Urban green spaces, trees, parks, vegetation, are increasingly asked to do a lot: cool cities during heatwaves, survive drought, resist bushfire, and manage floodwater, sometimes all within the same season. Most current guidance treats these hazards separately, but Australian cities are facing them in combination more often. I look at how green infrastructure performs under single hazards and under compounding, multi-hazard conditions, and what that means for how cities should be designed and managed as climate risks increase. My research is part of the industry funded project ‘Managing Resilient Urban Green Spaces (RUGS)’ led by Western Sydney University alongside University of New South Wales and University of Melbourne as well as local council partners.
Research keyword/s: Green infrastructure, urban ecology
About the BEAKER STREET ROVING SCIENTIST PROGRAM
Each August, hundreds of Roving Scientists descend upon Hobart, filling up pubs and chatting to strangers as part of Beaker Street Festival. Discover a new world down the lens of microscope, and joining the least-boring bar conversations you’ve ever heard and these free (the chats – not the drinks) events.
For Scientists, Beaker Street’s Roving Scientist Program offers an excellent outreach, professional development, and networking opportunity. It’s the nerdiest and funnest way to share your research with the public, expand your network, and be inspired by leaders in all sectors of science and science communication.
