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- Bäcklin, Oskar, 1991, et al.
(author)
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Outdoor heat stress at preschools during an extreme summer in Gothenburg, Sweden - Preschool teachers’ experiences contextualized by radiation modelling
- 2022
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In: Multiple Nordic Geographies 9th Nordic Geographers Meeting 19th - 22nd of June 2022 Joensuu, Finland.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- With increasing urbanisation and climate change, heat stress issues are becoming increasingly important to consider in order to create sustainable urban environments worldwide. Heat affects all groups in society, although small children are especially vulnerable due to physiological factors as well as limitations in their everyday mobility. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that outdoor areas used by children, such as preschools provide healthy safe thermal conditions. Trees are proven effective heat mitigating objects, as well as highly appreciated features of preschool yards for their aesthetic and pedagogical aspects. However, there is a large variation in the amount of trees at preschool yards which can prove to be problematic regarding thermal comfort and well-being for both children and preschool teachers today and in the future. Using a mixed-method approach consisting of 19 interviews with preschool teachers, and modelling outdoor thermal conditions on 440 preschool yards, the occurrence of heat stress in Gothenburg preschools during the heat wave of 2018 and its effects on preschools has been studied. One third of modelled preschool yards were found to have more than 50% of the preschool yard area exposed to strong heat stress during a warm and sunny summer days, implying children in many preschools have significantly less play area than current guidelines deem sufficient. Shading, which was found mainly provided by trees within preschool yards rather than from objects in surrounding areas, provide effective heat mitigation. Shading devices such as shade-sails were found prone to breakage and not providing sufficient shading. Thus, shading devices are not suggested as a long-term solution for heat mitigation at preschool yards. Interviews confirmed that excessive heat conditions at preschool yards cause tired, drowsy and overheated children as well as forcing the preschool to prioritise care over pedagogical activities. The results demonstrated that heat stress is a problem at many Gothenburg preschools, with difficulties in ensuring the well-being of children at many preschools as a consequence. The strong correlation found between amount of trees at preschool yards and less heat stress highlight the importance of trees for heat mitigation.
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