Four ways to redesign cities and keep them cool
Climate change still poses a serious threat to cities everywhere. And as the world keeps getting hotter, cities are also experiencing a rise in temperature that’s uncomfortable for those who reside in the area.
But there are several ways cities can prepare for extreme heat. Here are four ideas on how to keep cities, and the people in them, cool.
Planting trees
Many benefits can be harnessed from trees. If placed in a city, these can shade streets and cool neighborhoods. Trees can also be planted directly on roofs or balconies to keep extreme heat from getting inside a building.
Coating streets and roofs
Another way to help reduce temperatures in the city is by coating the streets and roof with reflective material to help lower temperatures inside buildings. People will feel more comfortable, and use less air conditioning which is a major source of emissions that make cities immediately hotter as the machines vent heat outside.
Working on the overall design of buildings
For buildings to stay cool, planning their design is an ideal first step to take. Installing green roofs can keep temperatures down inside and cut the need for air conditioning. Choosing the right material can also help keep buildings cool. For instance, the thermal mass of concrete can be cooled in advance before a heatwave strikes.
Rethinking the shape of the city
Besides altering the existing environment, cities can also cool down by rethinking how people get around them. Examples are by redesigning bike lanes and sidewalks or improving public transportation so that fewer people will rely on private cars and driving, thus lessening carbon emissions in the city and cooling its overall temperature.
As the world gets hotter, people should start thinking of ways to help cool their environment since they are directly and negatively affected by extreme heat. It doesn’t need to be drastic since planting more greenery can significantly help lessen the heat in an area.
Read more about farming and gardening at agriculture.com.ph.