Welcome to the Urban Climate Adaptation Lab

The majority of people live in cities. As a result, the climate in cities affects the health, comfort and energy use of a large fraction of the population. The hotter it gets, the more our bodies strain to stay cool, or, for those who have the means, the more precious energy is expended to keep indoor environments cool. With climate change comes more heatwaves, and ongoing urbanization is exacerbating them. While we need to mitigate climate change, we also need to adapt how we design our neighbourhoods so that they are healthier, more liveable, and more equitable. In the Urban Climate Adaptation Lab, we assess potential future urban heat scenarios and develop numerical models capable of representing future urban adaptation scenarios where cities have increased street tree cover, utilization of cool materials, and implementation of greenery or solar panels on building roofs. Our work focuses on outdoor pedestrian thermal comfort, urban heat island causation, and assessment of the complex micrometeorological effects of urban street trees.

We acknowledge the traditional lands on which we live and work. As members of the University of Guelph community, we work on the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit of the Anishinaabek Peoples, a territory with rich Indigenous history, and home to many First Nations people today. We are committed to ongoing reflection, learning and action with respect to our relationships to the local land and the peoples who have stewarded this land since time immemorial.