Uploaded on 2015-10-18 by Carlottapen

**Which are the main UHI effects that I can identify in my area?** I live in Chur, Switzerland. This is a small town with 30 000 inhabitants, 600 m above sealevel. Unfortunately we have no scientific results about UHI. **"We are to small to waste money for this"**, they told me at the Amt für Natur und Umwelt, Graubünden. http://www.anu.gr.ch I found a **"reserach" from a high-school student**: http://www.nccr-climate.unibe.ch/contest/theses/2007_Egli_Simon.pdf This research dates from 2006 and he has found UHIs in Chur. In the street, where I live, there is a UHI and I know the factors very well. So I add here first my experience. Second I tell a visual stroy about tree-removal in city center of Chur. The inhabitants are concearned about the upcoming heat problem. Chur is always in the top three of the hottest towns/cities in Switzerland. here come the images: ![enter image description here][2] This is the Engadinstrasse. It runs straight North-South! This means, that there is the maximum sunshine in this street. As you can see, there are almost no trees. Here is a link to streetview with trees: https://www.google.ch/maps/@46.8500388,9.5290369,3a,75y,351h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sPMOm8J6LzUl6oyRfmBgcGg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DPMOm8J6LzUl6oyRfmBgcGg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dsearch.TACTILE.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D392%26h%3D106%26yaw%3D351.23761%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656 And here it is the same situation today. ![enter image description here][3] This ist the northern part of Engadinstrasse. It is wide, the train runs here together with all city trafic. They removed all trees on the southside of this street. (falling branches) On the Engadinstreet we have UHI with 5-6 degrees Celsius plus during summertime. This summer the temperature at his very location was always around 38, at the same time Chur was published 33 Celsius. ![enter image description here][4] Just around the corner, there is the Stadt-Park. Here we had the forecasted 35 degrees. The Stadtpark is a small park with old and tall trees (35 trees). **3. Which are the measures I would propose?** I would propose more trees and green spaces in the city. I would integrate the asylants in working in the gardens of the city. They could grow our own food. We have an excellent climat. They have excellent knowhow. Gardening gives an dimension in time, the can invest in ther very own lives. Read here: http://www.nzz.ch/meinung/kommentare/wieso-schrebergaerten-wichtig-sind-1.18583056 > Green spaces are not only for a good climate, they are the doctor of > the soul. We had here a big **tree removal**! The city says, all trees are ill, weak and have to be removed. Because we have a lot of wind/Föhn (stormy warm wind from the mountains), the risks of falling branches and falling trees are too big. Trees suffer from 1. heat during summer 2. draught (always) 3. salt during the winter. Here are some images from the very city center about the situation: ![enter image description here][5] ![enter image description here][6] ![enter image description here][7] ![enter image description here][8] This is the plan about tree removal, published 16th of august, 2015 after heavy discussions. ![enter image description here][9] ![enter image description here][10] These are the new trees. Everybody laughs at them. Situated next to the Toi-Toi and the parking lot in the city center! In the rear, the new Kunstmuseum! All images are 300 m in maximum from city center. I was at the mayor to speak with him in his "consultation-hour for citizens". 4. Is UHI effect concerning policy making in your area? On august 16th, 2015 I made these images. Everybody was concerned about the tree removal. In Chur we have a "Italianità", this means people with Italian roots who meet in the streets and argue ... These people were heavily concearned, they argued with the experience of heat combat in Italy. Chur plans to build a dozen of new highrises. This is ok, but the planning of the highrises is only in small parts concearning for climate. Finance goes first! "We live in the middle of green, we do not need green in the city." Ok, but the new highrises will stand for aproximatly 8 weeks in the shadow of a mountain during wintertime. I have the same where I live and I am shure, this is not a good planning. Heating costs rise up, salt on the streets is needed ... I thin they start, this has to do with the latest experience last summer. The heat was enormous! This image shows the situation tody, after the tree removal. ![enter image description here][11] [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14451746356870273.jpg [2]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/1445172651656305.jpg [3]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14451728324410946.jpg [4]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14451731039671491.jpg [5]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14451732986459618.jpg [6]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14451733205554966.jpg [7]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14451733609747782.jpg [8]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14451733878531227.jpg [9]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14451734752276333.jpg [10]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/1445173501265194.jpg [11]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/1445174475138928.jpg