Heat islands in Toulouse. A group recorded up to 16°C difference in the same neighborhood
By Alexandra Frenkel
Published on
It has not escaped anyone: it is still (very) hot in Toulouse this week. The metropolis and the department of Haute-Garonne have just returned to orange alert on Wednesday heat wave. Within the Pink City itself, the temperatures the readings are very different depending on the streets, the revegetationbut also of road materials. Collective city makers a statement at the beginning of the week of large temperature differences.
“This operation is a continuation of our actions”Explain Arnaud Rivieremember of the collective city makers (and also spokesperson for the Archipel Citoyen association). The group seeks to question the use of public space based on experimentation in the city, cartographic tools and data analysis.
In Matabiau, 14°C difference on the road, and 16 on the sidewalk
For the first time, with the help of a infrared thermometerthe collective took these temperature readings over several surfaces. In the Matabiau districtdifferences of almost 14°C on the roadway were reported at the same time between the rue de la Concorde and the rue Alexandre Falguiere. The first being shaded by trees, the thermometer noted 32°C, versus 46°C in the second. “The influence of sunshine and vegetation on surface temperatures is quite visible, even on a super-local scale”, observes the member of the collective.
On the sidewalks of these same streets, the difference is even more flagrant. In the rue Alexandre Falguière, 54°C were raised, while under the from rue de la Concorde, the ground surface displayed 28°C.
The importance of coatings
The collective is also interested in road surface. The latter has a significant influence on temperatures. On the alleys Jean-Jaures, the phenomenon is obvious. On the asphalt pavement, where cars circulate, more than 53°C have been noted. On the mineralized surface in the center of the lanes the temperature rises to 47°C. On the contrary, the surfaces shaded by the vegetation makes it possible to drastically reduce the temperature with 33°C readings. At plant level, in the center of the aisles, the temperature even reaches the 29°C.
This Wednesday, August 10 in the morning, the collective took readings on A playground located on Ramier Island. “At 11 a.m., the surface fr rubber that covers this playground already reached the 54°C… And afterwards, we wonder why there are no children! says Arnaud Rivière.
On the Saint-Pierre bridge
Since July 18 and until August 22, the St. Peter’s Bridge is prohibited for motorized vehicles, and has changed to pedestrians, cyclists and other idlers this summer. The aim is to make the work available to Toulouse residents and tourists. But with the temperatures that Toulouse has been experiencing since the start of the summer, hard to enjoy.
54.5°C were noted by City Makers on the roadway of the bridge at 3 p.m. However, with the White paint of the fresco drawn on the ground, the temperature decreases by almost 10°C. But this is still an insufficient day to take full advantage of the facilities.
More vegetation less concrete
For City Makers, the urban developmentssuch as trees or plants, would drastically reduce the surface temperature and de facto them heat islands. “The objective for the collective is to show people how apprehend their urban environment, concluded Arnaud Rivière.
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