Future Fitzroy - finding space for trees and nature

As development intensifies, we are going to have to think carefully to maintain liveability - with private open spaces disappearing beneath apartment complexes, more people competing for limited public spaces and rising temperature creating heat islands. Yarra is already finding limitations to increasing tree canopy.

Lack of vegetation has important implications for biodiversity in Inner Melbourne. Trees, vegetation and biodiversity are important for the quality of life in urban areas. There is growing evidence for ‘everyday’ doses of nature being critical to health and well-being of urban residents.

In our next Pubtalk, we will discuss the need to increase tree canopy in the face of development and climate change, new areas we might need to consider such as back lanes, the sort of vegetation we need to consider and how we can integrate biodiversity into our planning. We have arranged three great speakers.

Shane Delphine is co-convenor of Yarra Climate Action Now (YCAN), an organisation that has played an important part in developing climate policies in Yarra. He will outline the issues facing our suburb as it attempts to grow tree cover to protect us from the effects of a warming climate, while at the same time dealing with a doubling of our population.

Greg Moore is a much-admired horticulturalist and an important contributor to discussion on the cultivation and management of trees over several decades. A former head of Burnley Horticultural College, he appears regularly in the media, chairs the National Trust’ significant trees committee and speaks regularly at conferences.

Sarah Bekessy is a professor at RMIT and a 2025 Australian Research Council Industry Laureate. Her project, Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design (BSUD), aims to address the dual urban challenges of liveability and biodiversity loss. Through her project she is aiming to demonstrate sites where nature and people thrive through BSUD.