Study on Strategies to Implement Adaptation Measures for Extreme High Temperatures into the Street Canyon

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential for using the spaces integrating the roads and sidewalks in the street canyon as human-centered spaces, and to investigate more appropriate measures to improve the thermal environment for pedestrians and visitors in these spaces. Based on the spatial distribution of SET* throughout the day, as possible human-centered street space uses, north–south streets with restricted widths and south sidewalks on east–west streets are candidates. Spatiotemporal distributions of SET* were calculated when water was sprinkled on the road surface in the street canyon and when water surface, sunshade, and trees were introduced in the street canyon. Assuming people walk or stay on the water surface, the MRT decreases, causing SET* to be below 31.5 °C at any time, so if a continuous supply of water is guaranteed and people can approach the water surface, the water surface can be expected to have a significant impact anywhere at any time. On the east–west street, shading by sunshades and trees occurs along the lanes at any time, allowing pedestrians moving through the lanes to pass through the shaded areas on a periodic cycle. On north–south street, the time required for the countermeasures is limited to around noon, so the measure is effective even if the shade does not occur in the target lanes only around noon.