Urban policymaking, plan-making and place-making in Australia could be about to get smarter, writes Peter Newton and Mark Burry.

Cooling hot suburbs, low tech ways to save energy in pools and breakthroughs in wastewater treatments were highlights at the recent CRC for Low Carbon Living conference last week in Adelaide. Each pointed to the sound body of evidence underpinning good urban planning decision.

As extreme heat comes our way and threatens to impact on our buildings, it’s time to acknowledge that the quality Australia’s urban fabric is not on a par with other parts of the world.

Comfortable, affordable and low-carbon housing is possible, but according to experts at Wednesday’s National Forum on Low Carbon Housing for Low Income Households, there are multiple challenges that need tackling to get there.

Australia’s landscapes are dotted with mature eucalypts that were standing well before Captain Cook sailed into Botany Bay. These old trees were once revered as an icon of the unique Australian landscape, but they’re rapidly becoming collateral damage from population growth. Mature eucalypts are routinely...