Heat Stress and Adaptation Measures in the Berlin-Brandenburg Metropolitan Region

Description

In a joint project with Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Climate Analytics has conducted a study on heat-resilient urban planning. Cities are particularly susceptible to heat stress due to the urban heat island effect, which is exacerbated by factors such as land sealing and a lack of vegetation. The authors use detailed heat stress modelling to analyze and visualize the effects of densification and urban planning on regional heat stress.

Results

Using the example of Greifswalder Strasse in the Berlin-Pankow district, a range of development options for redensification were developed and analyzed for their resilience to heat stress. It was found that a combination of reduced land sealing and the creation of large, contiguous green spaces (biotope networks) with trees is the most effective strategy for reducing heat stress. Large, old trees and a continuous canopy of leaves have a particularly cooling effect. Sealed land such as parking lots, schoolyards, and playgrounds without shady trees heat up particularly quickly.

Background

The study was commissioned by the Climate Change Center Berlin Brandenburg in the „Climate and Health“ project cluster.

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