Aslan Shand How well we survive the future depends on our vision for our towns and suburbs – and on how we bring that vision about. Increasing population in the Northern Rivers is leading to an increase in housing, traffic, and roads, all of which increase the number of hard, non-porous surfaces. These harder surfaces absorb heat and increase the temperature in towns and urban areas, as well as increase flooding. It is easy to feel the heat impacts with a trip to a large shopping-centre precinct. On a hot day you can feel the heat pulsating off the buildings, roads, and car parks.