Heat-resilient cycling infrastructure

Promoting active transport (e.g., walking and cycling) reduces greenhouse gas emissions and is associated with improved health outcomes through increased physical activity. However, increasing heat exposure driven by climate change may pose health risks for people engaging in physical activity outdoors. Therefore, active transport infrastructure designed to reduce heat exposure (e.g. tree cover) can help minimise the risk of heat-related health impacts while encouraging active mobility.

Short method description 

This indicator estimates the proportion of cycling paths shaded by trees during peak solar hours. The proportion of shaded cycling infrastructure of each city was estimated.  

Main findings 

The mean canopy coverage during 2018–20 along all cycling paths was 17·2% and 30·5% along designated and shared pedestrian-cycle paths across 885 European cities.

Caveats 

A key limitation is that OpenStreetMap cycle paths are represented as centre lines without information on path width or exact location, which may introduce uncertainty in the estimated tree shading coverage. In addition, shading estimates are based on direct overhead alignment between tree canopies and cycle paths and may not fully capture actual shade availability during peak heat periods when shadows are longer.