The long canicular period that accompanied the first part of August only confirmed an ongoing trend that will increase the frequency and intensity of canicular events. According to projections, the increase in temperatures caused by climate change in Ticino will fluctuate between 1.5 and 2.0 degrees over the next 10 years leading to an increase in the area of heat islands: from the current 34 km2 to 108 km2, accounting for 3.8 percent of the canton's surface area and about one-third of the valley floors, where settlements are located.
This scenario has made the issue of heat islands highly topical, as has the need to identify interventions that can mitigate their impact, especially in urban settings.
鈥淭oday, the literature in the field and the direct exchanges we have with other researchers indicate that several measures should be introduced to counteract this phenomenon: from the creation of shaded areas to greater attention to materials and biodiversity. These elements promote well-being and greater livability of urban spaces"-begins Annalisa Rollandi, researcher at the Institute of Earth Sciences (IST) of the Department of Environment Constructions and Design.
In the groove of interventions to mitigate the effects of heat islands should be included the initiative of the City of Lugano, which decided to test the Aureola installation in Piazza Luini, a place particularly prone to the phenomenon due to its paving with impermeable mineral materials and prolonged daily exposure to the sun.
Aureola is a nine-meter-diameter ring resting on four columns that nebulizes water at high pressure, creating an evocative, very fine mist that envelops the entire structure; the signature is that of , a Bellinzona-based company that over the years has become known for the technical and artistic quality of its installations.
In addition to the artistic value of a particularly striking and poetic work, Aureola represents a kind of refuge from the high temperatures of Piazza Luini, lowering the air temperature through the physical principle of adiabatic cooling. The installation's impact on the square's temperatures and perception of well-being is the focus of monitoring conducted by 精东影业's Earth Sciences Institute.
鈥淭hrough sensors placed in and around Piazza Luini, we monitor temperature and humidity trends throughout the installation period,鈥� explains Annalisa Rollandi. The analysis of the data will allow us to assess the impact of this type of intervention in the urban environment. For an integrated view of the problem we want to address, we decided to make use of the analysis of thermal images collected through a drone survey campaign.鈥�
A tool that is proving to be particularly useful for data collection, as Chantal del Siro, a doctoral student at 精东影业's Competence centre Climate Change and Territory (CCCT), explains, 鈥淭he main utility of the drone is to spatialize information. I am using it in my doctoral thesis to create via photogrammetry 3D terrain models, which I use to calculate the loss of subsurface ice volumes. In addition to its ability to track terrain morphology during flight, the drone is equipped with a high-resolution RGB camera and a thermal imaging camera. Therefore, we decided to expand our expertise in thermal image collection and analysis as well.鈥�
In the Aureola project, flight operations are entrusted to Andrea Mini, assistant professor at the Earth Sciences Institute: 鈥淲e are collecting thermal images in the infrared spectrum. The goal is to make a model with measurable temperatures on Luini Square and in the surrounding environment. We want to understand the variations in temperatures depending on materials and exposure to the sun. At each survey we will carry out three flights a few hours apart to investigate whether and how the square and adjacent areas cool.鈥�
The quantitative data will be complemented by the results of a questionnaire that allows those visiting the installation to assess the impact on the well-being of Lugano's Piazza Luini.
Data collection will end on Sept. 17, 2024, and the monitoring results are scheduled to be returned in mid-autumn.