In my last post, I showed you the porous asphalt technology that surrounds the Living Village. In this post, I’ll dive into the green technologies being explored to mitigate heat concerns in urban areas. Extreme temperatures are dangerous. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “heat islands occur when a developed area experiences higher temperature than nearby rural areas, or when areas experience hotter temperatures within a city”. Urban heat islands (UHI) are characterized by concrete structures frequented by automobiles, where the population is dense, greenery is sparse, pedestrian traffic is high, and pests might be problematic. Examples include New York City, Dubai, Lagos, Paris, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, and Freetown. Localized hot spots within hot spots are called Intra Urban Heat Islands (IUHI) and are attributed to an abundance of heat and are worsened by the changing climate. These are the innermost centers of the city. Consider midtown Manhattan, New York City, as an example of an IUHI. Concrete and asphalt are most prevalent in the center of transportation and pedestrian traffic.
Solutions for curbing the effects of UHIs aim to reduce exposure to extreme temperatures—walkable areas with gardens and farms, more greenery, fewer cars, and less hazardous building materials. Inhabitants suffocate as heat is trapped, released, and concentrated in the city. Retrofitting housing and highways is possible. Increasing the adaptability of those most affected is another option. A complete demolition and rebuild according to a green building code is another possibility. New technology and sustainable building materials are readily available remedies. Those who work and live on heat islands are at an increased risk of heat-related illness or mortality. Contributing to, and being a victim of, extreme temperatures traps humans. You’ve likely got nowhere else to go. Migration is not cheap. Commuting and traveling within those boundaries increase polluting emissions, thus contributing to the heat island effect. Cool pavement technologies mitigate them. Urban areas should continue remedying this issue, as should homeowners and associations. More research should investigate the effects of commuting and tourism on UHIs.Asphalt and concrete trap heat. These materials are staples in North American cities, cheap to acquire and easy to install. Asphalt and concrete can easily be rebuilt, and maintenance is sparse. They should be replaced every thirty years but can last longer than that in many cases. This is important where natural and manmade disasters destroy habitats. Automobiles—buses, trains, cars, vans, and trucks—move primarily across paved roads. Never mind the emissions that automobile transportation pollutes via tailpipe and charging stations. Paved roads themselves trap heat! Recall why we don’t wear dark colors in the summer. Alternative transportation, like bicycles and walking, reduce the need for paved roads. Cities across the world have implemented solar roadways as an alternative. A solar roadway produces electricity while cars drive on top. This innovation is timely as the world embraces electric vehicles. However, its price point leaves skeptics to pick at the amount of money--$56 trillion to cover every existing road—installation will take. Durability is another hurdle to installing these roads. Asphalt requires an uplift every thirty years. The shelf life of solar panels is undetermined, as are their ability to withstand pressure from impact and weight.
Sustainable paving provides another remedy. Cool pavement technologies lower temperatures by reflecting solar energy. Arizona, California, and Texas have begun cool pavement programs to assist with reducing temperatures. Its general attraction is water management. Safety increases as water is absorbed into the pavement and soil. Permeable pavement reduces the number of accidents since there is no water to accumulate on the road. Its large pores absorb heat and water. Additionally, this technology can release heat back into the atmosphere, further reducing the effects of UHIs. The permeable asphalt outside of the Living Village at YDS is an investment to alleviate heat in the city.