Architecture news & editorial desk Urban tree canopies and green spaces have become unwitting casualties of current environmental planning and engineering standards, says leading urban planning and design practice Hatch RobertsDay. Despite the focus on sustainable development, the green cover has declined in 69 per cent of Australia’s urban areas, precipitating a rise in temperature .[1] According to Hatch RobertsDay, developers and planners must prioritise urban tree canopy in their projects to increase the liveability of Australian cities and reduce the urban heat island effect. Hatch RobertsDay WA urban designer Peter Ciemitis and WA planner Dan Pearce had recently presented on the topic at the WA Local Government Association’s ‘Trees in a Liveable City: An Urban Forest Conference’.