About the Cool Suburbs Assessment
Learn about the purpose and science behind this new release of the Cool Suburbs Assessment. You can discover how the assessment builds on the functionality of the original tool, who it is for and how it supports informed decisions on planning for heat resilience in urban developments.
Assessment credits
Get to know the different types of credits used to assess projects and calculate star ratings and heat impact scores.
What are Credits?
Urban heat resilience measures are called credits in the Cool Suburbs Assessment. The Cool Suburbs Assessment gives points for each measure that a development plan includes. This section explains the different types of credits used in the Cool Suburbs Assessment - credit categories - and outlines the information you can expect to see on each credit - credit summary.
Credit Categories
Category 1 - Urban Design (UD) Credits
Urban design shapes our neighbourhoods and suburbs creating an enduring urban pattern and form (urban morphology). The Urban Design Credits establish an urban morphology that optimise urban heat benefits made possible by credits in categories 2-6.
Category 2 - Cool Streets (CS) Credits
Cool Streets Credits provide shade where it is needed most for urban cooling. Together the Urban Design Credits in category 1, these credits achieve optimal urban cooling outcomes when applied at the local precinct and neighbourhood scales.
Category 3 - Cool Parks (CP) Credits
Cool Park Credits promote provision of shade and retention of soil moisture as a priority. As with CS credits, CP credits can achieve optimal urban cooling outcomes at the local precinct and neighbourhood scales when used together with UD Design Credits.
Category 4 - Cool Homes (CH) Credits
The Cool Homes Credits promote passive design principles to make homes more resilient to high outdoor ambient air temperatures and potential electricity network failure during extreme heat waves. These credits are focused on protecting human health and wellbeing with avoidance of heat related mortality as the primary goal.
Category 5 - Cool Buildings (non-Residential) Credits
Cool buildings (non-residential) focusses on places of work and community hubs such as public shopping centres (malls), libraries, transport hubs (bus/rail stations) and places of worship. As with CH credits, Cool Buildings Credits promote passive design principles to make buildings more resilient to high outdoor ambient air temperatures and potential grid failure during extreme heat events.
Category 6 - Innovative New Technologies Credits
The Innovative New Technologies Credits have been included in the Cool Suburbs Assessment to recognise and promote development that pushes the envelope on urban heat performance by collaborating with research institutions to develop and/or pilot the use of new technologies e.g. smart digital solutions, cool materials etc. If all other categories have been met, a development with these credits can achieve the highest Cool Suburbs rating.
Mandatory credits
The assessment includes Mandatory Credits that must be satisfied to earn a Cool Suburbs Star Rating.
Minimum effort threshold credits
The assessment includes two credits that are treated as minimum effort thresholds. Projects that don't meet these criteria will have credit points deducted, lowering the overall Cool Suburbs Star Rating for the project.