Cool-INN: Cool urban living spaces for a resilient society

Funding:

Logo Klima- und Energiefonds

Smart Cities Demo - Living Urban Innovation 2019


Partner:

  • Innsbrucker Kommunalbetriebe AG
  • City of Innsbruck
  • University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna

Team (UIBK):

  • Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. techn. Manfred Kleidorfer
  • Yannick Back, Msc

Funding period: 2020 - 2023

cool-inn-wasserspiele-thermo

Project content:

Innsbruck is a city in the middle of the Alps. Due to its special geographical location, Innsbruck is very densely populated in the city centre and, apart from the rivers Inn and Sill, has so far had little blue and green infrastructure to counteract the effects of climate change with increasing heat days and tropical nights.
Municipal decision-makers and Innsbrucker Kommunalbetriebe AG are therefore very interested in testing ways of installing blue infrastructure to improve the microclimate in hot spots.
Back in 2016, a study was carried out in collaboration with the University of Innsbruck on ways to utilise rainwater in a near-natural way and manage heavy rainfall. The findings from this form an important basis for the present project and are now to be put into practice.
As part of Cool-INN, the most suitable location for the realisation of an experimental space is to be selected from three possible locations. With the help of scientific conceptual work and simulation, an ideal facility with a high cooling effect, but also with multifunctional possibilities, is to be designed. The plan is to combine the state of the art with the expertise of all necessary stakeholders and the needs of the citizens in order to achieve a demonstrable cooling effect for Innsbruck. In addition, the design measures are to be implemented in such a way that a positive socio-economic effect is achieved.
A guideline with an evaluation matrix is to be derived from the work on the feasibility study, which can then be used by Innsbruck itself as well as by other cities as a decision-making aid for the planning of blue infrastructure.
Once the pilot system has been installed, the effects will be analysed using qualitative and quantitative factors. The collection of physical parameters such as temperature and humidity or data on weather extremes as well as subjective perceptions of passers-by and residents before and after implementation will allow scientifically sound statements to be made.
Particular emphasis is placed on the stakeholder process, which on the one hand involves the political and municipal level of city management and on the other hand gives a lot of room for citizen participation.
The project therefore precisely meets the requirements of the fields of action Urban Ecology & Climate Change Adaptation and Communication & Networking.

Cool-INN thus creates an experimental space for testing blue infrastructure in Innsbruck. The project was planned in an integrative, cross-system manner and combines the expertise of science, urban economics and citizen participation. The results are to be prepared for the various target groups in such a way that the greatest possible transfer of knowledge can take place.

Further information:

Publications & Presentations

  • Back, Y., Kumar, P., Bach, P. M., Jasper-Tönnies, A., Rauch, W., and Kleidorfer, M.: Combining CFD and GIS software capabilities to enhance rapid fine-scale urban micro- and bioclimatic modelling , EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19-30 Apr 2021, EGU21-11867, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-11867, 2021.
  • Back, Y., P. M. Bach, A. Jasper-Tönnies, W. Rauch and M. Kleidorfer (2021). "A rapid fine-scale approach to modelling urban bioclimatic conditions." Science of The Total Environment 756: 143732.

Press:

Contact:

University of Innsbruck
Dr Manfred Kleidorfer
Technikerstrasse 13
6020 Innsbruck
manfred.kleidorfer@uibk.ac.at
Nach oben scrollen