Guidelines to reduce the effects of urban heat in a changing climate: Green infrastructures and design measures

Abstract

The co-occurrence of more frequent, intense and prolonged heat and drought events can lead to severe socio-economic impacts. The integration of different types of urban green infrastructures (GIs; e.g., urban parks and building greens), and urban and building design measures (DMs; e.g., a network of cool urban spaces and passive cooling), at various scales, can help reduce outdoor air temperature, energy use and heat stress. Numerous accessible or emerging GI and DM solutions exist, highlighting the need for guidelines that evaluate their suitability in enhancing resilience to extreme heat. Those should consider broader aspects such as geographical conditions, urban morphology and development, social-economic background, governance and sustainability, as well as more specific considerations like maintenance, adaptability and soil and water resources. To facilitate decision-making, this study proposes guidelines based on a narrative literature review, discussing the potential impact of GIs and DMs and their role in enhancing the city's climate resilience.