Across France, one in seven inhabitants lives in an area that will be exposed to more than 20 abnormally hot days each summer over the coming decades. It is therefore essential to adapt public spaces to this rise in temperatures.
Although the UHI phenomenon is now being studied more and more, it remains difficult to characterise and assess accurately, as there are so many parameters and factors involved: the albedo (reflective capacity) of surfaces, the types of materials used in buildings and floor coverings, urban form and spatial organisation, the presence of water and vegetation, the impact of human activities in cities, etc.
Strengthening the resilience of territories and infrastructure is one of the five commitments made by Egis in response to the climate challenge, in line with its Impact the Future corporate project. Egis has therefore naturally focused on this major challenge facing urbanised areas and has developed the first reference tool for measuring and studying urban overheating: ICEtool.
