Four Ways to Build Heat-Resilient Cities
Sourced from ABC7NY
As cities prepare for the effects of extreme heat as a result of climate change, experts recommend focusing on greener cities and paying greater attention to vulnerable populations. While there is no one-size-fits all approach to mitigating extreme heat, even slight adjustments to building infrastructure could reduce cooling costs, and better messaging could result in fewer heat-related deaths.
1. Constructing rooftop gardens and local parks
"We have to be thinking about the cool surfaces, the cool roofs and streets," said Dr. John Balbus, Acting Director of the Department of Health and Human Services' new Office of Climate Change and Health Equity. "We have to be thinking about the tree planting and the green spaces that can help provide some respite from hot indoor environments."
Many urban buildings are implementing rooftop gardens, which help absorb carbon dioxide and cool the air nearby. Cold air falls, reducing street-level temperatures.
"Green roofs, while they're higher up, the cool air tends to go down," said Dr. Vivek Shandas, a professor at Portland State University. "Depending on what's on the green roof, and the extent of greening on that roof, we can get a little bit of cooling. Maybe not as much as a street tree or a park, but a little bit of additional cooling on the sidewalks and areas surrounding that building."
Peter Elwin, Head of Food and Land Use for environmental think tank Planet Tracker, studies the effects of extreme heat on urban environments. He added that small local parks can offset some of the negative heat effects of urban heat islands - areas with lots of asphalt, concrete and tall buildings and few green spaces. Urban heat islands can be as many as 18 degrees hotter than areas with trees or a bit of water, Elwin said.
"So in that particular urban space, literally one block, you can find people getting really ill, the factory has to shut, the office has to close, because the air conditioning can't actually cope with that level of heat," he said. "Two blocks down the road, there's another company which happens to have a few trees outside, a bit less asphalt and concrete. They're fine."
From the Living Architecture Monitor
