Strathfield is set to feature as a ‘cool’ epicentre for groundbreaking research at more than five local schools with university scientists, council urban forestry experts, and environmentalists joining students to explore how different levels of planting – including trees, shrubs and ground covers – can reduce urban heat.
Research often focuses on trees and canopies – recognised as important for shading and transpiration – but this ‘B’Cool’ project will assess how ground covers, shrubs and trees all play their part in mitigating urban heat, a growing issue amplified by climate change.
Academics from Western Sydney university, environmental organisation PlantingSeeds Projects, Strathfield Council’s tree experts, and school students will work together to develop cooling strategies for a rapidly heating Australian urban landscape.
Dr Manuel Esperon-Rodriguez from Western Sydney University’s Urban Forestry team says that the opportunity to actually plant in the urban space and measure how heat is impacted through different plantings is exciting and very useful.
‘It is safe to say that there is no research quantifying the cooling efficiency of multi-layer planting – the novelty of this project,’ Dr Esperon-Rodriguez said.
‘Establishing layered urban forests positions Strathfield as Australia's living laboratory for heat-proof suburbs!’
Dr Esperon-Rodriguez said that having real-life conditions with different urban landscapes and soils adds ‘so much more to research to see how trees and plantings – urban area’s living infrastructure – really respond’.
Strathfield schools will be benefitting from the Which Plant Where, research that Dr Esperon-Rodriguez was involved with. This informs which plant species are more likely to thrive under the more extreme climates that Australian cities face.
The participation of students from schools such as Marie Bashir Public School, Strathfield South High School, Homebush Boys High School and Homebush Public School – also allows researchers to assess how urban greenery impacts on educational and social outcomes, particularly how students and people connect with nature.
The B’Cool project is spearheaded by environmental organisation, PlantingSeeds, in collaboration with Strathfield Council and Western Sydney University.
Research shows urban trees can reduce air temperatures by up to 4 °C through shading and transpiration in tropical environments (Chàfer et al. 2022), with three‑layer vegetation structures (trees, shrubs, and groundcovers) providing more effective cooling than single layers (Gulpinar Sekban 2026; Zhang and Dai 2022).
Real‑world testing in Strathfield can reveal how groundcovers and shrubs might amplify canopy cooling. Additionally, native versus exotic comparisons can help identify climate‑resilient combinations for Sydney’s heat extremes (Esperon‑Rodriguez et al. 2019).
Strathfield Council’s Urban Forest Supervisor, Glenn Murray, says that ‘planting canopy trees in schools provides a great opportunity for benefits such as shade, visual amenity and improved biodiversity to be directly experienced by the large number of people utilising these spaces every day.
‘By combining canopy and other plantings with PlantingSeeds education program, the students and teachers can understand the direct relationship between a healthy urban canopy and the ecosystems that we all live in and achieve a desirable and healthy environment in which to study and work.
‘Each participating school is assessed for tree planting opportunities and a palette of suitable tree species prepared depending on priorities for shade, screening and species diversity. In some situations, the incorporation of locally indigenous tree species is appropriate for connection to place while in other areas the provision of deciduous exotic trees may be more appropriate for creating summer shade but allowing winter sun.’
PlantingSeeds will guide students in measuring differences between synthetic and green areas, exploring heat maps of their local neighbourhoods, and helping to create strategies to further cool their schools and neighbourhoods.
PlantingSeeds’ Dr Judy Friedlander says that students really respond to practical and educational ways to help local urban environments. ‘Students know that our cities are getting hotter through climate change and built infrastructures. They are alarmed about this and the loss of biodiversity.
‘Projects such as this one connect them to something that is educational and useful. They feel they are really making a difference,’ she says.
The B’Cool project from PlantingSeeds is an offshoot of the organisation’s B&B Highway – Bed and Breakfasts for Birds, Bees and Biodiversity – which is now in over 250 schools in four States. It has input from the NSW Department of Education and the Atlas of Living Australia, supported by the CSIRO.
January 2026 saw Australia shattering heat records, with cities experiencing Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects pushing temperatures 7°C above rural areas due to dark paved surfaces and buildings. Australia has warmed 1.4°C since 1910, with CSIRO warning of more frequent extremes ahead.
Buildings and roads intensify high temperatures caused by climate change. And our cities are faring amongst the worst in the world.
Researchers from the University of British Columbia found Sydney’s summer season had increased in length by nearly 50 days since 1990. More than double that of most other cities analysed, including Tokyo, Paris, Reykjavik and Petersburg.
Lead author, Ted Scott, said that in 20 years, Sydney has been on average adding a whole month of summer. ‘The consequences are very critical,’ he said.
For more information please email info@ps.org.au