Cutting-edge Innovation to Reduce Urban Heat with Space Technology

The heatwaves of the past few years and this summer have brought unbearable heat to the European continent. Therefore, Hungarian engineers have now started to find solutions to create a more livable environment, especially in big cities. The Hungaria

By: hungarytoday.hu

Sep 09 2024
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Cutting-edge Innovation to Red

The Hungarian firm Paulinyi & Partners, a contract partner of the European Space Agency (ESA), is using satellite earth observation data and the involvement of local and foreign governments to develop a service that could help create cooler, more livable neighborhoods in the near future, Világgazdaság reports.

The urban heat island effect, which makes summers almost unbearable, is linked to the size and population density of cities.

City dwellers are particularly vulnerable to heat, as built-up and paved surfaces easily absorb heat, resulting in higher temperatures than, for instance, parkland. The areas most at risk, where the urban heat island effect is strongest, are

southern France,
Italy,
the Balkans
and southern Romania.

Hungary is at medium risk from heat waves, but in Budapest, heat islands can increase temperatures by up to 6 degrees Celsius.

“The heat alerts of recent weeks show that the effects of rising temperatures are becoming an increasingly acute problem in many major European cities. Our survey shows that city leaders and property managers know they need to act, but they do not have the tools to do so,” says Gergely Paulinyi, CEO of Paulinyi & Partners.

To overcome this shortcoming, the company’s experts are developing a service called HeatScape Resolve, with the support of ESA.

HeatScape Resolve is a simulation method that uses satellite earth observation data to help reduce the urban heat island effect. Paulinyi & Partners also performs field measurements in Budapest to complement the data from space, most recently monitoring temperature trends in the 23rd district.

The results, measured during the July heatwave, show that the proportion of green areas has a direct impact on the microclimate of the area. Station HSR3, located on a concrete asphalt surface, consistently measured higher temperatures than another measuring station located about 400 meters away, but in a green area.

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In order to propose solutions, Paulinyi & Partners asked several municipalities in Hungary, Poland and Italy about the measures they are taking to reduce urban temperatures.

The responses show that the clearest solutions in the eyes of decision-makers are

to increase green spaces and plant trees (76 percent),
to keep rainwater in place (59 percent),
to install damp-proofing
and to support energy renovation of buildings.

“Our aim is to work with ESA to develop a detailed solution proposal that can be integrated into routine urban planning processes in the short term.

With the HeatScape Resolve service, we can make proposals to reduce the heat island effect during the project preparation phase, even at urban neighborhood level,”

Roland Németh, project manager said.

Paulinyi & Partners will present its latest developments and its study on reducing the urban heat island effect to an international professional audience at the Urbis 24 Conference in Rome in September. The firm’s experts will then present the project at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan on October 14, 2024.

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