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Reducing the urban heat island effect

BNQ 3019-190 Guidelines
Reducing the Urban Heat Island Effect – Parking Lot Development – Design Guide

Concern among residents and municipal authorities over urban heat islands is growing. These heat islands, which chiefly form in urban parking lots, pose a genuine public health risk. Accordingly, the BNQ 3019-190 guidelines suggest a series of practical steps for developing parking lots in ways that minimize the creation of urban heat islands.

Basically, the standard suggests methods to:

  • Diminish the surface area used for parking lots (including the number and size of individual parking spaces);
  • Re-vegetate parking lots and their surroundings by preserving existing green spaces and creating new areas of greenery;
  • Manage storm-water on site by infiltration and by building storm-water catchment zones;
  • Use materials with a high solar reflective index (SRI) or highly permeable materials.