HOPE E-COURSE STUDENTS -ENGLISH FINAL

1. Urban green and urban blue infrastructure 

Replacing typical urban surfaces and materials with green infrastructure contributes to decreasing the UHI effect. There is even evidence that the availability and accessibility of green spaces can reduce the risk of heat-related cardiovascular mortality in the vicinity of such spaces. In addition, it can also have various psychological and well-being benefits. There is a wide variety of green spaces, ranging from grass or isolated trees to full urban forests, and providing different degrees of cooling. Parks with elevated shading canopies are more effective in moderating urban climates than unshaded grass-covered areas. Larger parks with sufficient tree canopies can create "urban cool islands" which is very pleasant for those living or working nearby. 

Urban greening can also lead to exposure to health risks, including increased exposure to pesticides and allergenic pollen. However, with adequate design, management and maintenance, the potential for health risks can be minimized. A study by Sera et al (2019) showed that cities surrounded by a predominantly rural region and cities with large green surfaces showed lower heat-related mortality (Sera et al., 2019 in the WHO Heat and Health in the European Region Report, 2021 p. 142) 

There is also an increasing number of studies that have investigated whether urban water bodies (blue infrastructure) can contribute to less heat, but the results vary. 

 If you are interested in more background information, you may want to read the article of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe of 2016: Urban green spaces and health. A review of evidence. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/345751 Also interesting is the article of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe of 2021: Green and blue spaces and mental health. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/34293 

2. Pavement and outdoor urban landscape materials in combination with reduced transportation 

Several interventions can be applied to both buildings and other surfaces in the urban landscape. This holds especially for interventions to reduce the albedo of pavements and public surfaces by using reflective materials or lighter colours. Large-scale deployments of interventions to increase albedo in pavements could result in an important reduction of the UHI effect. Some indications increased rooftop albedo may lead to less heat-related mortality.  

 Increasing albedo may be an effective city-wide strategy in areas where substantially increasing green spaces may not be possible. This intervention can be combined with strategies to reduce traffic and transportation, because this goes along with heat production. So alternative strategies in this matter could be the promotion of cycling, stimulation of walking and electric public transportation (including public e-bikes).  

3. Urban form and structure 

Alterations to urban design and layout can affect elements that determine citizens' thermal comfort, such as air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. For instance, the ratio of average building height to street width plays a crucial role in the temperatures pedestrians experience. Additionally, the alignment of buildings and streets is another important factor. 

 In the article of Ollie Jay et all (2021). Various environmental interventions are mentioned. Can you summarise the benefits and limitations of environmental interventions? If you have done so, please watch the next presentation in order to see how your results come along with those presented in the PowerPoint. 

 Knowledge Check 

(Insert H5P Knowledge check 5.2 )