By KHT Staff. Image via 我是高雄人
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung plans to test large shade umbrellas at several busy transit transfer points, an effort aimed at easing exposure for pedestrians waiting at intersections during the city’s long, punishing summer months.
The pilot project will include spots such as Love River Heart Station (愛河之心站) on the light rail and the nearby Aozihdi Station (凹子底站) on the Kaohsiung MRT, where commuters making the roughly 100-meter transfer often face direct sun with little or no cover. Another planned trial location is the C24 and R6/C3 Kaisyuan Station (凱旋站) area, according to local reports.
The issue has drawn growing attention in a city where heat and sunlight can make even short walks difficult. While scooter riders often cluster under trees or building shadows while waiting at red lights, pedestrians are frequently left exposed.
Kaohsiung City Councilor Chang Po-yang (張博洋) said the city should avoid treating the umbrella plan as a one-off fix. He argued that continuous shaded pedestrian space should be incorporated into future urban planning, rather than relying on scattered additions that function as patchwork solutions.
Chang pointed to other cities’ efforts to reduce heat stress, including projects in Taipei aimed at lowering perceived street temperatures and examples in South Korea where shade structures have been integrated into broader streetscape design. For Kaohsiung, he said, the challenge is not simply where to add umbrellas, but how to build a more systematic response to extreme urban heat.
