Measuring heat stress and mitigation capacity around transit stops during Vancouver's 2021 heat dome using hyperlocal microclimate simulations

Le résumé fourni par la source

Despite the increasing frequency and intensity of heat waves driven by climate change, transportation research and practice have largely overlooked the need for heat-resilient transit planning. To address this gap, this study assesses heat stress and mitigation capacity within the walking catchment areas of transit stops during the 2021 British Columbia heat dome in Vancouver, Canada. Using urban microclimate models and high-resolution urban geometry data, we simulate thermal comfort conditions through Mean Radiant Temperature ( Tmrt ) and estimate shade availability at different times of the day. These temperature and shade surfaces are then used to examine the socio-spatial patterns of heat exposure and mitigation around transit stops, designed to evaluate risk and guide targeted interventions. Findings reveal that heat stress near transit stops is more severe in southern and southeastern Vancouver, while downtown and western areas benefit from greater mitigation capacity, likely due to taller buildings and more extensive tree cover. A clear socioeconomic divide is observed where lower-income neighbourhoods appear to be associated with higher heat stress and poor mitigation capacities. Overall, the proposed approach provides a spatially explicit framework for identifying heat-vulnerable transit environments and can inform climate-responsive transit design in the context of increasingly frequent and severe heat waves.

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