Very often when visitors come for the first time to Rivera Cuale, they are astonished by how agreeably fresh and breezy it is in comparison with the surrounding urban area. How can this be? If you turn on the local weather report, you’ll probably notice an odd trend. Temperatures are often a few degrees higher in cities than they are in their surrounding rural areas. This temperature discrepancy is the result of a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect. As the name implies, the effect makes cities into islands of heat.
The main cause of the urban heat island is modification of the land surface by urban development that uses materials that effectively retain heat. As urban areas develop, changes occur in their landscape. Buildings, roads, and other infrastructure replace open land and vegetation. Surfaces that were once permeable and moist become impermeable and dry. Permeable surfaces would normally use the absorbed sunlight to evaporate water as part of photosynthesis (a process called “evapotranspiration”). This is also the reason why forests are cooler than deserts. 
These changes cause urban regions to become warmer than their rural surroundings, forming an “island” of higher temperatures in the landscape. At Rivera Cuale we have always been conscious of our surroundings by making the right choices to protect the environment and be sensitive to the urban heat-island effect.
The population living in urban heat islands continues to grow. Their habitats are warmer, and they suffer more of the heat wave than others. Like any modern urban conglomeration, the weather in Puerto Vallarta is far from uniform. Some sectors are greener and fresher; others, with more brick, concrete and asphalt can be hot as an oven. Under strong summer sunlight in those areas where trees are sporadic, the heat can be as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the surrounding areas. Normally the temperature discrepancy is not quite that large, but even a few degrees can make a huge difference. Elevated temperature from urban heat islands, particularly during the summer, can affect a community’s environment and quality of life. While some heat island impacts seem positive, such as lengthening the plant-growing season, most impacts are negative and may include increasing demand for air conditioning in the summer, leading to higher energy bills, and elevating emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases. Even recent qualitative speculations indicate part of that phenomenon may contribute to variation in wind patterns, which may influence the melting of arctic ice packs, and thereby the cycle of ocean currents. Perhaps the worst result of the heat island effect is the number of heat-related deaths. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in the U.S. heat typically kills more people each year than tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and lightning combined.
The problem with urban heat islands is that they are like an oil stain that can spread out up to 100, 200, 300 meters into the surroundings, and that thermal degradation can accelerate due to urban and poorly planned housing developments and divergent actions from authorities. Trees and vegetation are most useful as a mitigation strategy, when planted in strategic locations around buildings, or to shade pavement in parking lots and on streets. Researchers have found that planting deciduous trees or vines to the west is typically most effective for cooling a building, especially if they shade windows and part of the building’s roof. Since the recent heat wave, even in a colder country like Canada, some big cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are taking the heat problem very seriously by increasing tree and vegetative cover. In countries like the United States where heat is the primary weather-related cause of death, promotion of strategies for mitigating the urban heat island are also big concerns for government agencies. There are two main urban heat island reduction strategies: first, to increase surface reflectivity in order to reduce radiation absorption of urban surfaces, and second, to increase vegetation cover. Recently, former President Bill Clinton wrote in Newsweek, “Every black roof in New York should be white; every roof in Chicago should be white; every roof in Little Rock should be white. Every flat tar-surface roof anywhere! In most of these places you could recover the cost of the paint and the labor in a week.” The former president regularly touts the white roofs as one of those win-win scenarios that could also help create jobs and stimulate the economy.
At Rivera Cuale, we have used lighter colors and cooler materials on reflective surfaces such as pavement, roof and building exteriors. Other strategies used to protect the environment and reduce the urban heat-island effect were to make sure that the building orientation and design capitalize on natural cooling from prevailing breezes, with the Cuale River contributing in large part to this constant air movement. Large shaded terraces keep some of the heat away from interior areas, and high ceilings let fresh air circulate. Daylight naturally brightens interiors through abundant, well-placed windows. Low energy lighting in common areas reduces electrical consumption, and a solar-heated pool harnesses the sun’s energy instead of using a gas heating system. 
Native plant species and automated watering systems in the gardens minimize water usage. The riverfront retaining wall built from recycled tires reduces carbon footprint and allows cooling foliage to grow. Endemic species such as trees and natural features were protected and conserved on site during construction, and additional vegetation was planted in strategic locations to provide shade.
Rivera Cuale works within the community to raise the quality of living in the area and has partnered with not-for-profit organizations with similar goals to do its part to help raise awareness for the environment, and educate and involve the community. By choosing to reside at Rivera Cuale, it’s not only an excellent investment decision but also an important conscientious green decision.
Whatgreenhome.com reviews eco-friendly homes for sale in the UK and abroad, and provides news, opinion and features on sustainable property development worldwide. Rivera Cuale has received 4 green ticks and a highly commended kite mark, which puts it in the top 15% of all developments pr ofiled.
Written by Jean-R. Talbot, Rivera Cuale
Email: jtalbot@riveracuale.com