The Green Factor arrives in Melbourne
Date: 9月 15, 2025
Category: Insights
Australian Catholic University - Mother Teresa Building
Urban greening not only makes our cities more pleasant places to be - it is of vital importance to maintaining an essential level of quality of life, and increasing resilience against the changing climate and increased urbanisation. So how can we encourage this to happen?
There is a battle taking place in our cities between grey and green, and green is losing.
Our cities are composed of infrastructure, built from ubiquitous concrete, glass, and steel. We have built our roads, buildings and the networks that supply us with power, data and water by excluding nature.
As a result, even in the greenest cities there is not much nature left. And generally, what green space exists can be found in the public realm is considered the responsibility of the public realm with very little on private land.
To a certain degree, city authorities can influence and even control what is constructed on public land, and they have long been strong (and sometimes the only) advocates for public green spaces.
But it is much more difficult to control what development occurs within the private domain.
Our cities are composed of infrastructure, built from ubiquitous concrete, glass, and steel. We have built our roads, buildings and the networks that supply us with power, data and water by excluding nature.
As a result, even in the greenest cities there is not much nature left. And generally, what green space exists can be found in the public realm is considered the responsibility of the public realm with very little on private land.
To a certain degree, city authorities can influence and even control what is constructed on public land, and they have long been strong (and sometimes the only) advocates for public green spaces.
But it is much more difficult to control what development occurs within the private domain.
CBA Darling Square Rooftop
Union Place Rozelle
What is urban green infrastructure?
Put simply, green infrastructure is the inclusion within projects of the natural processes associated with plants, soil and water for all the benefits that they provide.
It involves planting integrated into a built form by way of green roofs, green walls, green facades at height, and the on-ground inclusion of planted gardens and trees.
Urban Green Infrastructure is incredibly important for those of us concerned with the relationship of the built environment to broader environmental and climactic concerns. It aligns closely with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and fostering a sustainable future for both communities and nature.
It involves planting integrated into a built form by way of green roofs, green walls, green facades at height, and the on-ground inclusion of planted gardens and trees.
Urban Green Infrastructure is incredibly important for those of us concerned with the relationship of the built environment to broader environmental and climactic concerns. It aligns closely with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and fostering a sustainable future for both communities and nature.
Quay Quarter Towers Rooftop
Increasing urban greening
Challenges to implementing urban green infrastructure include a lack of legislation requiring its inclusion in developments, limited funding for greening within projects, the absence of clear guidance and standards for high-quality design and delivery and a lack of skills recognition for professionals.
80 Ann Street
It is widely accepted that increasing the quantity and quality of urban greening is beneficial, and there is now an abundance of technical knowledge and cost benefit analysis of why doing so is valuable. Developers are hesitant to include significant greening for a number of reasons. Often there is a perception that the built form cannot accommodate it without compromising the profitability of the project, exceeding weight loading allowances, and threatening the integrity of waterproofing and fire safety of the building. Also, there are concerns about ongoing maintenance costs and demands.
Even with the known benefits these concerns often win out and greening does not get serious consideration.
That is why the city of Melbourne has stepped in to provide some strong requirements that greening get included into projects.
Even with the known benefits these concerns often win out and greening does not get serious consideration.
That is why the city of Melbourne has stepped in to provide some strong requirements that greening get included into projects.
Global context
Many cites around the world are adopting similar measures. For example, Helsinki has its own version of the Green Factor Tool. Vancouver, Chicago, London, Basel, Paris and others all have mandatory requirements for green roofs.
In the Northern Hemisphere the primary drivers for this are the management of stormwater volume and quality, as well as biodiversity loss and the imminent threat to bee populations.
In Melbourne, the primary driver is human wellbeing. This is a combination of heat impacts, and general wellbeing and access to nature. Stormwater is also an important benefit – and these measures will assist developers in meeting their mandatory Water Sensitive Urban Design obligations.
Greening has the dual benefit of reducing the Urban Heat Island impacts of the city generally, and saving energy costs for cooling the building that it is incorporated onto.
In the Northern Hemisphere the primary drivers for this are the management of stormwater volume and quality, as well as biodiversity loss and the imminent threat to bee populations.
In Melbourne, the primary driver is human wellbeing. This is a combination of heat impacts, and general wellbeing and access to nature. Stormwater is also an important benefit – and these measures will assist developers in meeting their mandatory Water Sensitive Urban Design obligations.
Greening has the dual benefit of reducing the Urban Heat Island impacts of the city generally, and saving energy costs for cooling the building that it is incorporated onto.
Kangan Institute
What will this mean for Melbourne?
Once this change is in place all developments will need to meet a minimum 0.55 Green Factor Tool score, or show good reason why they cannot. This can be easily achieved with a combination of green elements including green roofs, green walls, green facades as well as in ground tree plantings and plantings on podium. The preservation of existing trees also contributes to the score.
As more projects include these elements the industry expertise and capacity will increase, costs will come down and the quality of outcome of greening projects will continue to improve.
As more projects include these elements the industry expertise and capacity will increase, costs will come down and the quality of outcome of greening projects will continue to improve.
275 Kent Street Terrance
How ASPECT Studios can provide solutions
ASPECT Studios has long been a leader in green infrastructure and living architecture. We have been at the forefront of the evolution of this movement in Victoria having been part of the Technical Reference Group for the Growing Green Guide. We have also been involved in some of the seminal greening projects such as the Victorian Desalination Project green roof, the Burnley Campus Demonstration Green Roof, the Platinum tower green façade and many others.
We have the technical and horticultural understanding to design low risk solutions that will work and streamline them into the development design and approval processes.
We can work with developers, architects and engineers to achieve a 0.55 Green Factor Tool score in the most efficient and beneficial way that will also be long-lasting, resilient, and require the minimum of maintenance.
The prospects for our cities just got a lot greener.
We can work with developers, architects and engineers to achieve a 0.55 Green Factor Tool score in the most efficient and beneficial way that will also be long-lasting, resilient, and require the minimum of maintenance.
The prospects for our cities just got a lot greener.
Victorian Desalination & Ecological Reserve
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