Coping with the impacts of Urban Heat Islands A literature based study on understanding urban heat vulnerability and the need for resilience in cities in a global climate change context

The urban heat island (UHI) is a phenomenon whereby temperature levels in urban areas are higher than in surrounding rural settings. Urban heat islands are a matter of increasing concern, since they can affect communities by exacerbating air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions (due to the greater use of air conditioning) and the occurrence of...

An Evidence-Based Review of Impacts, Strategies and Tools to Mitigate Urban Heat Islands

The impacts of climate changes on cities, which are home to over half of the world’s population, are already being felt. In many cases, the intensive speed with which urban centres have been growing means that little attention has been paid to the role played by climatic factors in maintaining quality of life. Among the negative consequences of...