FortyGuard’s advisor, Professor Roland Pellenq, has been featured in the DW Documentary on heatwaves, highlighting how urban design directly impacts rising temperatures and what can be done to mitigate extreme heat. Heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense, making urban cooling a growing necessity. His research explores the concept of thermal coupling, where heat bounces between closely packed structures, amplifying temperatures in dense urban environments. Grid-based city layouts, common in many modern cities, increase urban heat retention, while irregular European-style layouts allow for better airflow and reduced overheating.

Paris serves as a critical example of this issue. With its uniform five-story buildings and narrow streets, the city has become a massive heat island, with temperature differences of up to 10 degrees Celsius between the center and its outskirts. As heatwaves become more severe, cities must rethink their infrastructure. Professor Pellenq explains that by varying building heights, integrating reflective materials, and incorporating more adaptive urban planning techniques, cities can begin to address overheating.

The intensification of urban heat is not just an environmental issue but a public health crisis, with heat-related mortality rates continuing to rise. AI-driven solutions like FortyGuard’s temperature intelligence platform provide the necessary data to identify overheating hotspots and implement targeted cooling strategies. With real-time data, governments, developers, and city planners can design climate-resilient cities that remain livable despite increasing global temperatures.

The documentary highlights the urgent need for data-driven urban adaptation. As temperatures continue to rise, city planning must evolve to ensure sustainability and livability. By leveraging AI, advanced analytics, and smarter urban design, cities can move toward a future where extreme heat is no longer a crisis but a challenge that can be managed effectively

Watch the full documentary to learn more about how cities can adapt to a hotter future. https://youtu.be/JKEJ9p9YVY8?si=1OIeIbnJixcHsWxj