Via Curbed, comes notice of a report, Delivering Urban Resilience, on the intersection of urban design, resistance to extreme weather, and climate change. Three cities – El Paso, Philadelphia, and Washington – are used as examples, with Philadelphia’s circumstances being closest to New York’s.
It is not really news to hear that technologies such as green roofs, which manage rain water and reduce heat absorption, can reduce the urban heat island effect. What makes this report interesting is that it looks at the economics of this kind of infrastructure change rather than just the health and livability benefits. We all want to believe that we’ll do what’s right no matter what, but It is far easier to institute changes if there’s a cost savings. This report comes to the conclusion that it’s cheaper to make infrastructure changes than to deal with the health issues that excess heat causes. Cost should be secondary to public health, but if both issues give the same answer, that’s worthy of note.
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