Analysis of Spatial Accessibility of Urban Climate Shelters

Today, around half of the world’s population resides in cities. This proportion is projected to increase significantly, with the urban population anticipated to more than double by 2050 – nearly 70% of the world’s population is expected to be living in cities! Climate change significantly challenges urban livability, with rising temperatures profoundly affecting thermal comfort for the urban population. Urban areas experience pronounced impacts from climate change such as the Urban Heat Island effect and frequent heat waves. These phenomena exacerbate the existing rising temperatures in cities, making living conditions increasingly severe. Urban populations, particularly the elderly are vulnerable to these extreme heat conditions, a situation expected to deteriorate further in the future. This critical concern underscores the urgent need for cities to enhance their climate adaptation strategies to protect their residents’ health and well–being. One innovative adaptation strategy is the implementation of Urban Climate Shelters (UCS), which provide refuge for climate refugees during extreme heat events. Over the past few decades, Turin has been negatively impacted by UHI and intense heat waves; as a result, UCS intervention is necessary to protect the city's vulnerable population. With multiple nomenclatures for this approach around the world, the efficiency of these shelters centres on their level of accessibility to all the residents. This master’s thesis seeks to ensure that UCS in Turin efficiently serves vulnerable populations, especially the elderly, by providing both spatial and temporal accessibility during extreme heat events. Moreover, the research study focuses on how public libraries can evolve as UCS after hours. To achieve this, the research undertakes an extensive literature study on this adaptive tool, focusing on reference studies related to their accessibility. It also examines how UCS can be integrated into the popular urban planning concept – the 15-minute city, enhancing overall accessibility and convenience. Further, a thorough study of Turin and its climate hazards, particularly the UHI effect and HWs emphasizing the impacts on vulnerable populations, is carried out by analyzing the risk components. The research framework is based on an analytical overview of spatial and temporal accessibility with the help of parameter selection through various reference studies worldwide. Additionally, the study proposes converting 21 libraries in Turin into UCS and evaluates their spatial and temporal accessibility based on the walking speeds of the pedestrians in focus. Two methodologies are employed for this assessment: the Land Surface Temperature (LST) during the peak summer time and the hourly Solar Radiation method during the summer solstice. These methodologies aim to create comparative empirical scenarios to determine the most optimal accessibility routes for the elderly to the nearest UCS, minimizing sun exposure during extreme hot days. The study concludes with a strategic framework for prioritizing which should be immediately converted to UCS to effectively serve the vulnerable urban population. This thesis underscores the importance of accessible urban climate shelters in enhancing urban adaptive capacity. The proposed interventions aim to create a resilient and more inclusive Turin, capable of withstanding the increasing threats posed by climate change.