The 15-Minute City Check: How ‘Pocket Forests’ in Riyadh and Dubai are Dropping Local Temperatures by 4 Degrees

As cities in the Middle East deal with heatwaves that last longer and are more extreme, there is an increase in the use of “pocket forests,” or small, densely vegetated areas of trees planted within urban settings by city planners as a means of combating these extreme temperatures through creating natural shaded areas, and thus, cooler areas.

In Riyadh and Dubai, these relatively small, densely vegetated areas can be linked to local cooler temperatures, with some studies indicating that temperatures are 3-4 degrees cooler in some areas next to these pocket forests compared to surrounding buildings.

In many ways, this is a natural extension of the worldwide trend of urban planners moving toward the 15-minute city model, that is, creating communities in which residents can easily meet their daily needs within a 15-minute walk from their homes, while simultaneously making cities more climate-resilient and green.

Why Small Forests Can Make a Big Difference

Even a small amount of green cover can provide a large cooling effect through the development of “microclimate zones.”

There is a significant amount of evidence available in a variety of contexts around the world showing that densely vegetated areas can lower:

• Surface temperatures
• The amount of heat stress upon an area
• The concentration of air pollution in an area
• This sort of microclimate is particularly beneficial to cities with high populations residing in hot, dry climates.

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Why Gulf Cities Are Investing in Cooling Infrastructure

The Middle East is experiencing higher rates of climate warming than other regions of the world.

As such, cities are increasingly required to adapt to the changing climate by investing in various forms of urban greening and:

• Using reflective surfaces on buildings
• Designing shaded structures for pedestrian transit
• Constructing durable and heat-resistant infrastructure

Without progressive adaptation measures in place, outdoor activities in the summer are becoming extremely limited for many citizens.

Could This Work in Indian Cities Too?

Yes, some of the Indian urban centers that are experiencing very high temperatures during the summer months are also looking into:

• Urban Forests
• Cool Corridors
• Rooftop Greening
• Heat-Resilient Urban Planning

Pocket Forests are generally considered more appealing due to their small amount of land needed compared to traditional parks.

Final Words

In conclusion, the introduction of Pocket Forests in the cities of Riyadh and Dubai is an example of the way that cities will rethink how they will develop neighbourhoods that will adapt to heat over the coming years.

These small portions of green vegetated land may ultimately become very important components of city survival systems in a world of more frequent extreme summer heat waves and more extreme summer nights.

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