Addressing Increased Temperatures in Cities: Determination of Pedestrian Routes with Thermal Comfort in Barranquilla, Colombia

Hernando José Bolívar-Anillo (), Shersy Vega Benites, Giovanna Reyes Almeida, Samuel de Jesús Ortega Llanos, Valentina Taba-Charris, Keyla Andrea Acuña-Ruiz, Byron Standly Reales Vargas, Paula Fernanda Chapuel Aguillón, Hernando Sánchez Moreno, María Auxiliadora Iglesias-Navas and Giorgio Anfuso ()
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Hernando José Bolívar-Anillo: Faculty of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, Center for Research on Biodiversity and Climate Change—ADAPTIA, Simon Bolivar University, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
Shersy Vega Benites: Faculty of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, Center for Research on Biodiversity and Climate Change—ADAPTIA, Simon Bolivar University, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
Giovanna Reyes Almeida: Faculty of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, Center for Research on Biodiversity and Climate Change—ADAPTIA, Simon Bolivar University, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
Samuel de Jesús Ortega Llanos: Faculty of Engineering, Center for Research on Biodiversity and Climate Change—ADAPTIA, Simon Bolivar University, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
Valentina Taba-Charris: Faculty of Engineering, Center for Research on Biodiversity and Climate Change—ADAPTIA, Simon Bolivar University, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
Keyla Andrea Acuña-Ruiz: Faculty of Engineering, Center for Research on Biodiversity and Climate Change—ADAPTIA, Simon Bolivar University, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
Byron Standly Reales Vargas: Faculty of Engineering, Center for Research on Biodiversity and Climate Change—ADAPTIA, Simon Bolivar University, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
Paula Fernanda Chapuel Aguillón: Faculty of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, Center for Research on Biodiversity and Climate Change—ADAPTIA, Simon Bolivar University, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
Hernando Sánchez Moreno: Faculty of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, Center for Research on Biodiversity and Climate Change—ADAPTIA, Simon Bolivar University, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
María Auxiliadora Iglesias-Navas: Faculty of Engineering, Center for Research on Biodiversity and Climate Change—ADAPTIA, Simon Bolivar University, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
Giorgio Anfuso: Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cádiz, Polígono Río San Pedro s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-17

Abstract: Thermal stress due to high temperatures has different negative effects on citizens as it generates a decrease in physical capacity and causes cardiovascular and respiratory alterations, which is especially true for pedestrians. In this paper, using a drone, routes for pedestrians with the best thermal comfort were traced between the different headquarters of the Simón Bolívar University (Barranquilla, Colombia). Maps were created for three time intervals, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., from 1 to 2 p.m. and from 2 to 3 p.m., and variations in temperature and relative humidity of both natural and artificial shadow areas were identified. The routes with the best thermal comfort were those with natural shade that presented ca. 3 °C less than the unshaded areas. The predominant trees’ genera in most of the traced pedestrian routes were Arecaceae (palm), Tabebuia (purple oak), Mangifera (mango), and Delonix (red acacia). Some of them lose their leaves between March and June, which gives rise to an increase in the temperature along those routes. The developed cell phone application allows for the selection of walking environments with the best thermal comfort, favoring the mobility of the pedestrians along the considered area.

Keywords: drones; shadeways; thermal stress; vegetation cover; mobile phone application (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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