MSc award for non-green solution

Extreme heat in cities, which is becoming a reality more often due to climate change, is unpleasant. But it can also be dangerous to health and drives up the use of water and electricity. Vegetation, trees and shrubs are often used to cool cities. But planting more vegetation is not always an option, says Stijn Doelman. For example, because there is a parking lot under a square, or in areas where paved surface is required.

Stone cold

For his MSc thesis, Doelman investigated a way to cool cities without using vegetation. To this end, he looked at how materials react to heat. He came up with an extensive list of relatively cool materials and a manual on how to apply them. He also made several designs for urban areas that are difficult to make greener. For example, he designed a cooler version of the Vrijthof, a large paved square in Maastricht. He also designed a solution against the heat for an important shopping street in that city: canvases that are stretched over the street and keep the sun away.

More talent

Other nominees for the Folkert Hellinga MSc award were Musadiq Usman, who worked on a solution for the plastic pollution of rivers in Africa, and Sarah-Maria Scheid, who researched the possibilities of storing carbon in the soil through measures in German agriculture. Sarah-Maria Scheid received the audience award with her pitch presentation during the symposium. The Folkert Hellinga MSc Award is presented annually by the Land & Water Network. This network organises seminars and excursions and stimulates the debate on current spatial developments.