Marchionni et al. (2025) Urban greening and water strategies are key to adapt Australian cities to climate change and urban growth

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrology
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-12-02
• Authors: Valentina Marchionni, Christopher Szota, Claire Farrell, Stephen J. Livesley, Kerry A. Nice, Veljko Prodanović, Sally Thompson, Pui Kwan Cheung, Hamideh Nouri, Mathew Lipson, Brandon K. Winfrey
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.134716

Research Groups

• Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, Burnley Campus, The University of Melbourne, Richmond, VIC, Australia
• Transport, Health, and Urban Systems Research Lab, Faculty of Architecture, Building, and Planning, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
• School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
• Institute for Artificial Intelligence Research and Development of Serbia, Novi Sad, Serbia
• Department of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
• Centre for Water and Spatial Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
• 21st Century Weather, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
• Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
• European Forest Institute (EFI) – Biocities Facility, Rome, Italy

Short Summary

This paper explores how Australian cities integrate urban greening with water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) for climate adaptation, demonstrating that effective water management is crucial for the long-term success of urban greening in building climate-resilient cities.

Objective

• To analyze how Australian cities are pioneering strategies that integrate urban greening with water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) to adapt to climate change and urban growth, and to draw valuable lessons for other regions facing similar challenges.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Multiple Australian cities across diverse climate zones (e.g., tropical Darwin, temperate Melbourne, Mediterranean Perth), providing a continental-scale review of urban greening and WSUD practices.
• Temporal Scale: Review of existing and ongoing urban greening and WSUD strategies, focusing on their long-term implications for climate adaptation and resilience.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Review and assessment of various modelling tools and metrics used in Australia to evaluate the benefits and limitations of urban greening.
• Data sources: Synthesis of existing literature, case studies, and practical examples of urban greening technologies (e.g., bioretention basins, tree pits, green roofs, vertical greening) and WSUD implementation in Australian cities.

Main Results

• Australian cities are at the forefront of integrating urban greening with WSUD, with strategies adapted to local climate and water availability across diverse zones.
• The study evaluates various greening technologies, highlighting their successes, limitations, and locally adapted solutions in the Australian context.
• Key challenges identified include mismatches between water supply and demand, high maintenance requirements, and the necessity for robust community engagement.
• Integrating water management is identified as an essential factor for the long-term success and climate resilience of urban greening initiatives.
• The paper reviews and assesses the applicability and limitations of modelling tools and metrics used in Australia for evaluating urban greening benefits.

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive synthesis of Australian urban greening and WSUD strategies, offering a valuable knowledge base and lessons for other regions globally.
• Emphasizes the critical importance of integrating water management for the long-term viability and effectiveness of urban greening in climate adaptation.
• Offers an evaluation of specific greening technologies and identifies common challenges and locally tailored solutions across diverse Australian climates.
• Contributes to the understanding of modelling tools and metrics used for assessing urban greening benefits, highlighting their practical applicability and limitations.

Funding

• Not explicitly detailed in the provided text, beyond being part of a special issue entitled ‘AUS grand challenges’ published in Journal of Hydrology.

Citation

@article{Marchionni2025Urban,
  author = {Marchionni, Valentina and Szota, Christopher and Farrell, Claire and Livesley, Stephen J. and Nice, Kerry A. and Prodanović, Veljko and Thompson, Sally and Cheung, Pui Kwan and Nouri, Hamideh and Lipson, Mathew and Winfrey, Brandon K.},
  title = {Urban greening and water strategies are key to adapt Australian cities to climate change and urban growth},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrology},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.134716},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.134716}
}

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