Tall & Urban News

In a bid to battle the urban heat island effect, a growing Sydney suburb is mandating that residential roofs be installed as cool roofs and that properties have enough space in both the front and back yard for a mature tree.

The Wilton Development Control Plan for the western Sydney suburb aims to provide 9,000 climate-resilient homes in the area. Australia is warming faster than global average temperatures, with the effect felt most acutely in urban regions. The Wilton area is expecting an influx of 400,000 people in the next decade.

In addition to direct cooling to the structure by using reflective materials, cool roofs will also reduce the demand for air conditioning, which will lower carbon emissions.

Applied at scale, studies have shown that cool roofs can reduce the intensity of the urban heat island effect by 23 percent and lower maximum temperatures during a heatwave by two degrees Celsius or more, according to a Dezeen article.

The tree portion of the plan hopes to create green corridors which combat urban heat island effect through shading and by absorbing carbon dioxide. In Colombia a similar strategy is reported to have reduced the average temperature in the area by 2 degrees Celsius since 2016.

For more on this story, go to Dezeen.