Not only is Europe studying how urban green can have effects on air pollution and how it can mitigate heat in cities. For example, in Melbourne, Australia, they are taking these aspects very seriously. In fact, the Melbourne Plan is in full swing, the metropolitan planning strategy to define the future shape of the Australian city over the next 30 years. In particular, the Plan aims to make it more sustainable, productive and liveable. One of the ongoing projects concerns the mapping and analysis of vegetation, heat and land use.

Among the various activities, the project made use of UrbanMonitor, a monitoring system based on digital aerial photographs that served to create the first high-resolution map, over the course of 5 years, of the urban vegetation present in Melbourne. In this way it was possible, for the first time, to accurately measure the surface of every single tree, of the shrubs and of the grass cover at the level of a plot of land and keep track of changes in this area over time.

Vegetation mapping and analysis also help to understand the relationship between urban vegetation cover and the urban heat island effect. Thanks to the data obtained, a vulnerability assessment was prepared to identify the area most vulnerable to heat waves, also taking into account the location of the people most at risk in the community, such as the elderly, young people and those with less ability to adapt to the heat.

The project will support the creation and expansion of urban forests and cooling measures throughout the Melbourne metropolitan area and will also help monitor progress towards a fresher and greener city.

Find out more about Plan Melbourne