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Present and projected future mean radiant temperature for three European cities
Sofia Thorsson1, David Rayner2, Fredrik Lindberg2
1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden. sofia.thorsson@gvc.gu.se.
International Journal of Biometeorology
|April 28, 2017
Summary
Future urban heat will increase mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) significantly in southern Europe, more than doubling in Frankfurt and tripling in Porto. Street trees can mitigate this heat, especially in identified "hot spots."
Area of Science:
- Urban climatology
- Environmental science
- Sustainable urban planning
Background:
- Projected climate change will increase urban air temperatures (Ta) and mean radiant temperature (Tmrt).
- Understanding spatial variations in heat exposure is crucial for effective urban adaptation strategies.
- The concept of
- hot spots
- can identify areas with particularly high radiant heat loads.
Purpose of the Study:
- To project future changes in Tmrt in three European cities: Gothenburg, Frankfurt, and Porto.
- To identify urban
- hot spots
- prone to high radiant heat.
- To assess the potential of street trees for mitigating radiant heat in these hot spots.
Main Methods:
- Climate projections were used to model changes in Tmrt and Ta by 2100.
- The
- hot spot
- concept was applied to identify areas of intense solar radiation.
- Simulations of street tree implementation were used to evaluate heat reduction potential.
Main Results:
- Air temperature (Ta) is projected to increase in all cities.
- The number of days with high Tmrt will increase significantly, especially in Porto (tripled) and Frankfurt (doubled).
- Hot spots were consistently found near sunlit walls, courtyard corners, and open spaces, indicating strategic locations for tree planting.
Conclusions:
- Future climate change will exacerbate urban heat stress, particularly in southern European cities.
- Strategic placement of street trees in identified
- hot spots
- can effectively reduce daytime radiant heat load.
- Design principles for mitigating radiant heat through urban greening are proposed.
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