The heat penalty of walkable neighbourhoods

“Walkability” or walking-friendliness is generally considered a favourable attribute of a neighbourhood that supports physical activity and improves health outcomes. Walkable neighbourhoods tend to have high-density infrastructure and relatively high amounts of concrete and pavement for sidewalks an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of biometeorology 2019-03, Vol.63 (3), p.429-433
Main Authors: O’Brien, Grace A., Ross, Nancy A., Strachan, Ian B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air temperature
Animal Physiology
Biological and Medical Physics
Biophysics
Earth and Environmental Science
Environment
Environment Design
Environmental Health
Heat
High temperature
Humans
Mean temperatures
Meteorology
Physical activity
Plant Physiology
Quebec
Residence Characteristics
Residential density
Short Communication
Suburban Population
Temperature
Temperature dependence
Temperature effects
Temperature measurement
Urban Population
Urban temperatures
Walking
Walkways
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Summary:“Walkability” or walking-friendliness is generally considered a favourable attribute of a neighbourhood that supports physical activity and improves health outcomes. Walkable neighbourhoods tend to have high-density infrastructure and relatively high amounts of concrete and pavement for sidewalks and streets, all of which can elevate local urban temperatures. The objective of this study was to assess whether there is a “heat penalty” associated with more walkable neighbourhoods in Montréal, Québec, Canada, using air temperature measurements taken in real time at street level during a heat event. The mean temperature of “Car-Dependent” neighbourhoods was 26.2 °C (95% CI 25.8, 26.6) whereas the mean temperature of “Walker’s Paradise” neighbourhoods was 27.9 °C (95% CI 27.8, 28.1)—a difference of 1.7 °C (95% CI 1.3, 2.0). There was a strong association between higher walkability of Montréal neighbourhoods and elevated temperature ( r  = 0.61, p  
ISSN:0020-7128
1432-1254
DOI:10.1007/s00484-018-01663-0