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Improving indoor thermal comfort, air quality and the health of older adults through environmental policies in London

Tsoulou, I; Taylor, J; Symonds, P; Mohajeri, N; Davies, M; (2021) Improving indoor thermal comfort, air quality and the health of older adults through environmental policies in London. Journal of Physics: Conference Series , 2069 (1) , Article 012240. 10.1088/1742-6596/2069/1/012240. Green open access

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Abstract

In this work we evaluate the potential of selected environmental strategies in reducing air pollution and summertime indoor overheating. Associated changes in mortality rates are also calculated for older adults in London. Reducing these risks for vulnerable groups is an immediate priority and given that seniors spend most of their time indoors, our focus is on strategies that prioritize the transformation of residential environments for indoor thermal comfort and air quality improvements. For each strategy, we develop specific scenarios related to building adaptations and test potential reductions on indoor overheating and pollutant exposures from outdoor sources (PM2.5), as well as on senior mortality through the CRAFT tool (Cities Rapid Assessment Framework for Transformation). We then pick the scenarios with highest impacts on mortality, aiming to formulate effective policy recommendations for Greater London. Preliminary results suggest that environmental policies related to the installation of shading could have the highest reduction in heat and pollution-related senior mortality, followed by moderate effects due to building insulation retrofits and the greening of roofs. With an increasing ageing population in the UK and beyond, our work highlights the need for city-level policies to address building modifications, considering the importance of indoor spaces for older adults.

Type: Article
Title: Improving indoor thermal comfort, air quality and the health of older adults through environmental policies in London
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/2069/1/012240
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2069/1/012240
Language: English
Additional information: Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > Bartlett School Env, Energy and Resources
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10141105
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