Launched 5 June 2019 – World Environment Day

Our Urban Metropolitan Forest

Living Melbourne: our metropolitan urban forest is a bold new strategy for a greener, more liveable Melbourne.

Living Melbourne presents a transformative approach to respond to urban challenges with nature that aims to create a profound shift in the way we think about, value and grow Melbourne into the future.

Strategy & Reports

Living Melbourne comprises Three parts:

01.

The Strategy

The full Living Melbourne Stategy.

02.

Strategy overview

A summary oveview of the Living Melbourne Strategy.

03.

Technical Report

This technical support document is to provide the evidence base that underpins the Living Melbourne strategy.

Why does Melbourne need an urban forest strategy?

Changes in urban form, a growing population and climate change – including increasing urban heat – leave Melbourne’s greenery vulnerable, and could severely compromise the benefits derived from urban nature like cleaner air and water, reduced heat and habitat for wildlife.

Melbourne needs a plan to reverse this current and future decline and sustain Melbourne’s liveability for people and nature, across the entire city and its suburbs.

Building resilience in the face of urban challenges

The urban forest is made up of native and exotic trees, shrubs, grasslands and other vegetation, growing on public and private land across metropolitan Melbourne, and the soil and water that supports them. This includes vegetation in parks, reserves and private gardens; along railways, waterways, main roads and local streets; and on other green infrastructure such as green walls and roofs.

The integration of natural spaces in the urban environment helps solve important problems and improves the daily lives of a diverse and growing urban population.