Climate resilience: Has the time come to start demanding lighter-coloured streets in hotter climates?
At this stage, the challenge with climate change is not just preventing it from happening by cutting emissions. We also need to make our cities resilient to the climate change we’ve already locked in.
That’s where lighter coloured paving for streets, rather than dark asphalt, can help:
"Sebastian Pfautsch doesn’t hesitate when asked what he would change first to cool Australian cities in summer.
"And it’s not what you might expect. It’s not the seemingly endless expanse of black roofs, soaking up the sun beneath a shimmering haze.
"It’s the roads. About a third of any outer suburb is thermally dense black asphalt that can reach 75 degrees Celsius, according to Professor Pfautsch, an expert on urban heat at the University of Western Sydney.
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"Lighter-coloured roads may make intuitive sense, like wearing a white shirt on a hot day, but how effectively do they reduce surface and ambient air temperature?
"In 2020, two separate cool roads trials in Sydney and Adelaide set out to conclusively answer these questions.
"The Sydney trial, which took place at about 10 sites in the Western Sydney suburbs of Blacktown, Campbelltown and Parramatta, recorded an average surface temperature reduction of 5.6C and 2C for day and night respectively.
“For context, tree shade reduced the surface temperatures of roads by 16C.”
@urbanism #urbanism #UrbanPlanning #transport #cities #environment #ClimateChange
Yes!!!
Here’s a related, short video, from Brad Lancaster in Tucson, Arizona: How wall color can cool (or heat) you by over 25˚F (13˚C), & shade can cool you by over 45˚F (25˚C)
Trees are better. Roofs might make sense but the added brightness of road surfaces seems like a problem. We also should greatly reduce the amount of road surface but this will face more resistance.
@ajsadauskas @urbanism As a cyclist, I can attest to the difference pavement color makes. The darkest, freshly laid blacktop is by far the worst, just searing on a hot day. A gray concrete road is far less hot. Eliminating pavement should be the goal, no new roads encouraging car culture.
About a third of any outer suburb is thermally dense black asphalt
My personal epiphany on being against/critical of cars as a kid was when, one day, I was in the ‘burbs and noticed just how big the roads were, like my brain clicked over and finally realised a road is just space like anything else and that all the roads were sitting there taking up all of this space.
@ajsadauskas @urbanism Look at current new-build Oz housing: black roofs, because we need the heat input. Black exterior walls, esp. north- or west-facing; no eaves for shade; and trees are forbidden.
@JamesAshburnerCBR @urbanism A previous NSW Planning Minister, Rob Stokes, wanted to ban dark coloured roofs.
He was rolled in a Cabinet reshuffle in favour of one of Perrottet’s factional allies, Anthony Roberts, who dumped the policy.
(What job did Anthony Roberts hold before entering politics? He was the PR guy for a property developer: https://www.9news.com.au/national/news-nsw-planning-minister-anthony-roberts-conflict-of-interest/27d93a02-e1cc-45f6-8058-9054032250d4 You can’t make this stuff up!)
@ajsadauskas @urbanism Vaguely remember that. Ah, NSW: corruption scandal one day, new form of shady, profitable practice the next.
@JamesAshburnerCBR @urbanism Anthony managed to get himself featured on Four Corners over planning reforms that basically made it easier for developers to build new housing estates in flood plains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHRH8j3qufg
He also appeared before ICAC:
"ENERGY minister Anthony Roberts’ “euphoria” about a Whitsundays holiday on board a developer’s luxury yacht led him to request it be an annual event, according to documents tendered to ICAC.
“Mr Roberts joined former energy minister Chris Hartcher and former MP Andrew Humpherson on a yacht owned by the Gazal family in 2007.”
He’s also a man who allegedly appreciates a good shiraz:
"Disgraced former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire said “having a glass of red” was code for an off the record meeting with a property developer and the former chief of staff to then-planning minister Anthony Roberts.
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"Mr Maguire appeared as a witness in the public inquiry by the Independent Commission Against Corruption for the first time on Wednesday, where he admitted he used his position in Parliament to make money.
“His second day of testimony on Thursday could decide the leadership of Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who faced a third day of pressure in Parliament on Wednesday about her five-year relationship with the former MP.”
@ajsadauskas @urbanism Bloody nimbys, whingeing about flood-plain housing. Not understanding the well-watered gardens, backyard canoeing, and free-range swimming the people enjoy.
@JamesAshburnerCBR @urbanism And, as anyone in the property game will tell you, what Sydneysiders want is a waterfront property with great views.
Well, thanks to Anthony, you can experience those water views without even leaving your living room or bedroom.
After all, your property can’t get any closer to the water than being underneath it…
@ajsadauskas @urbanism Just need a bed-boat in your bedroom. Going fishing has never been easier.
🤢🤮🤮🤮
