The Cool Road Adelaide project tested three cool road surface products on Bowen Street West in downtown Adelaide, monitoring their effects on reducing surface and ambient air temperature.
The Cool Road Adelaide project tested three cool road surface products on Bowen Street West in downtown Adelaide, monitoring their effects on reducing surface and ambient air temperature.
to inform planning
climate solutions for resilient cities
for healthy, engaged and connected communities
Urban heat islands are areas of land that retain more heat than other parts of the landscape. They can be caused where land surfaces like asphalt roads, dark colored pavements and roofs, and artificial turf result in higher surface temperatures.
In Adelaide, roads are one of the hottest land surface types during the day and also retain this heat into the evening. Reducing the build-up of heat on roads can help to encourage their use for cycling, reduce heat loads on cars and properties and contribute to cooler neighbourhoods. While trees offer shade and are often an option for cooling the road surface, they are not always practical in verges and along road sides where there is a narrow carriage way, low hanging powerlines or where there are water, gas, electricity and telecommunications services in the footpath.
A different approach to reducing road surface temperatures is to change the road surface. Climate-KIC Australia, is working to provide evidence to the City of Adelaide and other councils about the efficacy of applying a cool road surface treatment. This involves:
The City of Adelaide alongside the South Australian Department of Environment and Water have identified Bowen Street in the Adelaide Central Market District the best location for the trial. This is due to its exposure to the sun, high overnight temperatures, and location as a busy area. Climate-KIC will support coordination between the City of Adelaide and researchers to measure the before state of temperature along the road, prior to installation and conditions that would trigger the installation.
