A new method for providing shade in notoriously hot car parks has proven to reduce surface temperatures by up to 50% during summer days in Western Sydney.
At a busy Merrylands car park, vine-covered trellises installed two years ago have lowered surface temperatures by as much as 35°C. These structures, made of metal poles and stainless steel mesh, support fast-growing vines that climb and spread to create cooling shade.
Even before the vines have fully matured, the shade they provide has cut surface air temperatures in half. On the hottest days, shaded surfaces saw temperatures drop from 70°C to 35°C.
Research by Western Sydney University (WSU) and Cumberland City Council also revealed that air temperatures under the trellises were up to 2.5°C cooler.
Described as Australia’s first “cool car park,” the project offers promising results for areas like Merrylands and Granville, where summer heatwaves often reach 45°C, according to Cumberland Mayor Ola Hamed. She also noted that cooler surfaces extend the lifespan of asphalt, reducing maintenance costs for the council. Importantly, the shade structures do not reduce the number of parking spaces.
The initiative, funded by a NSW government grant supporting green infrastructure, has been under study by WSU’s Professor Sebastian Pfautsch for three years. He expects the vines to fully cover the wire mesh within two years.
Professor Pfautsch emphasized that car parks are a simple target for reducing the urban heat island effect without sacrificing parking spaces. The design prevents birds from perching and avoids fruit-bearing vines that could damage parked cars.
Western Sydney has over 6 square kilometres of dark, uncovered car parks, but only about 1% is shaded. In Cumberland alone, 1 square kilometre of parking remains exposed, often reaching temperatures above 70°C, contributing to local heat islands.
A WSU report highlighted that the issue is more severe in Sydney’s west, where residents rely heavily on cars due to limited public transport. Urban heat islands in Western Sydney are exacerbated by high temperatures and urban development replacing natural greenery. The region’s geographic bowl traps hot air, making it hard to disperse.
Over the past decade, extreme heat has led to 300 deaths and over 7,000 hospitalizations across Australia, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
The shading structures have also been implemented at a commuter car park in Wentworthville. Mayor Hamed hopes to expand the project to more public and private car parks within the local government area.
