How have South Australian urban planning policies affected Blakeview’s surface temperatures?

Abstract

The South Australian Government is creating plans, policies, and strategies (PPS) that are preferencing infill development. While there are benefits to infill development, if scientific evidence is not adequately incorporated into these PPS, they can elevate urban temperatures. This study investigated Blakes Crossing, an infill development of Blakeview (South Australia) to identify the extent to which scientific evidence has informed the PPS that guided its urban fabric and their impact on Blakeview’s urban temperature. This was achieved by comparatively analysing the temporal PPS that guided Blakes Crossing’s urban fabric, with primary remote sensing data (using Landsat 8 imagery) that identified and compared Blakes Crossing’s land cover composition and surface temperature against four neighbouring areas. This study found that all tiers of government have applied a reductionist approach when applying science to form their PPS. This has resulted in inadequate cooling policies and principles being incorporated into Blakes Crossing’s urban design, thereby, elevating its surface temperature by as much as 2.67°C when compared to this study’s other analysed areas and consequently, elevating Blakeview’s surface temperature. To ameliorate the disconnect between science and planning, scientific tools such as remote sensing should help guide future PPS to effectively reduce urban temperatures.