Suburban Heat: An Examination of the Urban Heat Island Effect in Canberra, through an In-Depth Analysis of the Suburb of Wright and a Review of ACT Government Policy
Researcher
Daniel Sandford
Published
08 March 2022
Funding
Alastair Swayn Internship
In recent policy documents, the ACT government has identified increasing canopy cover as their primary response to the urban heat island effect. This research sought to understand how attainable the identified 30% canopy cover target was, particularly in Canberra’s newer existing suburbs, which have some of the lowest levels of canopy cover in the city.
To do this, the suburb of Wright in the Molonglo Valley was analysed in detail to quantify the space available for canopy tree planting. Once this was determined, the potential canopy cover was then calculated. Additionally, as part of this research, several alternative street planning strategies were tested, which, if adopted, would further increase canopy cover levels.
The Alastair Swayn Internship 2021: The Alastair Swayn Internship Program is a joint initiative between the Alastair Swayn Foundation, the ACT Government and the University of Canberra
