Do you have a project in mind?
How do you create an urban cool island, and what are the advantages of this system?
Record-breaking temperatures, recurring heatwaves: climate change is forcing local authorities to rethink the layout of their spaces, particularly in cities.
What are the best solutions for shady, cool, green spaces?
Polymobyl, a specialist in collective street furniture since 1986, explains how to create an urban cool island and the benefits of this equipment.
Combating heat: a major challenge for urban planning
It’s no longer possible to ignore the consequences of global warming.
In France alone, heatwave-related deaths are estimated at nearly 33,000 in eight years (source: Santé Publique France).
Local authorities and businesses are the first to be affected by the need to adapt their living and working environments.
Re-vegetating cities, in particular by creating islands of coolness and green spaces, is one way of meeting this challenge.
However, there are many factors involved in adapting urban development to climate change.
Concrete, which has prevailed over the last few decades, is giving way to green spaces, including rooftops.
How can these new facilities be made functional and comfortable, while effectively combating the risks associated with heatwaves?
The cool island, the ideal way to counter the effects of urban heatwaves
An urban cool island consists of a shade structure to which can be added a flowered area and a misting system.
This design meets three essential needs: shade, freshness and vegetation.
The cool island helps combat the heat retention observed in urban environments.
This is due to the omnipresence of concrete and asphalt surfaces, as well as the absence of plants and green spaces in sufficient quantity.
Urban planners like Polymobyl have long been anticipating the needs of businesses and local authorities in the fight against heat.
In this way, the installation ofurban “cool islands” is an appropriate response to climatic and territorial constraints.
Offering shelter from the sun and equipped with benches, the island is a welcome refuge in very hot weather, especially for vulnerable people.
Better still, by installing a flower bed or a square vegetable garden, for example, you encourage social interaction and a reconnection with nature.
The installation of a misting system solves the problem of watering, while providing a pleasant cooling effect for shelter users.
Some models can even be fitted with an integrated rainwater collector.
Focus on the self-supporting vegetated pergola
Every year, Polymobyl is involved in numerous community and urban development projects.
One of the solutions we propose to combat the heat is a self-supporting planted pergola.
With its harmonious curved lines, two benches and integrated planter with a planted wall, this model meets all the needs of companies or municipalities.
The CUB pergola can be integrated into any space, providing coolness and comfort, and can be used in a wide range of ways: as a relaxation area in the workplace or in public places, or to create a cool tunnel by joining several elements together…
To find out more about the urban cool island and Polymobyl’s services, please contact us.
