The heat safe city project is about reducing the threat of extreme urban heat for all, particularly for people most vulnerable to this threat in our municipality. Our goal is that the city provides places of refuge for residents, workers and visitors during extreme heat events.

A project overview was provided on Participate Melbourne, and included details about the importance of a heat safe city, and how we can create one.

From 24 February to 7 April 2023 we asked the community what their heat health priorities were. The feedback provided will inform our actions for future summer periods.

We collected feedback through:

• face-to-face engagement activities
• an online survey
• an online ‘hot spots’ map
• deliberative stakeholder meetings.

Overwhelmingly, there was a high level of support for the project:

• 80 per cent of respondents are concerned or strongly concerned about the health risks heat poses to others in their community.
• 50 per cent of respondents are concerned about the health risks heat poses to themselves.
• 77 per cent of respondents stay indoors on a hot day or during a heatwave.

Survey respondents said that they would like to see more of the following to help create a heat safe city:

• trees, vegetated corridors and streetscapes, and shade structures
• places to go like parks, gardens, cooling centres and pools
• accessible community facilities and services for those in low quality housing
• practical resources like welfare kits for vulnerable community members
• expansion of Community Service facilities access to available resources to share with community members.

Common locations that were marked on the local ‘hot spots’ map included:

• streets used as walk throughs and connections to public transport
• playground spaces
• exposed plaza and promenade spaces.

The insights from this consultation provides an understanding of key priorities for reducing risk from extreme heat that have the greatest community support.

The feedback we heard is helping us develop heat safe city principles and advocacy positions which will guide actions for future summers such as design of streetscapes and open space, location of shading and services to support vulnerable community members.

The final principles and advocacy positions will be presented to the Future Melbourne Committee for endorsement.