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                    Cool Routes

                    People walking and cycling along a wide shady path in the city
                    Find the coolest routes through the city on hot summer days by using our new digital wayfinding tool.

                    ​​​​​​Due to climate change, Melbourne is experiencing more hot weather and heat wave events than ever before. 

                    While City of Melbourne is working to cool the city (see Cooling the city for details of what we're doing to help Melbourne stay cool, and actions you can take) we are also exploring new ways people can keep cool when moving about the city.

                    Cool Routes is a website you can access on the go – including through your smartphone – to plot your journey to any destination you choose across the CBD, Southbank and City North. Cool Routes takes into account the time of day, the city architecture and surrounds to give you not necessarily the fastest route, but the route best protected from the sun and heat. By using Cool Routes you can make your walk or cycle journey around the city more comfortable and help to protect yourself from the worst of the heat.  


                    Cool Routes was developed using spatial analysis and heat data from the City of Melbourne and adjusts routes based on the time of day you select to travel, analysing shadowing, tree canopy, surface materials and sun location to determine the most shaded and thermally comfortable path. 

                    For more information on the microclimate in Melbourne, you can view the output of our microclimate sensors on our open d​ata page.

                    To find out more about how to stay cool in summer, visit Heatwaves.


                    Cool Routes – FAQs

                    What is Cool Routes?

                    ​Cool Routes is an online mapping tool which helps users to find their way between destinations in central Melbourne, by choosing streets, laneways and paths to take advantage of the existing shade and canopy cover to protect the user from the worst of the heat. 

                    The Cool Routes tool takes into account the day and time, along with shade, canopy and microclimate information, to generate the coolest route possible between two points.

                    Why do we need this tool?

                    ​Exposure to extreme heat can impact infrastructure, businesses, plants, animals and people, causing heat exhaustion, heat stroke and sometimes death. So it is very important to be prepared for hot weather.

                    The Cool Routes tool was identified as an action in the City of Melbourne’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Refresh 2017. Community feedback gathered during the development of this strategy showed people were most concerned with the impacts of heat on vulnerable parts of the community, the city’s plants and animals, the way we travel to and from work and our general social wellbeing. 

                    The tool is designed to help people travel through the city more safely and comfortable as Melbourne experiences more frequent, extended and intense heatwaves due to climate change.

                    Where can I find the tool?

                    ​The Cool Routes tool can be found at www.coolroutes.com.au.

                    What if I can’t get the tool to work on my device?

                    ​We recommend you open the tool in Google Chrome. 

                    What if my destination is outside City of Melbourne?

                    ​The Cool Routes tool can only map routes within the City of Melbourne boundaries. 

                    Why isn't the whole municipality mapped?

                    ​Mapping will be expanded with further updates to cover the whole of the City of Melbourne municipal area.

                    Can I use the tool all year round or only during the hotter months?

                    ​The tool has been designed for use during the hotter months of the year, between December and March when people are exposed to high temperatures and heatwaves.

                    Why a web platform and not an app?

                    ​The web platform is like an app in that it is scalable to your device – be it smartphone, tablet, computer or laptop. A web platform provides more accessibility and functionality to different users as it will adapt to whatever device is being used.

                    How does it choose which is the coolest route? What data is used?

                    A thermal comfort model has been developed to identify which locations are hotter and which locations are shadier and cooler.  The model factors in thermal properties of different surface types, shade from trees and buildings, and the accumulation of solar radiation across the day. Detailed shadow analysis using the City of Melbourne's Digital Surface Model (DSM) is also undertaken. 

                    The below scale indicates how hot or cool it will relatively feel in different locations depending on surface materials, tree canopy, grass and waterbodies. 

                    Scale
                    ​Description
                    Red to orange​

                    ​Surfaces such as asphalt and concrete that have been exposed to long periods of direct sunlight.
                    Yellow to green​

                    ​Grassed areas exposed to long periods of sun. Alternatively, asphalt and concreted areas exposed to sun but not for long durations.
                    Blue​

                    ​Grassed areas or areas under trees that have been exposed to little or no direct sunlight.


                    How do we know the comfort map is accurate?

                    ​To verify the accuracy of the temperature map we used microclimate data, surface temperature readings and thermal imaging. We installed sensors to capture real-time data on air temperature, wind, humidity and air quality. 

                    The sensor data shows that places with a healthy tree canopy are cooler by two to five degrees on a hot day. This helps us verify the best routes and understand how we can design and build a cooler future for Melbourne. 

                    Further information on microclimate sensor readings​ can be found on our open data page.

                    What about accessibility for people with disabilities?

                    ​All of the works being undertaken are compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act.

                    Information about the works is being shared with disability groups via City of Melbourne’s email networks.

                    Why do the directions not include street names?

                    ​To ensure the tool has the most up-to-date and accurate network information the routing identification system uses a dataset that does not have road names attached. Street names will be added as the map is expanded.

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