburbs NSW is a practical, science-backed tool to help industry and government make informed decisions about managing heat impacts – both today and the future – through state-of-the-art urban design.

“Cool Suburbs NSW is available online, free-of-charge and can provide a star-rating for urban design, and can be used for a range of scales from single buildings to large-scale masterplans.

“As heat risks grow with climate change, cities around the world are looking for solutions to improve to manage heat through urban design. Urban heat has been a major challenge for Western Sydney and we are proud to be leading the way for heat-resilient design across our state,” said Councillor Calvert.

Cool Suburbs NSW launched on Thursday (26 September 2024) by the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC). The tool was developed in collaboration with a panel of leading scientists, and experts from government and the development industry.

“Connecting science with practice, this innovative tool shows you how to maximise urban cooling including orientation, airflow, permeability, shading, open space, and water; providing developers, planners, architects and builders with guidance for how each measure can be achieved,” Councillor Calvert said.

“Cool Suburbs NSW also outlines measures to support community heat resilience including provision of drinking water, backup power for community hubs, and community information and signage.”

Developments are awarded ‘credits’ for the ‘cooling’ measures they incorporate, culminating in a ‘Cool Suburbs Score’ that shows how well designers have delivered heat-resilient urban design.

Credits are awarded for:

• Urban Design to ensure urban layout supports passive cooling.
• Cool Streets that contribute to creating ‘cool lines’ in urban landscapes.
• Cool Parks that create cool outdoor spaces.
• Cool Homes that promote passive design principles for greater resilience to high temperatures.
• Cool Buildings including workplaces, community hubs and places of worship, and
• Innovative Technologies that advance urban heat performance.

“Make no mistake. Our cities and towns are getting hotter. Consequently, urban design and development has an increasingly important role to play in enabling heat resilience for our communities and landscapes,” said Councillor Calvert.

“The new design tool supports real-world decision-making drawing on a wide range of research data to inform the management of heat through design.”

To try Cool Suburbs, go to coolsuburbs.com.au

Cool Suburbs NSW is funded through the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund. The Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF) is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.

WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING:

"Current practices in greenfield development and urban densification must change to be fit for a hotter future.

"If they don’t, people’s lives, livelihoods and their life support systems are knowingly put in danger. WSROC’s Cool Suburbs Tool is a good starting point to inform this change."

— Professor Sebastian Pfautsch, Urban Management and Planning, Western Sydney University

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"Urban heat is a pressing challenge that demands innovative solutions in urban planning and design.

"While the complexities of how design influences heat are well-documented, the Cool Suburb tool stands out by simplifying these complexities without sacrificing the integrity of evidence-based research.

"It provides a valuable framework for integrating scientific insights into practical urban design, helping us create cooler, more resilient communities.”

— Dr Negin Nazarian PhD, Scientia Senior Lecturer, School of Built Environment, University of New South Wales