Fabrics designed to keep city dwellers’ body temperatures down could ease the impact of climate change in urban heat islands.
As both global temperatures and urban populations rise, more and more city dwellers are now sweltering under the very real ‘urban heat island’ effect.
Data from UK engineering consultancy Arup indicates that temperatures in both London and New York can surge by 4.5ºC compared to the surrounding countryside, Mumbai has 7ºC hotspots and parts of Madrid reach an alarming 8.5ºC higher than greener, cooler sites.
Figures also indicate that the number of cities exposed to extreme temperatures of 35°C or more could triple by 2050, so many more urbanites look set to face higher air-conditioning bills at best – and heat-related illness and death at worst.
But while these urban heat traps clearly depict what happens when nature is pushed out and concrete brought in, measures are already in place to keep people cool. Green spaces are now growing amid the asphalt, reflective...