With record-breaking heatwaves claiming hundreds of lives in Washington, the issue of heat islands has garnered quite a lot of attention recently. The city of Portland has some of the worst heat disparities between neighborhoods. The situation gets worse due to the presence of heat islands in parking lots, caused by overbuilding.
Obviously, closing these lots down can lead to public dissatisfaction and the inevitable mismanagement of traffic. However, the good news is that there are ways to design parking lots so they don’t become heat islands and instead help dissipate these deadly pockets of heat.
But before we discuss the measures, let’s understand heat islands in parking lots and their effects on neighbourhoods.
What are heat islands?
As cities have developed in terms of infrastructure and population, urban centers have grown hotter than their rural counterparts. In fact, in some places, the difference between urban and rural centers can be as stark as 22 degrees, according to a study conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The main culprit behind this rise in temperature is the ‘Heat Island Effect‘ – a phenomenon where an urban area is significantly warmer than outlying rural areas, mainly due to unsustainable human practices.
Primarily caused due to a lack of vegetation and surfaces that are dark-coloured, impermeable and heat-absorbing, heat islands can lead to problems other than compromised public health:
- Increased energy consumption
- Impaired water quality
- Elevated emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants
- Lack of vegetation
- Dark surfaces
- Large impervious surfaces
Overbuilt parking lots meet all of these conditions, making them one of the first problems to solve if we’re trying to mitigate heat islands.
Fortunately, eco-friendly practices are finding their way into the world of mobility, along with cutting-edge smart parking technologies. With their help, the adverse effects of large parking lots can be eradicated. In addition, these spaces can be used to improve the climate.
1. Automated multi-story parking systems
An Automated Parking System(APS) is a great way to reduce the space taken up by parking.
In a fully automated parking system, the car is driven up to the entry point, after which the automated parking system moves the car to an empty space. By removing all human involvement, the APS simplifies the parking process.
APS can help us reduces the space usually required by human drivers in parking lots to move around tight parking spots, to open doors etc. This removes the need for driving lanes, ramps, and elevators. Plus, you can minimize the height of the ceiling, since there’s no pedestrian traffic.
Lastly, APS is usually found in multistorey parking lots, whose verticality helps pack way more cars than a regular parking lot.
APS can help us reduce areas that are covered by heat-absorbing asphalt. Upgrading parking lots to APS will slowly dissipate the heat islands over time. In areas that don’t enjoy much footfall, parking lot managers can build relatively small lots with adequate vegetation to keep the temperature in check.
2. Reflective roofing
Heat absorption is a primary cause of heat island formation. That’s why having multi-story parking won’t help if it still absorbs heat. Fortunately, by just painting your roof with a reflective color, such as white, you can reflect a significant portion of heat.
There’s another creative solution to the problem of heat absorption. You can install solar panels up on the roof of your lot. As solar panels are also reflective, they’ll help prevent the formation of a heat pocket. Plus, you canuse the energy generated from the panels to power your parking lot. It’s a sustainable way to hit two birds with one stone.
3. Permeable surfaces
If you can’t avoid building a large parking lot, you can choose the right material and strategies to ensure that your lot does no harm to the climate. You can start by replacing the impermeable asphalt with something more porous. Though some amount of heat will still be absorbed, by avoiding or minimizing the use of asphalt, you will allow the surface to absorb water, thereby balancing the temperature.
Plus, the water will now have its way to the groundwater table rather than being collected as stormwater. This will allow the nearby vegetation to thrive, which will surely be accompanied by reduced temperatures. Having vegetation on your lot also helps, as it helps negate all the CO2 brought in by the cars.
Also Read: How to Make Your Parking Lot More Eco-friendly
Wrapping up
Urban heat islands pose a huge problem in regulating climate. However, with the proactive adoption of green measures and new technology, you can easily solve the water, energy, climate, and emission problems and build truly sustainable and smart parking lots.
