Cooling with green spaces: policy perspectives

Judy Bush PhD candidate, University of Melbourne Supervisors: A/Prof. Lu Aye (Engineering) Dr Dominique Hes (Architecture, and Planning) March 2016 INTRODUCTION Identifying the gap in research KEY ISSUES

• Australia: highly urbanised nation

• Urban sprawl and densification

• effect: existing research

• South east-Australian climate, heatwaves

• Climate change: impacts, mitigation, adaptation

• The role of public policy for urban green space Research question and sub-questions KEY ISSUES • How can policies contribute to retaining and maximising green space?

• How is policy success defined by research and practice? • Which policies for urban green space and urban heat island are successful and why? • Because research is valued by policy makers, how can collaboration between research and practice communities be enhanced?

KEY FINDINGS

council -

local - your - Melbourne of City

government/find - Moreland City Council City Moreland Hume City Council City Hume

www.dtpli.vic.gov.au/local http:// 2017

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Source:

document document

comparative case case comparative and and London research 2014 2014 research

econdary econdary - ‘best of example (comparative city) practice’ S of study interviews interviews analysis for urban green space space green urban for analysis in policies island heat urban and Melbourne;

– –

research: Qualitative PhD

Research approach Research

• • KEY FINDINGS

&

Reflexive: Reflexive: evaluation, monitoring learning 2015)

Henstra

mobilising mobilising projects actors, & experiments Operational: Operational:

Loorbach & , 2010; Vogel theories: transition management transition theories: coalitions, transition agendas Tactical: Tactical:

(Sources:

content and process framework: framework: transitions transitions Strategic: Strategic: problem problem structuring, transition visionsarena,

analysis

ustainability ustainability Policy analysis framework analysis framework Policy

s policy research: research: policy

– –

stakeholders stakeholders community Policy Policy

Agenda setting Agenda framing Problem Engagement: Instruments Agents Goals Targets Setting priorities options Policy supportPolitical integration Policy

Policy Policy process

Policy Policy content

• Research approach Research

KEY FINDINGS

Plan

M’ment

M’ment

Statement Walls Strategy Walls & Plan Plan Strat. Strat.

Street Tree strategy Tree Street Integrated Water Open space strategy Green Roofs Waterway management management plansWaterway Strategy Municipalhealth & wellbeing Municipal Emergency Strategy Heatwave Mitigation Mitigation Adaptation strategies Building regulations, permits Council Plan Local Planning Policy

Municipal Municipal

Act

Act

Protection Policy & Wellbeing

Provisions

Management

Strategy (& Refresh) Strategy

Fauna Guarantee Act Guarantee Fauna Open Space Strategy Environ Environ &

Environment Protection Environment Living Victoria, Living Living Victoria, Living Melbourne Flora State Climate Climate Change Act 2010 Victorian ClimateChange Adaptation Plan Metro. People Healthy , Healthy Environment Effects Effects Environment Emergency Emergency Victorian Heatwave Plan Heatwave Victorian VEAC Metro Melbourne Public Health Vic Planning Plan Melbourne: Metro Planning Victorian audit: audit:

Act

,

&

Fund National Construction Code M’ment program

Plan Plan, Conservation Resilience Strategy

domains and policies at federal, state state domains and federal, policies at Emergency Emergency of Health of Health

Biodiversity Environment Protection Environment Emission Reduction Water Act 2007 Water Initiative Water National Dept Disaster Aust. Dept Green Star rating tool rating Star Green National Urban Policy 20 Trees Million Federal

and local levels and levels local Policy Policy Australian policy Australian

• Initial results: Australian policies audit policies Australian results: Initial

change Climate Climate

biodiversity Ecology and recreation and Open space management stormwater Water, Water,

Buildings management emergency emergency Health, planning design and Cities, urban Themes KEY FINDINGS

instruments: advocacy and

of policy nformation nformation Government provision andprovision demonstration Government Regulation I Incentives

– – – –

Overview Overview

• Initial results

KEY FINDINGS

Regulation

provision Government

Incentive

  

Information/ Advocacy Information/

  Policy instruments 

increased increased space

instruments:

advocacy

and approvals process for incorporating proposals process for

of policy

ratios

: floor area floor area

Incentives regulation information information Demonstration door’ of tracking fast

– – – –

Overview Overview

Exempt certain works to urban greenery works related certain Exempt Waiving planning fees Waiving ‘Green ‘Green Increased Increased

• Initial results

Grants, rebates, financing for installation of urban greenery of urbangreenery features installation for financing rebates, Grants,

Stormwater fee discount with increased perviouswithincreased discount surfaces fee Stormwater •

• •

Incentives during the planning the during Incentives •

green green spaceprovisions Guidelines and toolkits: urban greening; green roofs, etc. roofs, green greening; urban toolkits: and Guidelines

Community information, engagement, participation: urban green urban participation: engagement, information, Community (includingcommunity plantings, etc.)

Community information: heatwaves (including vulnerability mapping) vulnerability (including heatwaves information: Community Policy mechanism

KEY FINDINGS

Regulation 

Government provision Government

      

Incentive

Advocacy Information/

Policy instruments

treatments

instruments: advocacy

of urban green space green ofurban and innovation implementation and making: ensure ensure making: regulations do existing not making on urban infrastructure and on making landuse urban infrastructure - -

of policy

green space green ofUHI

Incentives regulation information information Demonstration

– – – –

Overview Overview

• Initial results

Water sensitive urban with designWater street tree plantingstreatments integrated

goal, and use vulnerability and exposure data to actions to prioritise data and exposure use vulnerability and goal, Metropolitan Open Space Strategy: include urban heat island mitigation as a mitigation island heat urban include Open Space Strategy: Metropolitan

Integrated government government decision Integrated Integrated government government decision Integrated

pose a barrier urbanpose a for planning: inclusion

Opportunistic public works easements (utilities/ publicmanagement) works Opportunistic Creation of pocket parks from street closures or realignment or closures street from parks pocket of Creation

Leadership, including demonstration includingdemonstration Leadership, Policy mechanism

KEY FINDINGS

Regulation

    

Government provision Government

Incentive

Advocacy Information/

Policy instruments

Initial results

Protection of public trees: penalties for damage penaltiestrees: offor publicProtection

specific heat mitigation treatments for private development private for treatments specificheat mitigation Planning scheme overlays for ‘hot spots’ (based on thermal data): require ‘hotrequire spots’ for (based on thermaldata): scheme Planningoverlays model (Green model (Green Star tool;Communities ENV 3 rating UHI) Regulations, mandated for Regulations, mandated for particular types of development, usingGreen Star Developer contributions for public open space open public for contributions Developer

Water sensitive urban with designWater street tree plantingsintegrated treatments Policy mechanism

KEY FINDINGS

Regulation

Government provision Government

  

Incentive

Information/ Advocacy Information/

 Policy instruments  

green

indicators

Initial results

Awards, recognition recognition programs Awards,

Research and implementation partnerships: universities, peak bodies peak universities, partnerships: implementation and Research Data collection, monitoring, evaluation of both urban heat and of urban of urban and heat urban of both evaluation monitoring, collection, Data

Policy mechanism space Informing policy approaches

• ‘Best-practice’ approaches to green space policy • ‘Success factors’ in policy process: APPLYING RESULTS – champions/ policy entrepreneurs – networks – community engagement and support

– policy ‘ownership’ across organisation – budget allocations • Translating research to policies’ evidence-base

Informing policy approaches

• Issues: – Minimum standards & incentives Impervious & permeable

– APPLYING RESULTS – & outdoor living rooms – Public land: competing uses, maintenance costs and

standards

– Political ‘capital’ for decision making – Cross-cutting issue: risks of duplication, working at cross-purposes, coordination and consultation

Gaps in knowledge and application

• Limitations of policy: – Evidence base (and communication of research)

– Political capital, decision-making and funding KNOWLEDGE GAPS – Trade-offs: green space vs other land uses

Gaps in knowledge and application

• Beyond policy: – Role of developers and their clients in incorporating green space into new developments KNOWLEDGE GAPS – Retaining green space in existing residential areas

Gaps in knowledge and application

• Systems approaches (including feedback loops): assessing impacts of implementation of green space policy approaches on urban development patterns KNOWLEDGE GAPS – sprawl, densification, – housing affordability and equity

PUBLICATIONS policy policy a with green space: space: green with (ASTRA) of Australian Cities conference December Citiesconference Australian of

, can How transition theories Cooling cities

, AIRAH’s industry magazine, Feb 2016 Feb magazine, industry AIRAH’s , ,D. Murfitt Hes Transitions Transitions and and

framework.State Ecolibrium contribute to practice? to contribute analysis 2015 , J. Aye, A and Aye, J. ,

Bush, Aye, Hes Aye, Bush, Interview in Interview

Bush

articles Other Accepted abstract for edited book: Australian book:Urbanedited Australian for Accepted abstract Sustainability Conference paper Conference

• •

• Publications Photos: J. Bush SOURCES based

-

social

- , Sydney.

.

2032, Melbourne. -

20. Plan Plan Melbourne. Metropolitan - , Washington, DC. , Washington,

83. Urban heat island report: decision principles for the principlesdecisionUrban heat island report: for , Victorian Centre for Climate Adaptation Research, Research, Adaptation Climate for Victorian Centre , Communities PILOT V0.1 rating Communitiestool PILOT

–

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