By Dr Nima Izadyar –
Senior Lecturer in Built Environment
If you’ve spent a summer in Melbourne’s west, you’ll know how quickly some streets heat up. A short walk to the shops can feel much hotter than it should, especially in neighbourhoods with little shade. It’s well documented that Melbourne’s west has far less tree cover than many other parts of the city.
As our summers become hotter, finding practical ways to cool our streets and homes is becoming urgent. Most people agree we need more trees. Councils across Melbourne are planting thousands of them every year, and that’s a great start. But councils can’t do it alone.
One of the biggest opportunities is sitting right in front of many of our homes. A single front yard might not seem like much. It won’t replace a large park or reserve. But when hundreds or even thousands of households plant a tree or add more greenery, the combined effect can make neighbourhoods cooler, healthier and more pleasant to live in.
Lots of small green spaces spread across a suburb can complement parks and street trees, because they bring shade and greenery closer to where people live. They can also provide food and shelter for birds, insects and other local wildlife, helping nature return to our suburbs one garden at a time.
A PhD research project at Victoria University, supported through collaboration with Western Sydney University and CSIRO, explores how planting trees and shrubs in front yards can help make homes in Melbourne’s west cooler, healthier and less reliant on air conditioning.
We looked at how different planting designs can influence summer heat, fresh air movement, air quality and the need for cooling inside the home.
One message became clear very quickly: planting more trees is only part of the answer. The real question isn’t whether we plant more trees; it’s how we plant them. The right tree, in the right place, can provide valuable shade on hot days, help keep homes cooler and reduce the need for air conditioning.
One important finding was that not every planting design gives the same result. Trees planted too close to a house, or too many trees packed into a small space, can slow the movement of air. On some streets, this may allow heat or pollution from nearby roads and industry to remain around homes for longer.
That doesn’t mean trees are the problem. It simply means good design matters. Choosing the right tree, allowing enough space around it and considering how it will grow over time can make a real difference. In many cases, a few well-placed trees can provide greater benefits than planting as many trees as possible.
Fortunately, creating a better front yard doesn’t have to be complicated. A useful starting point is to think about how sunlight reaches the home throughout the year and where planting could provide shade and comfort without limiting the benefits of natural light.
Choose a species that suits the size of the yard, including how large it may become over time. Leave enough room for fresh air to move through the space, especially near windows, and remember that a tree will keep growing long after it’s planted.
Small decisions like these can make homes more comfortable, lower cooling costs and create greener streets for everyone.
Melbourne’s west has less tree cover than many other parts of the city, but that also means there is a real opportunity to make a difference. Every well-designed front yard adds another piece to the puzzle, and together these small spaces can become part of Melbourne’s green infrastructure.
Just as governments encouraged households to install rooftop solar, perhaps the next step is supporting well-designed front yard greening. Helping residents plant the right tree in the right place could be a practical step towards making Melbourne’s west cooler, healthier and more liveable.
