According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), eleven of the hottest twelve years ever observed were recorded since 1995 and are attributable to rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. North American cities “that currently experience heat waves are expected to be further challenged by an increased number, intensity and duration of heat waves”.
In Québec, the hottest ten years of the century have been recorded since the 1980s (Natural Resources Canada, 2004). Forecasts indicate that average temperatures will continue to rise in the coming decades.
This observed and forecast constant increase in temperature will accentuate a problem with which we are already familiar: the urban heat island effect. This phenomenon is characterized by higher summer temperatures in urban environments than in surrounding rural areas. According to observations, this temperature difference, which is primarily attributable to the urban built environment, range…