Effect of Natural-Based Cool Pavements in Urban Open Spaces Liveability
摘要
The prevailing issue of climate change is precipitating a fundamental alteration in weather patterns, resulting in Earth’s average temperature rise of up to 1.5 ℃. This is causing more frequent, intense, and prolonged heat waves. Another significant climatological phenomenon exacerbated by climate change is the Urban Heat Island effect, which causes cities to experience higher temperature levels than the nearest rural areas. These extreme temperatures have directly affected the liveability of residents and their wellbeing. As the main solution, circular and regenerative economies based on bioclimate and natural resources are proposed. To this purpose, a nature-based solution by cool pavements is chosen. These pavements are cooled by circulating water, which has been collected from rainwater by the urban draining systems and cooled through evaporative cooling using pre-existing water bodies in cities beneath their lower surface. The novelty of this concept lies in the lack of capillarity of the pavements, allowing for effective cooling without evaporation and the associated water usage. This work focuses on studying the impact of these cool pavements on urban areas conceived for pedestrian habitability, which may require additional adjustments, such as shaded terrace areas, to achieve acceptable thermal comfort in an urban environment. By using a digital model validated through an experimental procedure, a multicase simulation is carried out to determine the impact of this solution when integrated into the cities. Through the simulations and the data collected, the PET outdoor comfort model is used to quantify the level of thermal comfort and liveability of citizens. Results show that by primarily using water’s sensible heat, the temperature of the pavements can be reduced by up to 20 ℃. This approach ensures that leisure and public spaces in cities can offer a comfortable area, thereby enhancing liveability and creating secure spaces to counteract the adverse effects of climate change.