Tackling heat stress in cities

One of the measures to reduce the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect is increasing greenery in the city. Green spaces provide shade and thus cooling, improve air quality, can help manage local flooding, and contribute to a pleasant living environment.

The most paved street in Breda receives a sustainable planting site system

The heat island effect, or urban heat island effect (UHI), is the phenomenon where temperatures in urban areas are generally higher than in the surrounding rural areas. The main causes of UHI are paved surfaces, dark materials, and relatively low wind speeds, which result in greater heat absorption and longer retention. The UHI worsens problems during heatwaves, such as heat stress.

What can we do about it?

One effective measure to reduce the UHI is to increase greenery in the city. Green spaces provide shade and cooling, improve air quality, help manage local flooding, and contribute to a pleasant living environment. However, to ensure trees thrive in urban areas, it is essential to focus on creating sustainable growing conditions.

Municipality of Breda

Breda is a partner in the European Cool Towns project, which maps the effects of urban heat stress and provides advice on mitigation measures. In Menno van Coehoornstraat, the most paved street in Breda, growing spaces are being created for 16 new trees. These growing spaces are constructed using the RootSpace growing plate system from project partner GreenBlue Urban.

Combining Green and Blue

The growing spaces are combined with AquaMulti Boxes to capture rainwater. This clean rainwater is ideal for irrigating the trees, which already face challenges in urban environments. By creating effective growing spaces, water can be utilized efficiently and prevented from draining away through the sewer system. Excess water will instead flow into the subsoil.