Tokyo Uses Heat Map to Combat Heat Island Effect

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has created a heat environment map and, based on this map, selected target areas for fighting against the heat island effect, it was announced on April 11, 2005. The heat environment map shows atmospheric impacts from artificial exhaust heat and ground-surface conditions, which are thought to the cause heat island effect.

On the map, area factors of the heat island effects are categorized in five groups, which are indicated in 500-meter squares with different colors according to the scale of the heat load to the atmosphere (http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/INET/OSHIRASE/2005/07/20f7l102.htm). As the map makes it possible to identify the distribution of the area factors and scale of the heat load, it contributes to the effective selection of areas for countermeasures.

The chosen four areas are the central part of the Tokyo Metropolis, the Shinjuku area, the Osaki-Meguro area, and the area around Shinagawa Station. These areas have also been selected as models for national measures against global warming and the urban heat island effect. Tokyo, coordinating with the national government, promotes priority measures such as the use of water-retentive pavement that can lower road surface temperatures by 10 degrees Celsius, wall greening and grass planting on schoolyards. Another measure is to ensure that city planning creates corridors for the wind from the sea to blow through the city, by considering the locations and heights of buildings.


- Cabinet Designates 13 Urban Model Areas to Fight Global Warming (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/1046-e

Posted: 2005/09/18 09:27:38 PM
Japanese version