Presenter: Dr Tim Welch
Title: From Grey to Green: How Do We Make Auckland Fit for a Hotter Future?
Abstract:
What makes one part of a city feel cooler, greener and more liveable than another?
On a hot summer afternoon, a street lined with trees can feel several degrees cooler than the car park around the corner. As Auckland grows and its summers heat up, the kind of streets and neighbourhoods we build matters more every year.
In this session we look at the city tree by tree. Using ALTO, a new public map of more than six million trees across Auckland developed at the University of Auckland, we will explore places you know, from the Milford foreshore to the city centre, and ask where Auckland is green, where it is grey, and what it would take to change that.
Then we head outside. With KYTE, a free phone app, you will photograph and measure a real tree, see what the map already knows about it, and add what you find to the research. You will leave knowing how to read the trees on your own street, and why a cooler city starts with noticing what is already there.
Bring a smart phone if you have one. No technical knowledge needed.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand how trees shape a cooler, more liveable city: Discover how Auckland’s tree cover varies from neighbourhood to neighbourhood and why urban greenery matters as the city grows and summers get hotter.
- Learn to explore and contribute to Auckland’s urban tree story: Use ALTO and KYTE to investigate local trees, understand what the data can tell us, and take part in building a clearer picture of Auckland’s urban forest.
Date:
This workshop will run on Thursday 26th November from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm.
Venue:
We’re delighted to be hosting this session at Milford Cruising Club Inc, a relaxed waterfront venue set among the pōhutukawa trees at Milford Reserve on Auckland’s North Shore. With views across the nearby marina and easy access to Milford Beach, it provides a lovely setting to step away from the everyday, settle in and enjoy a morning of learning, conversation and connection.
About the expert
Dr Tim Welch
Dr Tim Welch is a Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning at Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland, Urban Planning Programme Director, Co-Director of the Future Cities Research Hub, and Director of the Better Places Lab.
The Better Places Lab develops free public tools that help people better understand how Auckland works and who it works for. These include ALTO, a tree-by-tree map of the city’s urban forest; KYTE, an app that allows anyone to add what they observe at a tree; and tools exploring how people move around the city, including active transport and cycleway planning.
Tim’s wider research sits at the intersection of transport, infrastructure, urban modelling, big data and public decision-making. His work has explored public transport performance and connectivity, climate-change policy, the impact of transport infrastructure on housing and communities, and the ways the built environment influences how people travel.
Across this work, Tim has a particular interest in urban heat, trees, climate resilience and creating fairer access to the city.
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