Cooling Common Spaces in Densifying Urban Environments: A Review of Best Practice and Guide for Western Sydney Renewal

In Australia, we are looking toward 50 degree summer days in our capital cities by mid-century (Lewis et al., 2017; IPCC, 2018). Increasing urban heat is a particular concern for Western Sydney, as the locus of population growth and economic activity moves west, creating a demand for new housing, infrastructure and services. This situation requires an intergenerational mindset and new tools and resources for thinking through the compounding social and environmental implications of increasing heat, population and building density in Australia's third largest economy. Landcom is engaged in developing neighbourhood precincts in Sydney that create more affordable and sustainable communities, including in Western Sydney, where the urban heat island effect is adversely affecting liveability, and where the influence of the built environment on community health and well-being is particularly magnified. Funded by the Landcom Roundtable and aligned with Landcom's Sustainable Places Strategy, this research aims to support Landcom and its stakeholders in making planning and design decisions that recognise this influence.