Public spaces

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Shade for climate and health | Advice for policy and planners | Resources to plan and design effective shade | Advice for local government

Outdoor public spaces, like parks, playgrounds, and active travel routes, are important spaces for social connection, physical activity, health and wellbeing.

Shade is key to ensuring comfortable, safe and continued use of these spaces.

Effective shade considers thermal comfort, including air temperature, humidity, air movement and radiated heat, as well as reducing UV radiation exposure, which helps prevent UV related harms, such as eye damage, skin damage and skin cancer.

Shade for climate and health

Victoria is already seeing the impacts of climate change with an increase in temperature.

Shade has been shown to reduce surface temperature by 20°C with the lowest air and surface temperatures consistently recorded under tree canopies.

It can also reduce overall UV radiation exposure by between 60% to 90%. To support climate and health, natural and built shade and green spaces have multiple co-benefits to improve liveability.

Health and wellbeing

Reduces direct and indirect UV exposure – key to reducing skin cancer risk.
Reduces temperature and provides better thermal comfort.
Safer work environments and increased worker productivity.
Safer learning and play environments and improved developmental and wellbeing opportunities for children and young people.
Positively influences participation in health-supporting behaviours such as physical activity and active travel.
Improves community spaces for people to comfortably gather, contributing to social connection, improved mental health and general wellbeing.

Environmental

Increases carbon sequestration.
Improves air quality.
Increases habitats and greater biodiversity.
Improves management of storm water.
Creates sustainable infrastructure.

Economic

Reduces energy demands and associated costs.
Reduces healthcare costs.
Increases economic benefits and activity, like increased property values, attracting investment and spending.

Advice for policy and planners

For most of the day there is as much scattered UV from the sky as there is from the direct sun. Using multiple methods of shading in the form of built shade, portable shade and natural shade helps to reduce temperature and direct and indirect UV exposure.

This includes utilising trees with wide, dense canopies and low-reflective green spaces or building large structures near existing structures with surrounding vegetation.

Factors to consider for built shade structures

Define the primary purpose of the shade structure and main users of the space.
Determine the appropriate size for the structure.
Location, orientation and sun path to align the structure to optimise shade.
Skyview - as a rule of thumb, if you can see the sky, you are less than fully protected from UV.
Air flow and ventilation to ensure comfort.
Aesthetics for the visual appeal of the structure.

Materials

Use shade fabrics with an Ultraviolet Effectiveness (UVE) rating of at least 80-90.9% UVE (Effective) or 95%+ UVE (Most Effective).
Choose metals, glass, or polycarbonates with a Protection Factor (PF) of 50+ that block more than 98% of UV radiation.

Surrounding surfaces and vegetation

Natural, soft, rough surfaces like bark, mulch and grass typically reflect less UV and solar radiation compared to hard, smooth surfaces like aluminium and concrete.
In direct sun, lighter colours are more reflective of UV than darker colours. A surface with high reflectivity will have lower surface temperatures but reflected radiation increases feels like temperatures leading to reduced human thermal comfort.

Factors to consider for natural shade

Local conditions, like soil type and salinity.
Choose tree species with broad leaves and dense canopies for optimal shade.
Medium height trees around 7-15m provide the best shade.
Plan for adequate spacing around plants for people to utilise the shade.
Plant trees to the north-west of where you require the shade for maximum coverage from midday to sunset.
Consider irrigation and water supply for reliable water source.
Plan for seasons variation in shade throughout the year.
Consider grouping trees together to create micro-forests to increase shade and biodiversity.

Resources to plan and design effective shade

Guidelines

Information/research supporting the value of shade

Tools

Advice for local government

Local government plays an integral role in the planning, design, development and maintenance of healthy shaded environments that provide multiple co-benefits including heat mitigation and UV exposure reduction.

Addressing UV protective shade and low UV reflective surfaces within the 'Tackling climate change and its impacts on health' priority in Council plans and Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plans (MPHWP) ensures that local environments are climate-focused and equitably support safe, healthy behaviours. (Also see the Department of Health's Tackling climate change and its impact on health through municipal public health and wellbeing planning: Guidance for local government 2024.)

Sun protection is broader than UV protective shade design. Local government can also support sun protection policies and practices across different areas of council.

UV exposure as an OH&S issue for council employees

Embed sun protection in council-managed early childhood services

Promote sun protection to the community

Further information is available from the Municipal Association of Victoria.