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New green experiment for Parramatta and Centenary squares – cool, native plant installations
Working with the NSW Government’s Chief Scientist and University of Technology Sydney (UTS), City of Parramatta is trialling moveable planters to combat urban heat.
Planter box creators, Future Village, received funding from the NSW Government to run a trial to investigate the potential of free-standing green infrastructure to mitigate heat island effect.
The trial of mobile planters - containing mostly native trees, plants and grasses - investigates the effectiveness of using natural cooling to make our public places more comfortable on hot days.
In Centenary Square, and Parramatta Square, City of Parramatta is testing whether planter boxes can simulate the cooling impacts of a green space where a permanent park isn’t possible.
What do trials tell us?
Round one of the trial was completed in summer 2024, and round two is happening now for summer 2024/2025.
The planter boxes also allow for the gardens to be moved around, changing the space to allow for events, or to test the cooling effects of different layouts.
Parramatta and Centenary squares were selected for the trials because they are spaces that are loved by the community and attract high visitor numbers. However, these public domain areas have a lot of paving that contribute to the squares getting very hot in summer.
How do we know if it’s working?
Sensors are placed in and above the planter boxes to test whether the planter boxes are making a difference to the temperature.
Images from the thermal cameras clearly show the impact the planter boxes can make.
Further testing will investigate the impact of a larger planter or more planters throughout Parramatta Square and Centenary Square.
We also engaged with the community via surveys. Residents and visitors said that they loved seeing the greenery.
Community members in round 1 provided an average rating of 4.55/5.
Everyone agreed that the planters improved the look and feel of the space and a majority agreed that they cooled the public squares.
All participants also said that they wanted to see more trials like this in their local area.
In round 2, which was installed in mid-December and is expected to run until March/April 2025, members of the community have commented on the diversity of the planting including native trees and grasses, as well as the attractiveness of the planters and their contribution to making the public domain cooler and even more appealing.
Contact us
For more information, please see https://www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/vision/smart-city
For any further information about Council’s Smart City work, please contact the Smart & Innovation team by calling our Customer Service Centre on 1300 617 058 or email innovation@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au
