Program

Green Space Park

Please note that the program is subject to change. 

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  • Wednesday, 3 December 2025

     

    TIME SESSION AND PRESENTER 
    9:00am     Opening – The Lord Mayor of City of Adelaide
    9:30am     Keynote Presentation - Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Futures: Cooler, Greener, Wilder – Professor Chris Daniels – Green Adelaide goals, strategic plan, policy, activities.
    10:00am  Panel discussion
    10:30am MORNING TEA
       
      Session I - TREES AND URBAN FOREST
    11:00am Protecting urban trees from harsh summer – Prof Stephen Livesly (University of Melbourne)
    11:20am    Which plant where? Climate ready street tree trials – Prof Michelle Leishman (Macquarie University)  
    11:40am   Future trees project in South Australia – Dr Kate Delaporte (EI, Waite Arboretum) and Stefan Caddy-Retalic (EI, University of Adelaide) 
    12:00pm    Panel discussion / Q&A  
    12:20pm   Lunch
       
      Session II – VALUING TREES AND GREENSPACE
    1:05pm    Learning from abroad – Prescribing greening solutions for climate resilience– Professor Prashant Kumar, University of Surrey, UK
    1:45pm      Growing the urban jungle in Australasia – Gail Hall, the Australasian Urban Green Infrastructure Network  
    2:05pm    Exploring the ‘true’ value of street trees in metropolitan Adelaide – Dr John Kandulu (Environment Institute, Economics)
    2:25pm      Asset management for green infrastructure project – Dr Jacquiline Balston, IPWEA Australasia
    2:45pm    Panel discussion / Q&A 
    3:00pm     AFTERNOON TEA
       
      Session III – BUILT AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURES
    3:30pm    Learning from abroad – Implementing nature-based actions in cities: Learning from Varcities EU – Professor Denia Kolokotsa (Crete, Greece)
    4:10pm    New development models led by nature – Stephanie Sirianni, Nature Collective
    4:30pm  Opportunities to Optimise Urban Greening and its Water Sources using Smart Stormwater Systems– A/Prof Mark Thyer & Dr Matthew Armstrong (Environment Institute, Environmental Engineering)
    4:50pm     Panel discussion / Q&A  
    5:00pm     END OF DAY ONE
       
    5:15 – 8:00pm   Tour to Botanic Gardens and with a BBQ/drinks/canapes at the end (optional).
       

  • Thursday, 4 December 2025

    TIME  SESSION AND PRESENTER 
      Session IV – FROM BARCELONA TO LONDON
    8:45am    Urban Greening: Challenges, Goals, Strategies, Evaluation – Dr Angeliki Karanasiou, Spanish Research Council, Barcelona
    9:25am    London, the world’s first National Park City: Delivery of and innovation in green infrastructure at a strategic scale – Abby Crisostomo, Head of Green Infrastructure, London Authority  
    10:05am    Panel Discussion / Q&A
    10:20am    MORNING TEA
       
      Session V – HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT
    10:50am    Mental health benefits of green space – Professor Xiaoqi Feng (UNSW)
    11:10am 

    Nature Positive: The link between biodiversity and health – Professor Sarah Bekessy (RMIT University) 
    11:30am Urban rewilding for health and wellbeing - Assoc Profesor Alessio Russo (QUT) 
    11:50am Developing health-based green policy – Carmel Williams (EI/CHiAPRT)
    12:10pm Panel discussion / Q&A 

    12:30pm 

    		 LUNCH 
       
      Session VI – GREENING AND COMMUNITY
    1:15pm    TREENET: An Urban Greening Community of Practice – Dr Tim Johnson, TREENET
    1:40pm      Planning for value and risk from urban greening – Assoc Prof Douglas Bardsley (Environment Institute, Social Sciences)
    2:00pm      The importance of nature engagement for children and future environmental stewardship – Dr Mark Kohler (Environment Institute, Psychology)
    2:20pm      Q&A
    2:30pm   AFTERNOON TEA
       
      Session VII – MAKING IT HAPPEN - LED BY DESIGN
    3:00pm    Learning from abroad - Perspectives on six decades of the greening of Singapore – Professor Prof Tan Puay Yok, National Parks Board of Singapore   
    3:40pm      Hidden Rivers and Ghost Writers: The Social Dimension of Parks – Dr Matthew Skjonsberg, Praxis Institute, Switzerland
    4:20pm      Urban Greening of Adelaide - Ilia Houridis, Director City Shaping, City of Adelaide
    4:45pm      Q & A 
    5:00pm       CLOSING OF SYMPOSIUM
       

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