Latest news with #urbanheat
The Guardian
a day ago
- General
- The Guardian
Medellín's sublime return to nature
Over the last 10 years, Medellín, Colombia, has undergone a stunning transformation: huge swaths of the city that were previously encased in concrete have been restored to their natural state, such as in Parque Prado. Photograph: Jaime Saldarriaga/Guardian Parques del Río, seen on 3 June 2025. Since 2016, the city has invested in greening the landscape as a way to reduce the urban heat island effect, improve air quality, prevent flooding and restore biodiversity. Photograph: Jaime Saldarriaga/Guardian Parques del Río. Medellín's renaturalization plan includes the creation of dozens of 'green corridors' – interconnected streets, bike paths, parks and bridges – that have helped lower temperatures by 5F (2.8C) in some areas. Photograph: Jaime Saldarriaga/Guardian Parques del Río. 'Residents of Medellín feel that greenery is an important part of our landscape,' said Marcela Noreña Restrepo, the city's secretary of environment. 'There's a sense of ownership. People take better care of the spaces where there's greenery.' Photograph: Jaime Saldarriaga/Guardian Workers maintain Avenida Oriental, a main thoroughfare in Medellín. Photograph: Jaime Saldarriaga/Guardian Officials added green roofs and vertical gardens to buildings, such as on Medellín's city council building, reducing the urban heat island effect and helping the buildings' interiors stay cool. Photograph: Jaime Saldarriaga/Guardian A mourning dove perched on Medellín's city council building. 'With more greenery, we have more wildlife,' Noreña Restrepo said. 'Butterflies are coming, little birds are coming.' Photograph: Jaime Saldarriaga/Guardian View of a highway from Parques del Río. Many of Medellín's overpasses have been greened to promote biodiversity and improve air quality. Photograph: Jaime Saldarriaga/Guardian Parque Prado was a pilot project in Medellín's renaturalization plan. Photograph: Jaime Saldarriaga/Guardian The site, which had previously fallen into disrepair, was restored using recycled materials and native plants. Photograph: Jaime Saldarriaga/Guardian Medellín has roughly 4,000 streams, and the city has been greening embankments, including in the Parques del Río. 'Everything is water,' said Noreña Restrepo. 'If we don't intervene appropriately, problems like flooding begin to appear.' Photograph: Jaime Saldarriaga/Guardian Plaza Botero, a park with 23 statues by the city's own Fernando Botero, gained new vegetation and other updates. Photograph: Jaime Saldarriaga/Guardian Visitors get some shade in Plaza Botero. Photograph: Jaime Saldarriaga/Guardian Plaza Botero. Designers paid special attention to the composition of the landscape, Noreña Restrepo said: 'Where there's vegetation, it's not just a tree, but rather a combination of different species. So, it's very pleasant to walk around – yes, because of the lower temperature, but also because the city is much more beautiful.' Photograph: Jaime Saldarriaga/Guardian
Zawya
28-05-2025
- General
- Zawya
Saudi RGA expands cooled pedestrian walkway project in Makkah
Saudi Arabia's Roads General Authority (RGA) has launched the cooled pedestrian walkway project in Makkah City, which will enhance accessibility services for individuals with disabilities. According to RGA, the cooled roads initiative, dubbed 'White Road' project has expanded by 82%, building on its initial success since its launch in 2023. More than 84,000 sq m of roads in Arafat have now been paved using locally sourced recycled materials designed to reduce heat absorption from sunlight, it stated. These materials lower surface temperatures by approximately 12°C and reflect 30–40% more sunlight during the morning hours, helping to mitigate urban heat islands and providing a more comfortable environment for pilgrims while reducing energy consumption and air pollution, it added. The launch ceremony was held under the patronage of Eng. Saleh Al Jasser, the Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services and Chairman of the Roads General Authority. The new initiatives feature a green corridor project along the adaptable route, featuring trees planted over 1,200 m from Namira Mosque to the train station. To enhance air quality and comfort for pilgrims, air-cooling mist systems and water fountains have been installed in collaboration with the Abdulrahman Fakieh Charitable Foundationm, said Al Jasser. According to him, the growth of flexible rubber roads have increased by 33%. "These surfaces aim to soften asphalt in pedestrian areas, offering particular advantages to older adults. The newly laid section extends from Namira Mosque to Arafat Train Station, raising the overall flexible pavement area to 16,000 sq m," he stated. Research conducted by the Road Research Centre has validated the improved comfort and safety of this advanced rubberised asphalt. Furthermore, the Minister has introduced an accessibility initiative aimed at supporting individuals with disabilities. This initiative features a 4,000-metre pedestrian path that leads to Mount Arafat, built with cooled paving materials designed to minimise vibrations and enhance mobility for users and their companions. Al Jasser said as the national regulator of Saudi Arabia's Road sector, RGA aims to elevate the quality of roads to rank sixth globally by 2030 and reduce road fatalities to fewer than five per 100,000 people. Saudi Arabia currently boasts the world's leading intercity road connectivity, with a total network exceeding 73,000 km, he added. -TradeArabia News Service Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
CBS News
27-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Dallas heat islands study reveals city's hottest neighborhoods
The City of Dallas has released new data from a multi-year study into heat islands to better understand how different neighborhoods experience extreme heat. The data, collected through sensors mounted on cars driven across the city, shows a steep difference in temperatures depending on where you are. Some neighborhoods were found to be up to 12 degrees hotter than others. These areas are known as "heat islands." "It could be the same time in two different neighborhoods, and one could be much hotter," said Paul White II, interim director of Dallas' Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability. "To me, the major finding was the presence of trees and how significant they are." White said that the study confirms what many environmental experts have long suspected: areas with more pavement, less tree canopy, poor airflow, and higher levels of pollution are much more vulnerable to heat. "A lot of that is caused by development... lots of pavement, very little greenery," he said. "It's critical to understanding how extreme heat impacts Dallas." Some of the hottest neighborhoods identified in the study include Oak Cliff, Bishop Arts, the Medical District, Downtown, Oak Lawn, and parts of North Dallas. Kathy Stewart, a Dallas City Councilwoman who chairs the city's Parks, Trails and Environment Committee, said she hopes the new data will help guide future decisions around heat mitigation. "This is a health issue. It's not just a nice to have," Stewart said. "If we increase our tree canopy and add green spaces, especially in areas with a lot of concrete, then I think we can bring those temperatures down." Dallas has experimented with other heat mitigation strategies in the past, like using reflective concrete on certain roads. But Stewart said planting trees remains the most effective long-term solution. There's already some progress. The city recently moved up four spots in the national ParkScore rankings and now sits at No. 34, which officials say reflects efforts to increase green space and improve access to parks. City leaders are urging residents to look at the heat island data for themselves and to be aware of how their neighborhoods might be affected, especially as triple-digit temperatures return. The city also uses this information to determine where to place cooling centers during heat emergencies. In the meantime, health officials recommend limiting time outdoors on extremely hot days, staying hydrated, and seeking shade whenever possible.
Trade Arabia
27-05-2025
- General
- Trade Arabia
Saudi RGA expands cooled pedestrian walkway project in Makkah
Saudi Arabia's Roads General Authority (RGA) has launched the cooled pedestrian walkway project in Makkah City, which will enhance accessibility services for individuals with disabilities. According to RGA, the cooled roads initiative, dubbed 'White Road' project has expanded by 82%, building on its initial success since its launch in 2023. More than 84,000 sq m of roads in Arafat have now been paved using locally sourced recycled materials designed to reduce heat absorption from sunlight, it stated. These materials lower surface temperatures by approximately 12°C and reflect 30–40% more sunlight during the morning hours, helping to mitigate urban heat islands and providing a more comfortable environment for pilgrims while reducing energy consumption and air pollution, it added. The launch ceremony was held under the patronage of Eng. Saleh Al Jasser, the Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services and Chairman of the Roads General Authority. The new initiatives feature a green corridor project along the adaptable route, featuring trees planted over 1,200 m from Namira Mosque to the train station. To enhance air quality and comfort for pilgrims, air-cooling mist systems and water fountains have been installed in collaboration with the Abdulrahman Fakieh Charitable Foundationm, said Al Jasser. According to him, the growth of flexible rubber roads have increased by 33%. "These surfaces aim to soften asphalt in pedestrian areas, offering particular advantages to older adults. The newly laid section extends from Namira Mosque to Arafat Train Station, raising the overall flexible pavement area to 16,000 sq m," he stated. Research conducted by the Road Research Centre has validated the improved comfort and safety of this advanced rubberised asphalt. Furthermore, the Minister has introduced an accessibility initiative aimed at supporting individuals with disabilities. This initiative features a 4,000-metre pedestrian path that leads to Mount Arafat, built with cooled paving materials designed to minimise vibrations and enhance mobility for users and their companions. Al Jasser said as the national regulator of Saudi Arabia's Road sector, RGA aims to elevate the quality of roads to rank sixth globally by 2030 and reduce road fatalities to fewer than five per 100,000 people.
Free Malaysia Today
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Free Malaysia Today
Urban temperatures turning cities into ‘ovens'
England has seen the driest February to April period since 1956 the UK government's Environment Agency has reported. (AFP pic) WASHINGTON : Whether in Miami, Athens, or Santiago, dedicated ambassadors are stepping up to tackle extreme urban heat around the world. Eleni Myrivili, one of the field's pioneers who currently serves as the Global Chief Heat Officer for UN-Habitat, spoke to AFP about the urgent need to redesign cities to keep asphalt-riddled areas from turning into impossible-to-escape 'ovens' for the most vulnerable populations. Q: Why are cities at the centre of your work? A: We identified that cities are basically the Ground Zero of heat, where we have the most dire impacts. Cities today are heat traps and they are built for other types of temperatures, for a different climate. So we need to understand and totally change our perspective as to how we retrofit and develop new areas. We do it in ways that take into account the fact that we will be dealing with a totally different climate in the next decades. Q: Can you give us examples of solutions your team worked on? A: In Athens, we worked on the categorization of extreme heat, so that there are specific thresholds that trigger different types of policies and actions during heatwaves to make sure that we protect the most vulnerable populations. We created heat campaigns, so people understand how dangerous heat can be for their health and what they should be doing during heatwaves. Creating shading structures specifically for people waiting for trains or waiting for buses, so that these have special cooling aspects, like misters or like white or green roofs on them so they do not absorb heat while people are standing right under them. Of course, almost all of us have created plans for nature-based solutions and for bringing more nature into the cities. Q: How has climate change impacted your region? A: On average in the Mediterranean part of Europe, we have about 29 days of strong heat stress (relative to the average for the 1991–2020 reference period), but we jumped from the 29 (average) to 66 (days) in the summer of 2024. That's what we mean when we say that the average global temperatures have surpassed 1.5°C from the pre-industrial era, it means that on the ground we see these extraordinary heat seasons. Q: How can cities prepare against these new norms? A: We need to be prioritising shade, wind and water, and, of course, nature. This also means that we have to bring within our development and city planning projects other types of expertise. We have to bring in landscape architects. We have to bring in ecologists, foresters, people who understand thermodynamics. On a very large scale, but also on a very local scale, we have to consider water as the most crucial element that will break us or make us as we deal with rising heat. In contrast, can you give us an example of what maladaptation can look like in urban spaces? Air conditioning is a great example of maladaptation because it creates more problems than it solves. Air conditioning is extremely important to the most vulnerable populations, we have to make sure they have access to air conditioning. But we have to understand that air conditioning has to be used carefully, and not as a panacea that is just going to help us deal with extreme heat. We can't air condition ourselves out of this mess that we've created, because air conditioners are an extremely selfish way of dealing with extreme heat. You cool your own little space, while at the same time, you're blowing more hot air into the public spaces.
