Towards Nature-Rich Liveable Cities of the Future

  Host: Distinguished Professor Michelle Leishman

  Tuesday 12 August 2025, 6.15pm – 7.30pm 

  Macquarie University

Overview

Our cities face unprecedented challenges – from rapid population growth and environmental pollution to climate change, biodiversity loss, and declining human wellbeing. 

While urban green and blue spaces offer enormous potential to address these challenges through nature-based solutions, they are increasingly under pressure from urbanisation and climate impacts. 

Join Distinguished Professor Michelle Leishman as she explores how we can build climate-resilient urban forests and waterways, while leveraging innovations in smart sensor technology, communications and artificial intelligence to create the nature-rich cities of tomorrow. Learn how these solutions can help cities lead the way in climate change adaptation and mitigation, creating healthier, more sustainable urban environments for future generations.

Biography

Distinguished Professor Michelle Leishman is an internationally renowned ecologist specialising in plant invasion biology, climate change impacts and adaptation, plant conservation and urban greening. She leads a research group in the School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University and is Director of Macquarie’s Smart Green Cities Research Centre. 

Her research has been widely translated into practical on-ground solutions and policy advice for government and industry, including the development of widely adopted online tools such as ‘Which Plant Where.’ With more than 190 published book chapters and journal articles, she is one of Australia's most highly cited researchers in her field. 

Professor Leishman’s numerous honours include the NSW Royal Society 2020 Clarke Medal for Botany, the 2022 NSW Premier's Prize for Excellence in Biological Sciences, and recognition as the Journal of Ecology’s 2021 Eminent Ecologist. She is a Fellow of both the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and the Royal Society of NSW. She has served as a Trustee of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Director of Bush Heritage Australia, and currently serves on the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Advisory Panel. 

Contact Us

For more details about the series, contact us at fse.outreach@mq.edu.au.