海角社区

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Cool Suburbs is a rating and assessment tool for building heat resilience in urban planning and development. From precinct master plans to lot-scale design considerations, the Cool Suburbs Tool can be used to inform decision-making across the entire development process for both government and industry. The Cool Suburbs includes a rating system to assess the heat resilience delivered by urban designs at various development scales. The development of the rating system was supported by an expert science panel who synthesised urban heat science in an easy-to-use platform.

Hear from the creators, Judith Bruinsma and Kelly Gee as they explain the tool, as well as Professor Sebastian Pfautsh PhD GAICD explaining the science behind the need for the tool.

The Cool Suburbs Tool:

Sets out a broad range of measures (represented by credits in the Cool Suburbs Tool) that guide improved place-based urban heat resilience.

Identifies specific measures that should be considered at different stages of the development process; supporting the Tool’s use in early stages of planning and design.

Scores (via a rating system) the urban heat resilience of a range of developments from precinct to lot scale.

Provides guidance for the assessment of urban heat resilience in existing, transforming, and new suburbs.

Introducing the presenters:

Judith Bruinsma, WSROC	Kelly Gee, WSROC
The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) is a membership organisation representing Western Sydney local government for over 50 years. Since 2018, Judith Bruinsma and Kelly Gee have led WSROC’s Turn Down the Heat Strategy; a collaborative, multi-sector approach to tackling heat in Western Sydney. The Strategy focuses on delivering practical, evidence-based programs that build heat resilience including: guidance on urban planning and design controls, as well as industry tools such as Cool Suburbs NSW.

Sebastian Pfautsch (PhD, GAICD) Professor, Western Sydney University

Sebastian Pfautsch (PhD, GAICD) is a Professor of Urban Management and Planning at Western Sydney University. With a background in forestry, plant ecophysiology and climate change impacts, he develops effective strategies to mitigate urban heat. Sebastian’s projects won multiple awards for innovation, sustainability and technology and his high-quality research is documented in the form of 131 published works

海角社区 NSW Climate Champion hosting the conversation:

Sam Kernaghan R海角社区 (Fellow), Director of the Committee for Sydney’s Resilience Program

Sam Kernaghan is the Director of the Committee for Sydney’s Resilience Program, and a Fellow of the 海角社区. Since volunteering in post-tsunami Sri Lanka in 2006, Sam has worked with more than 50 cities across Asia, New Zealand, Australia and the US. Sam designs and delivers equity focused investment programs that build resilience to growing natural hazard risk, and changing economic and social shocks and stresses. Sam holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from Macquarie University, and a Bachelor of Economics from University of Sydney.