<
https://theconversation.com/heat-cold-pollution-noise-and-insects-too-many-apartment-blocks-arent-up-to-the-challenge-215990>
"The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the impacts of air quality on high-rise
living. However, apartments face a range of atmospheric challenges. These
include air and noise pollution, temperature and weather extremes, bushfire
smoke and insects.
Our newly published research shows how apartment residents struggle with the
impacts of unhealthy homes. It’s a result of decades of urban planning based on
fossil fuel use and high-rise building standards poorly adapted to the
Australian environment.
Our study involved residents of apartments in Liverpool CBD in New South Wales.
They are exposed to particulate pollution from heavy truck movements tied to
the Moorebank freight terminal, smoke from increasingly severe bushfires and a
rising number of days of extreme heat each year.
Residents in our study preferred centrally located apartments to detached,
car-dependent houses. However, our interviews revealed apartments were hot in
summer, cold in winter and prone to mould, condensation, noise and air
pollution. The lower people’s socioeconomic status, the more likely they are to
be exposed to such problems.
At the same time, residents’ experiences pointed to low-cost, low-tech
solutions. Sustainable, climate-adapted apartment designs would allow for
better natural airflow, shading and screening."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
