Solving Sydney’s urban heat dilemma

Penrith City Council is hosting a Masterclass event in 2020 to try and tackle Sydney’s urban heat dilemma. The event will bring key stakeholders and leading professionals together at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre on February 18.

 Penrith Mayor Ross Fowler says that the Cooling the City Masterclass was developed as a result of councillor concerns arising from community feedback on the impact of urban heat on Penrith’s future liveability. 

“We know it’s hot in Penrith during summer and only set to get hotter,” he says.

This event has been hailed as a “must-attend” for planners, developers, builders, architects, urban designers and others working within the built environment.

Environmental scientist Dr Josh Byrne from ABC’s Gardening Australia will be a keynote at the Masterclass.

Dr Byrne is based in Perth and says his city has some great examples of urban development where an integrated approach to energy, water and landscaping is being tested.

“There are some great learnings coming from these projects and I see Penrith Council’s Masterclass as a terrific opportunity to share these, and to discuss how these ideas can be applied locally,” he says.

“The challenges of increasing urban heat and extreme heat events is something that we need to be planning for now. The approach requires collaboration and creativity to ensure private and public spaces are designed appropriately.”

Other speakers at the event include representatives from Greater Sydney Commission, Resilient Sydney, the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, Western Sydney University, the University of New South Wales, University of Utah, Frasers Property Australia and the CSIRO. 

Registrations are now open. Click here to read more about the event and to register.