32°C Hellsinki - Outdoor thermal comfort studies and urban mitigating strategies based on Helsinki context

Abstract

Climate change has become an issue that must be considered in the future growth of cities. Europe’s extreme climate has kept shattering the heat records in the past ten years and is projected to worsen. The mortality of the population due to heatwaves outclasses mortality caused by other extreme events. Elevated temperatures seriously threaten the health and well-being of the growing urban residents. Therefore, cities need to adopt actions to mitigate the worsening urban thermal environment in the forthcoming years.

In this thesis, a systematical and sustainable approach to mitigate Helsinki outdoor thermal comfort is proposed. Firstly, the thesis describes the thermal environment at different periods via the simulation of the central area. Simultaneously, the simulation also verifies that diverse ground covering materials have limited impacts on heat events’ human thermal sensation. Notably, the shading created by constructions or trees has a significant effect on alleviating thermal stress.

Secondly, multiple combinations of urban cooling strategies are implemented according to different functional spaces. An interactive platform is designed to provide citizens with substantial services in summer. Governors can also selectively intervene in urban space through feedback from users. Moreover, towards the Helsinki Sustainable Development Goals, future urban scenarios have prospected.