High-resolution datasets for urban heat vulnerability assessment in urbanized areas of the Netherlands

Journal Article (2025)
Author(s)

Maha M. Habib (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)

Marjolein van Esch (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)

Maarten van Ham (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)

Wim J. Timmermans (University of Twente)

Research Group
Environmental Technology and Design
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2025.111525 Final published version
More Info
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Publication Year
2025
Language
English
Research Group
Environmental Technology and Design
Journal title
Data in Brief
Volume number
60
Article number
111525
Downloads counter
274
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Abstract

The urban heat island effect is increasingly affecting the quality of life in cities, and detailed data is crucial in designing mitigation policies. However, weather stations are predominantly situated outside urban environments, limiting their ability to represent the varying air temperatures within street canyons. This data paper addresses this limitation by presenting a dataset of the modeled daily maximum urban heat island (UHImax) effect across 99 Dutch municipalities during the summer of 2023. This is achieved by implementing a semi-empirical equation that incorporates readily available meteorological variables and two key urban morphological indicators, namely the sky view factor and fractional vegetation cover. Two primary datasets are presented: (1) a high-resolution dataset of modeled UHImax, and (2) a sky view factor dataset. Both datasets are provided in GeoTIFF format at a 5-meter spatial resolution. Additionally, this paper presents a straightforward methodology for obtaining UHImax values for other periods. The datasets and accompanying methodology provide valuable resources for advancing urban climate research, urban planning and heat mitigation strategies in the Netherlands.