The Urban Living Lab uses data and research to inform better planning, sustainability and community wellbeing at Sydney Science Park.
CSIRO Urban Living Lab
In the heart of Western Sydney, we’re helping to create a smarter, more sustainable city.
Sydney Science Park (SSP) has been designated one of CSIRO’s Urban Living Labs (ULL).
The SSP-CSIRO ULL will help inform how we think differently about designing, building and living in cities.
The vision for the SSP-CSIRO ULL is to push the boundaries of conventional urban development and to shape a more sustainable, connected and brighter future for all. This includes exploring embedding new energy systems, smarter water management, transformative healthcare, circular economy, smart technologies and sustainability solutions into our cities.
Join us on this exciting journey towards a more sustainable, healthier and liveable tomorrow. Help us bring this vision to life.
What is an Urban Living Lab?
Australia’s cities are a shining example of liveability on the global stage. Yet, as temperatures soar, droughts linger, storms rage, and floods devastate, it’s clear that our urban centres face a new challenge: sustainability and resilience in the face of a changing climate. But it’s not just one issue – there are a complex web of interrelated pressures that require innovative solutions.
For more information on the Sydney Science Park Urban Living Lab, visit: https://research.csiro.au/ssplivinglab/
What is the SSP-CSIRO ULL?
SSP-CSIRO ULL, the partnership between Australia’s premier science agency, CSIRO, and Celestino, has a vision for creating more liveable, sustainable, and resilient cities.
The SSP-CSIRO ULL will look to tackle significant global challenges arising from:
- Population movement & changing demographics
- Need for future-proofed infrastructure
- Climate change impacts
- Oil & coal reliance (including for transportation and power)
- Unsustainable resource consumption
- Transition towards net-zero emissions
- Digital and technology disruption
We envisage the SSP-CSIRO ULL helping us achieve a brighter future, where the places we call home enable us to live better, more sustainable, connected and healthier lives.
Energy
How could Sydney Science Park maximise the potential for renewable energy generation? Examine the potential to utilise waste for energy purposes. Encourage residents to utilise innovative energy-saving devices to reduce energy load? Develop ways for all energy producers and users (i.e. home owners and businesses) to share energy to reduce the overall cost of electricity?
Water
How could Sydney Science Park provide a reliable and safe water supply to residents? Utilise water in innovative ways to meet the variety of needs for different stakeholders? Decrease the amount of stormwater leaving Sydney Science Park, while increasing resilience against floods, droughts and heatwaves?
Transport & Mobility
How could Sydney Science Park cater for alternative transport options that meet futuristic needs? Provide transport options that have minimal impact on the environment? Encourage active modes within SSP all year round?
Health
How can Sydney Science Park ensure its residents can live healthy lives (physical, emotional, spiritual, etc.)? Reduce the burden on the healthcare system by creating a culture of integrated technologies? Improve day to day living while also preparing for extreme events that cause health risks, such as pandemics, poor air quality and heat waves?
Heat
Urban heat islands caused by increased heat (stored in built infrastructure) can exacerbate the risk of heat-related complications in our cities and suburbs. How do we overcome heat island effects in urban settings? How can we sustainably use water to reduce heat? How should we use urban greening to reduce heat in our cities? What materials should we use to reflect heat from the roads and buildings we develop? How can we use tree canopies to create heat and weather refuges?
Circular Economy
While occupying a small percentage of the earth’s area, cities are responsible for consuming most of the earth’s resources. How do we transition from a single-use society to a more circular use of materials?
Urban Agriculture
How can Sydney Science Park create spaces that can support urban agriculture and the production of local food? Or develop mechanisms and appropriate maintenance that allow public spaces to be used for growing fruits, vegetables and herbs?
This project explores how urban forests can support cooling, biodiversity and long-term climate resilience in Western Sydney.
A Sydney Science Park case study examining how recreational waterways can enhance wellbeing, build heat resilience and support sustainable communities.
Temperature mapping at Sydney Science Park is helping shape future development that reduces heat impacts and improves community comfort.
Get in touch
If you’d like to learn more about the SSP-CSIRO ULL, then enter your details below and one of the Sydney Science Park team will get back to you shortly. Alternatively, you can follow us on our LinkedIn page (see the footer of this page)
Discover our developments
Jacaranda Glossodia
Jacaranda is a rare rural residential masterplanned community comprising 300 large land lots, uniquely sized from a quarter of an acre to an acre, in the heart of Sydney’s picturesque Hawkesbury region. 𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺.
Sydney Science Park
Sydney Science Park will become a mixed-use city that aims to create jobs within the research, development, education and health sectors, and will be integrated with thousands of homes and over 80 hectares of open space. 𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺.
Luddenham
Strategically located with direct links to the Western Sydney Airport, Northern Road, and the future M12, this site will serve as a pivotal gateway for businesses seeking unmatched connectivity to key transport corridors.