SOUTHBANK Urban Forest Precinct Plan 2015-2025
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SOUTHBANK URban FOREst PRECINCT PLAN 2015-2025 Southbank Urban Forest Precinct Plan 2015 - 2025 City of Melbourne 1 CONTENTS A Message from Introduction to the precinct plans 4 the City of Melbourne How does Melbourne’s urban forest measure up? 8 The City of Melbourne’s urban What will the precinct plans achieve? 10 forest comprises around 70,000 trees in streets and parks as well Community priorities as approximately 20,000 trees 14 located in the private realm, in addition to a growing number of Southbank urban forest in 2015 green roofs and walls across the and its projected future 18 municipality. Prioritising tree planting in streets 20 The trees managed by the City of Melbourne in the public realm contribute significantly to the Map 1: Planting Priorities 22 character and identity of Melbourne. An increasing body of evidence Guiding principles and considerations and research informs us that urban for tree planting 28 Robert Doyle forests and green space are vital Lord Mayor to supporting a healthy community Map 2: Key planting constraints 30 as well as providing a means to adapting to climate change. Map 3: Natural and open space context 32 The Urban Forest Strategy completed Map 4: Strategic context 34 in 2012 identified the need to Map 5: Planting sub precincts 38 generate a new legacy for Melbourne and create a forest for future Map 6: Canopy cover and biodiversity outcomes 42 generations. This urban forest is to be diverse, robust and resilient in the Map 7: What should stay and what should change? 44 face of current and future challenges. The urban forest precinct plan Planting Strategies 46 documents are a key implementation tool of the Urban Forest Strategy, Map 8: Long-term Planting Strategy 48 providing a framework for tree planting in streets that will meet Map 9: 10-Year Planting Plan 50 the Urban Forest Strategy targets. Map 10: Guide to species change 52 We have worked closely with the community and key Species Palette 54 stakeholders to generate this plan and are confident that it provides the basis for a street tree planting program that is consistent with Cr Arron Wood Chair Environmental neighbourhood character, the portfolio community’s vision for the future urban forest, and the principles of the Urban Forest Strategy. Disclaimer This report is provided for information and it does not purport to be complete. While care has been taken to ensure the content in the report is accurate, we cannot guarantee is without flaw of any kind. There may be errors and omissions or it may not be wholly appropriate for your particular purposes. In addition, the publication is a snapshot in time based on historic information which is liable to change. The City of Melbourne accepts no responsibility and disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information contained in this report. 2 City of Melbourne Southbank Urban Forest Precinct Plan 2015 - 2025 City of Melbourne 3 Introduction to the Precinct Plans Urban forest precinct plans guide Why is the urban forest THE URBAN FOREst STRATEGY tree planting and greening in important? City of Melbourne streets. Precinct plans are subsidiary documents The City of Melbourne is currently to the City of Melbourne’s 2012 facing three significant challenges: Principles: The targets set out in the Urban Forest Urban Forest Strategy and form climate change, urban heating a key component of the strategy’s and population growth. These will • Mitigate and adapt Strategy are to: implementation. Melbourne is place significant pressure on the to climate change Increase canopy cover divided into 10 precincts. built fabric, services and people of the city. The City of Melbourne’s canopy cover will be 40% by 2040. Each precinct plan has been • Reduce the urban developed in collaboration with A healthy urban forest will play a critical role in maintaining the health heat island effect the community, and is grounded Increase urban forest diversity in the science underlying the and liveability of Melbourne by: The City of Melbourne’s urban forest population will be composed of Urban Forest Strategy and in • cooling the city no more than 5% of one tree species, no more than 10% of one genus sound urban design principles. • Design for health • improving and maintaining the and wellbeing and no more than 20% of any one family. health, well-being and happiness What is an urban forest? of urban dwellers The urban forest comprises all • improving social cohesion • Create healthier Improve vegetation health of the trees and other vegetation ecosystems 90% of the City of Melbourne’s tree population will be healthy by 2040. – and the soil and water that • cleaning air and water supports it – within the municipality. • sequestering and storing carbon It incorporates vegetation in streets, • attracting people to live, • Design for liveability Improve soil moisture and water quality parks, gardens, plazas, campuses, work and visit in Melbourne and cultural integrity river and creek embankments, Soil moisture levels will be maintained at levels to provide healthy wetlands, railway corridors, • stimulating economic activity growth of vegetation. community gardens, green walls, in retail and dining precincts • Become a water balconies and roofs. • providing habitat for native birds sensitive city and pollinators Improve urban ecology Protect and enhance urban ecology and biodiversity to contribute to the delivery of healthy ecosystem services. • Position Melbourne as a leader in urban forestry Inform and consult the community SCIENCE The community will have a broader understanding of the importance of our urban forest, increase their connection to it and engage with its process of evolution. PRECINCT PLAN URBAN DESIGN COMMUNITY 4 City of Melbourne Southbank Urban Forest Precinct Plan 2015 - 2025 City of Melbourne 5 Introduction to the Precinct Plans CONTINUED Why are we concerned about The urban heat island effect Anticipated population growth What can the urban forest do? benefits that our tree canopy of mitigating the potential impacts (whereby urban areas are several and increasing urban intensification can provide to mitigate climate of climate change and heat on our climate change, urban heat Urban forests provide an array of degrees hotter than surrounding means that more people will be at change impacts are shade, city. The Urban Forest Strategy has island and population growth? environmental, economic and social rural areas) means that central risk during extreme weather events cooling and rainwater interception. established principles and targets benefits that contribute to creating Climate change impacts to human Melbourne will reach threshold and, as a result, there will be a greater for developing an urban forest that resilient and sustainable cities that health and wellbeing are a significant temperatures for heat related illness demand on health services in the City The urban forest and its associated will meet Melbourne’s needs and are enjoyable places for people to concern for our municipality. Climate in vulnerable populations more of Melbourne. Urban intensification benefits have been identified as create a city within a forest. live and work. Some of the significant change science indicates that often and for a longer durationthan also places additional pressure on one of the most cost-effective means Melbourne is likely to experience surrounding suburban and rural public realm open space as the an increase in the frequency and areas. The urban heat island is private realm becomes increasingly severity of extreme weather events primarily a result of impervious hard built-up (for more information see such as heat waves, drought and surfaces that absorb heat, human Melbourne’s Open Space Strategy). flooding. Heat waves kill more people activity that generates heat and low Access to open space is critical to in Australia each year than any other vegetation cover that fails to provide people’s physical and mental health natural disasters. The average annual adequate shade and natural cooling. and wellbeing. temperature is expected to increase by approximately 2.6 C° and the number of hot days each year is expected to increase from nine to 20 by 2070. Thermal imaging of Melbourne, taken late at night, showing how paved, unshaded surfaces store heat from solar radiation and contribute to increased temperatures in urban areas. Useful Life Expectancy mapped for City of Melbourne Trees. 6 City of Melbourne Southbank Urban Forest Precinct Plan 2015 - 2025 City of Melbourne 7 How does Melbourne’s Urban Forest Measure up? In order to provide the benefits Canopy cover would otherwise go down the drain. MELBOUrne’S CANOPY GRAPHED WITH AND WITHOUT TREE PLANTING we need from our urban forest This water is being used to water the Increasing the provision of summer in a changing climate, our tree vegetation in our urban landscapes. shade and biomass is important to population needs to be healthy, combating the urban heat island diverse and resilient. To assess Urban development has increased effect, adapting to climate change its current state we mapped the the connectedness of impervious 40% and enhancing our streetscapes trees in our city to measure species/ surfaces resulting in: for the comfort of people. Canopy genus/family diversity, useful life cover is a way of expressing, as a • decreased vegetation cover and expectancy and tree canopy. 30% percentage, how much of any given below ground growing space; 27% area is shaded by trees. Currently, • decreased infiltration of water Useful life expectancy 23% 77% of Melbourne’s streets and parks into the ground; Useful life expectancy is an estimate are without natural shade, and the • increased pollutant runoff; and, 26% of how long a tree is likely to areas of the city with the highest 25% remain in the landscape based on population density have the lowest • increased hard surfaces which 23% 21% health, amenity, environmental canopy cover.