German city of Mannheim maps the urban climate to reduce the heat island effect

The analysis identifies the heat stress for each building and open space, allowing the city to draw a map of hotter and colder urban areas and their relation to each other

Mannheim has conducted an urban climate analysis to identify heat stress, in order to target planning measures reducing the urban heat island effect affecting more than 140,000 residents. One of these measures is an urban green corridor acting as a cold air guideway, mitigating the hot temperatures in adjacent neighborhoods.

Assessing heat stress

With a 1.9° Celsius average temperature increase expected by 2050 and a likely increase in the rate of heat events in Mannheim, the city has carried out climate analyses (first in 2010, then in 2020) to identify the exposure of people and the urban environment to bioclimatic stresses. This exercise helps urban planners to identify solutions that mitigate the effects of heat on both citizens and critical infrastructure.

The ‘Urban Climate Analysis Mannheim 2020’ provides all city actors with sufficient and scientifically robust data on heat stress across the city. The analysis identifies the heat stress for each building and open space, allowing the city to draw a map of hotter and colder urban areas and their relation to each other, for instance, through green spaces acting as urban climate compensation areas.

For more information, key results, funding sources download and read the full-text case study.

Source: covenantofmayors.eu