With the recent ruling that the former Ramada Inn property will become a parking lot and not a dog park, a new fight Phoenicians are now taking on is combating the urban heat island effect.
UHI is the excessive warming of particular areas due to various man-made changes, such as asphalt, concrete, vehicle and air conditioning exhaust, and reduced green space, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
When the Phoenix Board of Adjustment passed, in a 3-1 vote, a motion to approve the construction of a parking lot on the site of the old Ramada Inn on Nov. 4 they also added another prime spot for the perpetuation of UHI.
Sean Sweat, a downtown community member and urban transportation expert, said UHI creates temperatures that are measurably hotter in urban areas than they are in rural areas.
“UHI warms the daytime temperature some but really has the largest impact to nighttime temperatures because the asphalt and concrete absorb and trap the solar energy all day then slowly release it all night,” he said. “In a natural environment, the materials such as ground, trees and plants are much more reflective and less absorbent and wouldn’t have this energy storing up all day and releasing all night.”
In summer months, temperatures rarely fall below 95 degrees on average at night in Arizona, according to the Western Regional Weather Center.
Sustainability sophomore Cole Van Norman said Phoenix is known for its UHI because of the high amounts of concrete and the high concentration of solar exposure.
One solution to the heat island is through plants, Van Norman said. Making green roofs, and strategically placing plants in right areas will help shade unnatural surfaces and will help cut down on the effect, he said.
With the dog park alternative no longer being considered an option for the demolished Ramada Inn property, some Phoenicians are now looking for other properties to serve the same purpose. This would not only be beneficial to the downtown community but would also help diffuse the urban heat island effect, Van Norman said.
Dan Klocke, vice president of development at the Downtown Phoenix Partnership, is on the city’s Ad Hoc Dog Park Committee. This committee was formed by people requesting to be a part of finding a location for a Downtown Phoenix dog park. There are 70 people on the committee and three fourths of them must agree on a new location in order for the city to move forward with a dog park.
Klocke said he became a member of this committee because he wanted to represent the downtown business community and the Downtown Phoenix Partnership.
“The quality of life in Phoenix is high,” Klocke said. “There are wonderful opportunities to have a dog park. We just have to figure out what land is best suited, is it affordable and is it in a convenient location?”
Contact the reporter at abahn@asu.edu
