“Combating Urban Heat in New York City: The Importance of Trees, Cool Roofs, and Cold Pavements”

In 2019, New York City launched its plan OneNYC 2050aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To deal with the heat waves already felt, the city has put in place strategies listed in the “Cool Neighborhoods NYC reportto cool its streets, including planting trees, using reflective paint on rooftops and encouraging residents to take steps to stay cool. The city has also launched the program “Cool Roofs”, which encourages the installation of white roofs, green roofs and cold roofs to reduce energy consumption and maintenance costs, with financial and aesthetic benefits for owners.

Million Trees NYC: Planting trees to green the city and fight urban heat

In 2007, Michael Bloomberg launched the program Million Trees NYCwith the ambitious goal of planting one million trees by 2017. However, thanks to sustained efforts, the city managed to achieve this goal in 2015, two years earlier than planned.

The Million Trees NYC program has been hailed as a model of successful urban greening and has inspired other cities around the world to follow its lead. But it was not just a question of greening for the beauty of the city. Trees have very concrete benefits in combating the effects of urban heat.

Urban heat is a phenomenon in which urban areas have higher temperatures than surrounding rural areas due to heat buildup in buildings, roads, and other surfaces. This can lead to health problems such as heatstroke and heart disease, as well as high air conditioning costs for buildings.

This is where trees come in. Trees provide shade and absorb heat, which helps reduce temperatures in urban areas. Additionally, trees absorb carbon dioxide and other air pollutants, helping to improve air quality. They also help reduce flooding by absorbing rainwater and preventing soil erosion.

To maximize the benefits of trees to combat urban heat, New York City has launched a targeted tree planting program for the most vulnerable neighborhoods. Using the city’s Heat Vulnerability Index, which identifies neighborhoods most at risk from heat, the tree planting program prioritizes areas in the South Bronx, North Manhattan and from downtown Brooklyn.

The program has also implemented initiatives to encourage residents to plant trees in their own gardens and living spaces, creating a culture of tree growing across the city.

Through these efforts, New York City has created cooler, more pleasant areas for residents, while reducing air conditioning costs for buildings. In addition, planting trees contributes to the fight against climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide and improving air quality.

In sum, New York City’s Million TreesNYC program demonstrates the importance of urban vegetation in combating the effects of urban heat and improving quality of life.

Environmentally conscious New Yorkers as well as local authorities encouraged the Adams administration to have an ambitious vision to expand the city’s canopy by planting an additional million trees by the end of the decade. However, the mayor broke his promise to double funding for the parks department. Instead, it allocated a budget for approximately 20,000 trees per yearwhich represents a decrease from previous years.

Cool Roofs

The NYC° ProgramCoolRoofs of New York City aims to reduce the urban heat island effect by encouraging the installation of white roofs, green roofs and cool roofs, which reduce energy consumption and maintenance costs. Since its launch in 2009, the program has clad more than 6.7 million square feet of rooftop space, helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the city. Benefits of cool roofs include reduced air conditioning costs, improved comfort for residents, increased lifespan of roofs and equipment, and aesthetic and financial benefits for homeowners. The program also offers free cool roof installations for nonprofits, housing cooperatives, and public agencies, as well as technical assistance and low-cost installation options for other private buildings. By installing a cool roof, a building can reduce air conditioning costs by 10% to 30%. In addition, it can achieve a reduction of up to 30% in internal temperatures during summer, which has a positive impact on heating costs in winter. In addition, it can improve the durability of building roofs and equipment, as well as the comfort of building residents and tenants.

Understand the role that cold pavements play in combating the urban heat island effect

The surface of cities contributes to the urban heat island effect. Like dark roofs, asphalt pavers re-radiate absorbed heat back into the atmosphere, especially at night. On the other hand, “cool cobblestones”, used on sidewalks, cycle paths and playgrounds, are generally light cobblestones with a high albedo* (greater than 0.29) which reflect more solar radiation than a dark cobblestone. at low albedo. City simulations, using weather data from several US cities, have shown that reflective pavers, when used in conjunction with cool roofs and shaded tree plantings, can lower ambient air temperatures average 4°F to 9°F. Additionally, it has been argued that cool pavers with high albedo surfaces may have longer durability due to their lower temperatures, and may reduce stress on street trees, thereby increasing their vitality and the benefits that ‘they offer.

The plan also calls for training for caregivers on climate risks, as well as encouraging New Yorkers to check out their at-risk neighbors through Be a Buddy NYC. Partnerships between health and weather are established to ensure good communication. In addition, the plan encourages the improvement of the insulation of residential windows and provides for an energy assistance program for low-income households (LIHEAP). Finally, free cooling centers are activated during hot weather to provide an air-conditioned space to the public.

* physical value which makes it possible to know the quantity of incident sunlight reflected by a surface.