This project investigates the suitability of various plants species in the urban environment under current and future climate scenarios. The project is the first of its kind and will culminate in an online interactive tool that will map the distribution of suitable habitats for various plant species across Australia. It will be relevant both now and in the future as our cities get hotter and our climate patterns change. The tool will be publicly available, designed for use by a wide range of stakeholders from nursery and turf growers to developers, landscape planners and designers, councils, and individuals.

Users will be able to select from a range of filters to choose the right species of plant for various urban areas – from street plantings to housing developments and open spaces. Details on the heat mitigation properties of various plants and their ecosystem benefits such as pollination and improvements to soil quality will also be available. A national best practice technical design guide will be developed as part of the project to demonstrate best-practice case studies of species selections around Australia.