Distance to cooling

During heat waves and hot summer days, being able to cool off is essential. Not everyone has a shaded garden. That is why it is important to have cool spaces nearby, to be accessed quickly on a hot day. For those interested in finding out how far residents live from a cool space, the distance to cooling map shows the distance between buildings and the nearest cool space. The shorter the distance, the better.

Being able to cool off during a heat wave is vital for everyone. Cooling off not only feels comfortable, it is also better healthwise. The latter is especially true for vulnerable people, such as the elderly and children, because they are less able to withstand heat. Furthermore, cool spaces are particularly valuable in urban areas, because in summer, cities tend to be warmer than the surrounding rural areas.

Every home should have a pleasant cool space within a walking distance of 300 meters

When is a space considered a cool space? That is difficult to say. A cool space can be defined in multiple ways, mainly because of the different criteria for considering something a cool space. Such criteria include the maximum ambient temperature and the question whether the place is suitable for relaxation. For example, is it a nice spot to sit, play or take a walk? The cool spaces in this distance to cooling map meet the following basic criteria:

• Size: Public outdoor space of at least 200m².
• Temperature: Perceived temperature during a very hot day should be at 35 degrees Celsius or below, which often means these will be in the shade.
• Distance to roads: A minimum distance from a road, increasing as speed limits increase.
• Shape: Long stretched narrow spaces do not qualify.

Every home should have a pleasant and attractive cool space within a 300-m walking distance. This guideline is presented in the  Heat-Resistant Cities  research report. Healthy elderly people can walk 300 metres in approx. 5 minutes. Distances of more than 300 metres reduce residents’ access to cooling places. Vulnerable people will then have particular difficulty finding such a place to cool off.

“Distance to cooling” refers to the total distance between a building and the nearest cool space. Rather than drawing a straight line, this distance is measured by conducting a network analysis based on the road network. The roads are assumed to have sidewalks and to be open to pedestrians. The image below shows an example of how the distance is measured. More details regarding the method, the development of the map, and a list of sources used are provided in the  technical notes . 

The presented map gives a close first estimate of cool spaces and the distance to them. However, further research is required to determine whether such cool spaces are actually pleasant spaces. The map above shows a first nationwide model-based assessment of cool spaces following basic assumptions. Many of these cool places will not qualify as pleasent. Whether a cool space is pleasant relates to criteria such as:

• Is there sufficient seating?
• Do people feel safe there?
• Is this space easily accessible?
• Is there sufficient green space, such as trees and grass?
• Can people choose to sit either in the sun or in the shade?
• RIs it a nice place to relax? For example, does it have a playground, can you take walks there, does it accommodate sports?

These are just few examples of the criteria. The criteria qualifying a pleasant cool space can differ from one person to the next and many are of a qualitative nature. Consequently, factoring in such criteria in model calculations is difficult. For that reason, we recommend that you explore pleasant cool space in your area for yourself. If you want to map pleasant cool spots you can take the following steps:

1. List the criteria that you find essential for a pleasant cool spot
2. Take the map with cool spaces as a starting point.
3. Check for missing cool spaces (some data might be missing, or outdated)
4. Assess for each spot if it checks your criteria boxes.
5. Using a compass, draw one or two circles that represent a 200-meter and a 300-meter radius around the cool space. Any building that falls within this circle has a walking distance to the cool space of 200 meters, 300 meters, or less. (This would be a linear distance and will not represent the real walking distance which might be longer.)

The maps provide municipalities, residents, and other stakeholders an overview of available cool spaces and if they are within reach for people. The map can be used as a tool to answer several questions. Some examples:

• Which areas are vulnerable for heatstress? The map shows which areas are vulnerable on hot days and which neighbourhoods do not have any cool spaces within walking distance. Combining this data with data on residents – the spread in residents based on such socio-demographic characteristics as age and level of education – makes assessing the vulnerability of a neighbourhood even easier. For example, areas accommodating a large proportion of elderly residents may have a greater need for cool spaces.
• Where are pleasant cool spaces located? The map helps you to determine the location of pleasant cool spaces. The distance to cooling map can be used as a point of departure in this respect.
• At which locations are measures needed urgently? This map helps you to determine the locations urgently in need of the construction or expansion of cool spaces.