The importance of shade for healthy places and spaces

In planning for healthy places and spaces in an increasingly warming climate, there is a need to consider shade. In 2008, Brisbane City Council embarked on a revised approach to street and park tree planting to target the most shade hungry and popular walking and cycling routes in the city. With the help of residents, the Neighbourhood Shadeways initiative will add a small, but nonetheless important, contribution to Brisbane's Two Million Trees—Our Urban Forest Project. The Two Million Trees project aims to protect and improve Brisbane's ecological diversity and will help make Brisbane more sustainable by providing shady streets to encourage greater daily participation rates in walking, cycling and taking public transport. The proposed National Guidelines for Healthy Places and Spaces being developed by the Planning Institute of Australia are an important step, however there is a specific need to address how Australian cities plan for shade and adapt their streetscapes for climate change and transit oriented development patterns. Neighbourhood Shadeways