Heat waves, poor air quality, thermal pollution, and increased energy consumption: these are only a few of the negative impacts of the urban heat island (UHI) effect. According to the most recent (2012) study of Harvard University on the phenomenon, the UHI is the result of a warmer temperature in the city, compared to surrounding rural areas. The study states that the urban area can be 2-5°C warmer during the day and 10° warmer during the night than the outlying areas.
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Mapping the City Heat: The Contributing Factors to the Urban Heat Island Phenomenon
1. Mapping the City Heat:
The Contributing Factors
to the Urban Heat Island
Phenomenon
U.S. Lawns
2. Heat waves, poor air quality, thermal pollution, and increased energy consumption: these
are only a few of the negative impacts of the urban heat island (UHI) effect. According to
the most recent (2012) study of Harvard University on the phenomenon, the UHI is the
result of a warmer temperature in the city, compared to surrounding rural areas. The
study states that the urban area can be 2-5°C warmer during the day and 10° warmer
during the night than the outlying areas.
Major Risk Factors for UHI
Upon the introduction of mass urbanization from decades ago, land and vegetation have
been converted into flat surfaces for the construction of commercial infrastructure. These
surfaces, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) , were once moist
and permeable - today, they trap heat. Furthermore, the agency says these developments
largely contributed to the formation of urban heat islands. Other major contributors to the
phenomenon include:
City Layout: A 2018 study published in the Physical Review Letters found that cities
that have an organized grid (a well-structured, easily navigable layout) tend to be
hotter than their disordered counterparts. For example, buildings in New York City
are more tightly packed, which means one building could radiate heat to the next.
According to the researchers, the heat accumulates into heat canyons between
structures. The EPA also suggests that the limited space between buildings in grid-
like cities obstruct wind flow, therefore, increasing temperature.
3. Urban Materials: Asphalt and concrete are the most used construction materials in
the cities. Both of these absorb huge amounts of heat.
Human activities: Most big cities are densely populated, and the energy emitted
through human activities also contribute to the formation of UHI. Vehicles, factories,
and even jogging produce waste heat, says the National Geographic.
Possible Solutions to UHI
Because the UHI effect poses a direct threat to air quality and public health, the
government, private entities, and the public should work together to address the problem.
For instance, in expanding a city, urban planners should take into account adequate
spacing between buildings. This allows for better wind flow as there is less hindrance in
heat emission. Another solution is to improve the urban tree canopy. Apart from purifying
the air, layers of trees in urban areas can counteract heat emission from the surface,
buildings, or human activities.
Building new cities and the expansion of existing ones might mean the formation of a new
UHI. However, proper city layout planning and urban vegetation can help minimize and
manage the effects of urban heat.
