NEWS
Major gaps in European cities ’ resilience to extreme heat
E urope , as the fastest warming continent , faces rising temperatures and heat-related mortalities due to climate change . The year 2023 saw a record number of days with extreme heat . Sweco ’ s new analysis of 24 European cities highlights the urgent need for heat wave mitigation and resilience – through digital innovation , nature-based solutions and green-blue infrastructure as well as through designing high-performing buildings .
Europe is experiencing temperatures rising at twice the global average rate , and heat-related mortality has increased around 30 % in the past 20 years . Heatwaves pose significant risks to public health and have a negative effect on infrastructure and economic productivity in urban areas .
“ Europe is rapidly becoming both hotter and more urbanised at the same time , and its cities need to transform to combat this – it is not a problem that will go away . Sweco ’ s new report studying 24 European cities shows that heat-related concerns are often overlooked in climate plans and that cities in Northen Europe specifically need to prepare better , as they are still designed to protect populations from the cold , not heat . Authorities and policy makers need to look at regulations and act to address heatwaves , this must be included as a key component in the green transition of our urban areas ,” said Dr Katherine Maxwell , Technical Director , Net Zero Cities , Asset Management at Sweco , and one of the main authors behind the report .
Today , around 70 % of Europeans live in cities and , due to the ongoing urbanisation , this figure is expected to increase to 84 % in 2050 . Urban areas are now experiencing increasingly higher temperatures compared with rural areas due to climate change and the ‘ urban heat island effect ’ ( UHI ). Sweco ’ s report shows that some European cities are taking steps in the right direction to combat the heat , but major gaps still have to be addressed .
Trimble launches end-to-end asset lifecycle management software suite efficiently plan , design , build , operate and maintain their assets using centralised data and connected digital workflows .
Combining Trimble ’ s best-of-breed point solutions for capital program and asset management , Trimble Unity unifies and extends its existing offerings to provide end-to-end asset lifecycle management capabilities that help owners optimise their processes , improve outcomes and lower the total cost of asset ownership .
This unified , holistic approach enables better decisions about asset rehabilitation and replacement , facilitates reliable and sustainable service delivery and helps ensure regulatory compliance . Owners that use this asset lifecycle management approach can reduce the total cost of asset ownership by as much as 40 %.
T rimble has announced a new asset lifecycle management software suite called Trimble Unity . This suite enables owners of capital projects and public infrastructure to
“ We ’ ve brought together the very best of our heritage solutions to provide our customers with even more value for their investment in the Trimble products and services they have trusted for years ,” said Shelly Nooner , Vice President of Innovation and Platform for Trimble ’ s Owner and Public Sector . “ By making relevant data accessible to stakeholders across the entire asset lifecycle , Trimble Unity helps owners and their collaborators make better-informed decisions at every phase .”
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