If you don’t know how can you plan? Considering the health impacts of climate change in urban planning in Australia

•We interview current urban planners about the health impacts of climate change.•Planners believe that the health impacts of climate change need to be planned for.•Currently little is being done to plan for the health impacts of climate change.•Australia is overlooking public health opportunities to address climate health risks.

Climate change is likely to adversely affect population health through its impacts on diseases already of concern. How cities respond will largely determine its impact on the community.Results of 42 interviews with urban planners in Australia show that while they are aware of climate change as a general concern, they are not aware of the various ways in which it may impact on human health. Planning for climate change tends to focus on impacts on infrastructure (i.e. sea level rise) with little or no planning aimed at human health adaptation for city residents. Australia risks overlooking key public health opportunities that would address both contemporary health concerns and future health risks from climate change.