WA tree canopy: Urban design experts call for targets as they probe ways to make shared paths cooler

WA’s leading urban design experts are calling for urgent tree canopy targets as they look for ways to make shared paths cooler in a bid to make cycling, walking and running more comfortable. Track users are being asked about their experience using primary share paths during heatwaves for a new study by UWA’s School of Design’s Australian Urban Design Research Centre. The Bureau of Meteorology recorded peak Perth temperatures of 42.1C, 40.07 and 41.9C in December, January and February, respectively. UWA design school researcher Nicole Edwards said there were no mandatory shade standards for primary shared paths in WA and because they mostly ran along train-lines and freeways, walkers, runners and cyclists often had very little shade. “Exercising in Perth’s summer heat can place the body under serious stress, and without proper heat management, conditions can deteriorate rapidly from fatigue and dizziness to heat stroke,” she said. “There is no legislated minimum shade coverage, no thermal index threshold that must be met, and no requirement for planners to assess mean radiant temperature before approving a path corridor. “Pedestrian thermal comfort along shared paths is considered more as a design principle, rather than an enforceable standard.” Dr Edwards said Australians were already feeling the effects of climate change, and said the research would help governments design cooler spaces, encouraging active transport. “Our project examines current and projected thermal conditions across the primary shared path network to identify hotspots of vulnerability to heat stress and devise evidence-based climate adaptation strategies to mitigate heat stress across the primary network,” she said. She said shade and light-coloured pavements helped keep shared paths cool but the State Government needed to commit to urban canopy targets. “Where trees alone are insufficient, cool-coloured pavement materials, engineered shade structures, and misting stations can provide meaningful additional relief, particularly at rest points along busy routes,” she said. “However, none of these individual measures will deliver lasting results without broader policy reform. “Perth’s shared paths will only become genuinely comfortable year-around once the government commits to enforceable urban canopy targets and tree protection legislation across the entire city.” This month, the WA Government announced its Urban Greening Strategy — supported by its Let’s Grow Action Plan — which aims to boost Perth’s tree canopy by 30 per cent by 2040 and plant one million trees by 2035.