View source for Urban heat island

{{Short description|Situation where cities are warmer than surrounding areas}}
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[[File:Milan skyscrapers aerial view.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Example of dense urban living without green spaces which leads to a pronounced urban heat island effect ([[Milan]], Italy)]]
[[File:New York City-Manhattan-Central Park (Gentry).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Example of an inner city green space, which can reduce the urban heat island effect ([[Central Park, New York]])]]

[[Urban area]]s usually experience the '''urban heat island''' ('''UHI''') effect; that is, they are significantly warmer than surrounding [[rural area]]s. The [[temperature]] difference is usually larger at night than during the day,<ref name="Phelan">{{cite journal |last1=Phelan |first1=Patrick E. |last2=Kaloush |first2=Kamil |last3=Miner |first3=Mark |last4=Golden |first4=Jay |last5=Phelan |first5=Bernadette |last6=Silva |first6=Humberto |last7=Taylor |first7=Robert A. |title=Urban Heat Island: Mechanisms, Implications, and Possible Remedies |journal=Annual Review of Environment and Resources |date=4 November 2015 |volume=40 |issue=1 |pages=285–307 |doi=10.1146/annurev-environ-102014-021155 |s2cid=154497357 |doi-access=free }}</ref> and is most apparent when [[wind]]s are weak, under [[Block (meteorology)|block]] conditions, noticeably during the [[summer]] and [[winter]].
The main cause of the UHI effect is from the modification of land surfaces, while [[waste heat]] generated by energy usage is a secondary contributor.<ref name="dx.doi.org">{{cite journal | last1 = Solecki | first1 = William D. | last2 = Rosenzweig | first2 = Cynthia | last3 = Parshall | first3 = Lily | last4 = Pope | first4 = Greg | last5 = Clark | first5 = Maria | last6 = Cox | first6 = Jennifer | last7 = Wiencke | first7 = Mary | year = 2005 | title = Mitigation of the heat island effect in urban New Jersey | journal = Global Environmental Change Part B: Environmental Hazards | volume = 6 | issue = 1| pages = 39–49 | doi = 10.1016/j.hazards.2004.12.002 | bibcode = 2005EnvHa...6...39S | s2cid = 153841143 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite report|url=https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/guide-reducing-heat-islands|title=Reducing urban heat islands: Compendium of strategies|last=United States Environmental Protection Agency|date=2008|pages=7–12}}</ref><ref name="liyan2012">{{Cite journal | last1 = Li | first1 = Y. | last2 = Zhao | first2 = X. | doi = 10.1029/2012JD018132 | title = An empirical study of the impact of human activity on long-term temperature change in China: A perspective from energy consumption | journal = Journal of Geophysical Research | volume = 117 | issue = D17 | pages = D17117 | year = 2012 |bibcode = 2012JGRD..11717117L | doi-access = free }}</ref> Urban areas occupy about 0.5% of the Earth's land surface but host more than half of the world's population.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wang |first=K. |date=February 6, 2017 |title=Comparing the diurnal and seasonal variabilities of atmospheric, and surface urban heat islands based on the Beijing Urban Meteorological Network |journal=Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres |volume=122 |issue=4 |pages=2131–2154 |bibcode=2017JGRD..122.2131W |doi=10.1002/2016JD025304 |doi-access=free}}</ref> As a population center grows, it tends to expand its area and increase its average temperature. The term '''heat island''' is also used; the term can be used to refer to any area that is relatively hotter than the surrounding, but generally refers to human-disturbed areas.<ref>{{cite web |author=Glossary of Meteorology |year=2019 |title=Urban Heat Island |url=http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Urban_heat_island |access-date=2019-04-12 |publisher=[[American Meteorological Society]]}}</ref>

Monthly [[precipitation (meteorology)|rainfall]] is greater downwind of cities, partially due to the UHI. Increases in heat within urban centers increases the length of [[growing season]]s, decreases [[air quality]] by increasing the production of pollutants such as [[ozone]], and decreases water quality as warmer waters flow into area streams and put stress on their [[ecosystem]]s.

Not all cities have a distinct urban heat island, and the heat island characteristics depend strongly on the background climate of the area where the city is located.<ref name="SUE">{{cite journal |author=Chakraborty |first1=T. |last2=Lee |first2=X. |name-list-style=and |year=2019 |title=A simplified urban-extent algorithm to characterize surface urban heat islands on a global scale and examine vegetation control on their spatiotemporal variability |journal=International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation |volume=74 |pages=269–280 |bibcode=2019IJAEO..74..269C |doi=10.1016/j.jag.2018.09.015 |s2cid=53715577}}</ref> The impact in a city can significantly change based on its local environment. Heat can be reduced by tree cover and green space, which act as sources of shade and promote [[Evapotranspiration|evaporative]] cooling.<ref name="Waldrop">{{cite journal |last1=Waldrop |first1=M. Mitchell |title=What can cities do to survive extreme heat? |journal=Knowable Magazine |date=19 October 2022 |doi=10.1146/knowable-101922-2 |doi-access=free  |url=https://knowablemagazine.org/article/society/2022/what-can-cities-do-survive-extreme-heat |access-date=6 December 2022}}</ref> Other options include [[green roof]]s, [[passive daytime radiative cooling]] applications, ventilation corridors, the [[reflective surfaces (climate engineering)|use of lighter-colored surfaces]], and less absorptive building materials. These reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nature of Cities|url=https://regeneration.org/nexus/nature-of-cities|access-date=2021-10-16|website=Regeneration.org }}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":13" />

[[Climate change]] is not the cause of urban heat islands, but it is causing more frequent and more intense [[heat wave]]s, which in turn amplify the urban heat island effect in cities ({{crossreference|see [[climate change and cities]]}}).<ref name=":1">{{cite book |doi=10.1017/9781009325844.008 |chapter=Cities, Settlements and Key Infrastructure |title=Climate Change 2022 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability |date=2023 |pages=907–1040 |isbn=978-1-009-32584-4 }}</ref>{{rp|993}} Compact and dense [[Urban Development|urban development]] may also increase the urban heat island effect, leading to higher temperatures and increased exposure.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sharifi |first=Ayyoob |date=2020 |title=Trade-offs and conflicts between urban climate change mitigation and adaptation measures: A literature review |journal=Journal of Cleaner Production |volume=276 |article-number=122813 |doi=10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122813 |bibcode=2020JCPro.27622813S |s2cid=225638176 }}</ref>

== Definition ==
A definition of ''urban heat island'' is: "The relative warmth of a city compared with surrounding rural areas."<ref name=":4">{{cite book |doi=10.1017/9781009325844.029 |chapter=Glossary |title=Climate Change 2022 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability |date=2023 |pages=2897–2930 |isbn=978-1-009-32584-4 }}</ref>{{rp|2926}} This relative warmth is caused by "heat trapping due to land use, the configuration and design of the [[built environment]], including street layout and building size, the heat-absorbing properties of urban building materials, reduced ventilation, reduced greenery and water features, and domestic and industrial heat emissions generated directly from human activities".<ref name=":4" />{{rp|2926}}

==Description ==
[[File:Urban heat island.svg|upright=1.4|thumb|Mechanism of the urban heat island effect: the densely-built [[downtown]] areas tend to be warmer than suburban residential areas or rural areas. ]]
[[File:HeatIsland Kanto en.png|thumb|upright=1.55|[[Tokyo]], an example of an urban heat island. Normal temperatures of Tokyo go up higher than those of the surrounding area.]]

=== Diurnal variability ===
[[File:Urban heat island variation.jpg|upright=1.55|thumb|Cities often experience stronger urban heat island effects at night; effects can vary with location and topography of metropolitan areas.]]
Throughout the daytime, particularly when the skies are cloudless, urban surfaces are warmed by the absorption of [[solar radiation]]. Surfaces in the urban areas tend to warm faster than those of the surrounding rural areas. By virtue of their high [[Heat capacity|heat capacities]], urban surfaces act as a reservoir of heat energy. For example, concrete can hold roughly 2,000 times as much heat as an equivalent volume of air.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Li |first=Dan |last2=Wang |first2=Linying |last3=Liao |first3=Weilin |last4=Sun |first4=Ting |last5=Katul |first5=Gabriel |last6=Bou-Zeid |first6=Elie |last7=Maronga |first7=Björn |date=2024-04-10 |title=Persistent urban heat |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adj7398 |journal=Science Advances |volume=10 |issue=15 |article-number=eadj7398 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.adj7398|pmc=11006209 }}</ref> "This study shows that urban surfaces such as concrete absorb and store large amounts of heat during the day, confirming the high heat capacity effect described in urban heat islands." As a result, high daytime surface temperatures within the UHI can be easily seen via thermal [[remote sensing]]. As is often the case with daytime heating, this warming also has the effect of generating [[Atmospheric convection|convective]] winds within the urban [[Planetary boundary layer|boundary layer]]. At night, the situation reverses. The absence of solar heating leads to the decrease of atmospheric convection and the stabilization of urban boundary layer. If enough stabilization occurs, an [[Inversion (meteorology)|inversion layer]] is formed. This traps urban air near the surface, keeping surface air warm from the still-warm urban surfaces, resulting in warmer nighttime air temperatures within the UHI.

Generally speaking, the difference in temperature between the urban and surrounding rural area is more pronounced at night than in daytime.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Urban Heat Islands {{!}} Center for Science Education |url=https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/climate-change-impacts/urban-heat-islands |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=scied.ucar.edu}}</ref> For example, in the United States, the temperature in urban areas tends to be warmer than the surrounding area by about 1–7 °F (0.55–3.9 °C) during the daytime, and about  2–5 °F (1.1–2.8 °C) warmer at night.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web |last=US Envrionmental Protection Agency |first=OAR |date=2014-06-17 |title=Learn About Heat Islands |url=https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/what-are-heat-islands |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=[[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] |language=en}}</ref> However, the difference is more pronounced during the day in arid climates such as those in southeastern China and Taiwan.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zhou |first1=Decheng |last2=Zhang |first2=Liangxia |last3=Hao |first3=Lu |last4=Sun |first4=Ge |last5=Liu |first5=Yongqiang |last6=Zhu |first6=Chao |date=2016 |title=Spatiotemporal trends of urban heat island effect along the urban development intensity gradient in China |journal=Science of the Total Environment |volume=544 |pages=617–626 |doi=10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.11.168 |pmid=26674691 |bibcode=2016ScTEn.544..617Z |issn=0048-9697}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Liou |first1=Yuei-An |last2=Tran |first2=Duy-Phien |last3=Nguyen |first3=Kim-Anh |date=2022-02-22 |title=Diurnal and Seasonal Characteristics of Surface Urban Heat Island in Taiwan |url=https://easychair.org/publications/preprint/MjGx |journal=(CETA 2021) 2021 International Conference on Computer Engineering, Technologies and Applications |language=en-US |issn=2516-2314}}</ref> Studies have shown that diurnal variability is impacted by several factors including local climate and weather, seasonality, humidity, vegetation, surfaces, and materials in the built environment.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Amorim |first1=Margarete Cristiane de Costa Trindade |last2=Dubreuil |first2=Vincent |last3=Amorim |first3=Amanda Trindade |date=2021 |title=Day and night surface and atmospheric heat islands in a continental and temperate tropical environment |journal=Urban Climate |volume=38 |article-number=100918 |doi=10.1016/j.uclim.2021.100918 |bibcode=2021UrbCl..3800918A |issn=2212-0955|hdl=11449/229132 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref name=":22" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shastri |first1=Hiteshri |last2=Barik |first2=Beas |last3=Ghosh |first3=Subimal |last4=Venkataraman |first4=Chandra |last5=Sadavarte |first5=Pankaj |date=2017-01-09 |title=Flip flop of Day-night and Summer-Winter Surface Urban Heat Island Intensity in India |journal=Scientific Reports |language=en |volume=7 |issue=1 |article-number=40178 |doi=10.1038/srep40178 |pmid=28067276 |issn=2045-2322|pmc=5220321 |bibcode=2017NatSR...740178S }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mohajerani |first1=Abbas |last2=Bakaric |first2=Jason |last3=Jeffrey-Bailey |first3=Tristan |date=2017-07-15 |title=The urban heat island effect, its causes, and mitigation, with reference to the thermal properties of asphalt concrete |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479717303201 |journal=Journal of Environmental Management |volume=197 |pages=522–538 |doi=10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.03.095 |pmid=28412623 |bibcode=2017JEnvM.197..522M |issn=0301-4797|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

=== Seasonal variability ===
Seasonal variability is less well understood than diurnal variability of the urban heat island temperature difference.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last1=Manoli |first1=Gabriele |last2=Fatichi |first2=Simone |last3=Bou-Zeid |first3=Elie |last4=Katul |first4=Gabriel G. |date=2020-03-31 |title=Seasonal hysteresis of surface urban heat islands |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=117 |issue=13 |pages=7082–7089 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1917554117 |doi-access=free |pmid=32184330 |issn=0027-8424|pmc=7132285 |bibcode=2020PNAS..117.7082M }}</ref> Complex relationships between precipitation, vegetation, solar radiation, and surface materials in various local climate zones play interlocking roles that influence seasonal patterns of temperature variation in a particular urban heat island.<ref name=":8" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Imhoff |first1=Marc L. |last2=Zhang |first2=Ping |last3=Wolfe |first3=Robert E. |last4=Bounoua |first4=Lahouari |date=2010-03-15 |title=Remote sensing of the urban heat island effect across biomes in the continental USA |journal=Remote Sensing of Environment |volume=114 |issue=3 |pages=504–513 |doi=10.1016/j.rse.2009.10.008 |bibcode=2010RSEnv.114..504I |issn=0034-4257|hdl=2060/20110015410 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cui |first1=Yu Yan |last2=Foy |first2=Benjamin de |date=2012-05-01 |title=Seasonal Variations of the Urban Heat Island at the Surface and the Near-Surface and Reductions due to Urban Vegetation in Mexico City |journal=Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology |language=EN |volume=51 |issue=5 |pages=855–868 |doi=10.1175/JAMC-D-11-0104.1 |issn=1558-8424|doi-access=free |bibcode=2012JApMC..51..855C }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Han |first1=Liying |last2=Lu |first2=Linlin |last3=Fu |first3=Peng |last4=Ren |first4=Chao |last5=Cai |first5=Meng |last6=Li |first6=Qingting |date=2023 |title=Exploring the seasonality of surface urban heat islands using enhanced land surface temperature in a semi-arid city |journal=Urban Climate |language=en |volume=49 |article-number=101455 |doi=10.1016/j.uclim.2023.101455|doi-access=free |bibcode=2023UrbCl..4901455H }}</ref>

== Measurements and predictions ==

=== Urban Heat Island Index (UHII) ===
One method to quantify the UHI effect within urban areas is the UHI Index created by the [[California Environmental Protection Agency|Californian EPA]] in 2015. It compares the temperature of a surveyed area and rural reference points upwind from the surveyed area, at a height of two meters above ground level. The difference in temperature in degrees [[Celsius]] is taken hourly and differences with an increased urban temperature compared to the reference points are summed up, creating an amount of degree-Celsius-hours, which is the UHI Index of the surveyed area. The measure of Celsius-hours might be averaged over many days, but is specified as Celsius-hours per averaged day.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 2016 |title=Executive Summary: Creating and Mapping an Urban Heat Island Index for California |url=https://calepa.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/10/UrbanHeat-Report-ExSummary.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731003514/https://calepa.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/10/UrbanHeat-Report-ExSummary.pdf |archive-date=2019-07-31 |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=CalEPA {{!}} California Environmental Protection Agency}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Understanding the Urban Heat Island Index {{!}} CalEPA |url=https://calepa.ca.gov/climate/urban-heat-island-index-for-california/understanding-the-urban-heat-island-index/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219054828/https://calepa.ca.gov/climate/urban-heat-island-index-for-california/understanding-the-urban-heat-island-index/ |archive-date=2017-12-19 |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=CalEPA {{!}} California Environmental Protection Agency}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=October 2016 |title=Creating and Mapping an Urban Heat Island Index for California |url=https://calepa.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/10/UrbanHeat-Report-Report.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731003434/https://calepa.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/10/UrbanHeat-Report-Report.pdf |archive-date=2019-07-31 |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=CalEPA {{!}} California Environmental Protection Agency}}</ref>

The index was created to estimate the expected use of air conditioning and resulting [[greenhouse gas emissions]] in California.<ref name=":6" /> The index does not consider values of or differences in wind-speed, humidity, or [[Solar irradiance|solar influx]], which might influence [[Apparent temperature|perceived temperature]] or the operation of air conditioners.<ref name=":7" />

=== Models and simulations ===
If a city or town has a good system of taking weather observations the UHI can be measured directly.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Steeneveld |first1=G. J. |year=2011 |title=Quantifying urban heat island effects and human comfort for cities of variable size and urban morphology in the Netherlands |journal=Journal of Geophysical Research |volume=116 |issue=D20 |article-number=D20129 |bibcode=2011JGRD..11620129S |doi=10.1029/2011JD015988 |doi-access=free}}</ref> An alternative is to use a complex simulation of the location to calculate the UHI, or to use an approximate empirical method.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kershaw |first1=T. J. |last2=Sanderson |first2=M. |last3=Coley |first3=D. |last4=Eames |first4=M. |year=2010 |title=Estimation of the urban heat island for UK climate change projections |journal=Building Services Engineering Research and Technology |volume=31 |issue=3 |pages=251–263 |doi=10.1177/0143624410365033 |doi-access=free |hdl-access=free |hdl=10871/13934}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Theeuwes |first1=N. E. |last2=Steeneveld |first2=G. J. |last3=Ronda |first3=R. J. |last4=Holtslag |first4=A. A. M. |year=2017 |title=A diagnostic equation for the daily maximum urban heat island effect for cities in northwestern Europe |journal=International Journal of Climatology |volume=37 |issue=1 |pages=443–454 |bibcode=2017IJCli..37..443T |doi=10.1002/joc.4717 |s2cid=131437962}}</ref> Such models allow the UHI to be included in estimates of future temperatures rises within cities due to climate change.

Leonard O. Myrup published the first comprehensive numerical treatment to predict the effects of the urban heat island (UHI) in 1969.<ref name=":3">{{cite journal |last1=Myrup |first1=Leonard O. |year=1969 |title=A Numerical Model of the Urban Heat Island |journal=Journal of Applied Meteorology |volume=8 |issue=6 |pages=908–918 |bibcode=1969JApMe...8..908M |doi=10.1175/1520-0450(1969)008<0908:ANMOTU>2.0.CO;2 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The heat island effect was found to be the net result of several competing physical processes. In general, reduced evaporation in the city center and the thermal properties of the city building and paving materials are the dominant parameters.<ref name=":3" /> Modern simulation environments include [[ENVI-met]], which simulates all interactions between building and ground surfaces, plants and ambient air.<ref>{{Cite web |last=n.n. |title=ENVI-met-Alternativen für Mac — Altapps.net |url=https://de.altapps.net/soft/envi-met?platform=mac |access-date=2022-06-01 |website=de.altapps.net |language=de}}</ref>

== Causes ==
[[File:High-rise buildings of Manhattan during sunset.jpg|thumb|High-rise buildings of [[Manhattan]], an example of dense urban living]]
[[File:newyork heat island.jpg|thumb|Thermal (top) and vegetation (bottom) locations around [[New York City]] via infrared satellite imagery. A comparison of the images shows that where vegetation is dense, temperatures are lower.]]
{{See also|Heatwave#Formation}}

=== Urban design ===
{{See also|Urban design}}
There are several causes of an urban heat island (UHI) related to common [[urban design]] aspects. For example, dark surfaces absorb significantly more [[solar radiation]], which causes urban concentrations of roads and buildings to heat more than suburban and rural areas during the day;<ref name="dx.doi.org" /> materials commonly used in urban areas for pavement and roofs, such as [[concrete]] and [[Asphalt concrete|asphalt]], have significantly different thermal bulk properties (including [[specific heat capacity|heat capacity]] and [[thermal conductivity]]) and surface radiative properties ([[albedo]] and [[emissivity]]) than the surrounding rural areas. This causes a change in the [[Earth's energy budget|energy budget]] of the urban area, often leading to higher temperatures than surrounding rural areas.<ref name="Okeljnljn">{{cite journal |author=Oke |first=T. R. |year=1982 |title=The energetic basis of the urban heat island |journal=Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society |volume=108 |issue=455 |pages=1–24 |bibcode=1982QJRMS.108....1O |doi=10.1002/qj.49710845502 |s2cid=120122894}}</ref>

[[Pavers (flooring)|Pavements]], [[parking lot]]s, roads or, more generally speaking [[transport infrastructure]], contribute significantly to the urban heat island effect.<ref name=":5">{{cite journal |last1=Hoehne |first1=Christopher G. |last2=Chester |first2=Mikhail V. |last3=Sailor |first3=David J. |last4=King |first4=David A. |title=Urban Heat Implications from Parking, Roads, and Cars: a Case Study of Metro Phoenix |journal=Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure |date=4 July 2022 |volume=7 |issue=4 |pages=272–290 |doi=10.1080/23789689.2020.1773013 |bibcode=2022SusRI...7..272H |s2cid=225553384 }}</ref> For example, pavement infrastructure is a main contributor to urban heat during summer afternoons in [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], United States.<ref name=":5" />

Another major reason is the lack of [[evapotranspiration]] (for example, through lack of vegetation) in urban areas.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kumar |first1=Rahul |last2=Mishra |first2=Vimal |last3=Buzan |first3=Jonathan |last4=Kumar |first4=Rohini |last5=Shindell |first5=Drew |last6=Huber |first6=Matthew |date=25 October 2017 |title=Dominant control of agriculture and irrigation on urban heat island in India |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=7 |issue=1 |page=14054 |bibcode=2017NatSR...714054K |doi=10.1038/s41598-017-14213-2 |pmc=5656645 |pmid=29070866}}</ref> The U.S. Forest Service found in 2018 that cities in the United States are losing 36 million trees each year.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Larsson |first1=Naomi |date=10 May 2018 |title=US cities losing 36 million trees a year, researchers find |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/may/10/us-cities-losing-millions-of-trees-a-year |access-date=10 May 2018}}</ref> With a decreased amount of vegetation, cities also lose the shade and evaporative cooling effect of trees.<ref>{{cite web |last=Santos |first=Fabiane |date=23 August 2013 |title=Trees – the Natural Air Conditioners. |url=http://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/sciencecommunication/2013/08/23/trees-the-natural-air-conditioners/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407003755/http://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/sciencecommunication/2013/08/23/trees-the-natural-air-conditioners/ |archive-date=2022-04-07 |work=Scientific Scribbles |publisher=University of Melbourne}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Gorsevski |first1=V. |last2=Luvall |first2=J. |last3=Quattrochi |first3=D. |last4=Taha |first4=H. |date=1998 |title=Air Pollution Prevention Through Urban Heat Island Mitigation: An Update on the Urban Heat Island Pilot Project |url=https://coolrooftoolkit.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/epa_doc.pdf |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL) |citeseerx=10.1.1.111.4921 |id=LBNL-42736}}</ref>

Other causes of a UHI are due to geometric effects. The tall buildings within many urban areas provide multiple surfaces for the reflection and absorption of sunlight, increasing the efficiency with which urban areas are heated. This is called the "[[Urban canyon|urban canyon effect]]". Another effect of buildings is the blocking of wind, which also inhibits cooling by [[convection]] and prevents pollutants from dissipating. Waste heat from automobiles, air conditioning, industry, and other sources also contributes to the UHI.<ref name="liyan2012" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sailor |first1=D. J. |year=2011 |title=A review of methods for estimating anthropogenic heat and moisture emissions in the urban environment |journal=International Journal of Climatology |volume=31 |issue=2 |pages=189–199 |bibcode=2011IJCli..31..189S |doi=10.1002/joc.2106 |s2cid=54835415}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=F. |last2=Kusaka |first2=H. |last3=Bornstein |first3=R. |last4=Ching |first4=J. |last5=Grimmond |first5=C. S. B. |last6=Grossman-Clarke |first6=S. |last7=Loridan |first7=T. |last8=Manning |first8=K. W. |last9=Martilli |first9=A. |last10=Miao |first10=S. |last11=Sailor |first11=D. |last12=Salamanca |first12=F. P. |last13=Taha |first13=H. |last14=Tewari |first14=M. |last15=Wang |first15=X. |year=2011 |title=The integrated WRF/urban modelling system: Development, evaluation, and applications to urban environmental problems |journal=International Journal of Climatology |volume=31 |issue=2 |page=273 |bibcode=2011IJCli..31..273C |doi=10.1002/joc.2158 |s2cid=54686199 |last16=Wyszogrodzki |first16=A. A. |last17=Zhang |first17=C.}}</ref>

Heat islands can be affected by proximity to different types of land cover, so that proximity to barren land causes urban land to become hotter and proximity to vegetation makes it cooler.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mansourmoghaddam |first1=Mohammad |last2=Alavipanah |first2=Seyed Kazem |date=2022 |title=Study and prediction of land surface temperature changes of Yazd city: assessing the proximity and changes of land cover |url=https://girs.bushehr.iau.ir/article_682083.html?lang=en |journal=RS and GIS for Natural Resources |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=1–27}}</ref>

=== Air pollution ===
High levels of [[air pollution]] in urban areas can also increase the UHI, as many forms of pollution change the radiative properties of the atmosphere.<ref name="Okeljnljn" /> UHI not only raises urban temperatures but also increases ozone concentrations because ozone is a [[greenhouse gas]] whose formation will accelerate with the increase of temperature.<ref>Union of Concerned Scientists. "Rising Temperatures, Worsening Ozone Pollution." Climate Change and Your Health (2011): n. pag. Print.</ref>

=== Climate change as an amplifier ===
{{Further|Climate change and cities|Climate change adaptation#Heatwaves}}

Climate change is not a cause but an amplifier of the urban heat island effect. The [[IPCC Sixth Assessment Report]] from 2022 summarized the available research accordingly: "Climate change increases [[heat stress]] risks in cities [...] and amplifies the urban heat island across Asian cities at 1.5&nbsp;°C and 2&nbsp;°C warming levels, both substantially larger than under present climates [...]."<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1017/9781009325844.002 |chapter=Technical Summary |title=Climate Change 2022 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability |date=2023 |pages=37–118 |isbn=978-1-009-32584-4 }}</ref>{{rp|66}}

The report goes on to say: "In a warming world, increasing air temperature makes the urban heat island effect in cities worse. One key risk is [[Heat wave|heatwaves]] in cities that are likely to affect half of the future global urban population, with negative impacts on human health and economic productivity."<ref name=":1" />{{rp|993}}

There are unhelpful interactions between heat and built infrastructure: These interactions increase the risk of heat stress for people living in cities.<ref name=":1" />{{rp|993}}

=== Increased urbanization ===
Increased urbanization is a major leading cause for increased urban heat risks, as it replaces vegetated areas with impervious surfaces and concentrates people into smaller land areas.<ref name=":2a">{{Cite journal |last1=Lin |first1=Jian |last2=Zhang |first2=Hongsheng |last3=Chen |first3=Min |last4=Wang |first4=Qiang |date=May 2023 |title=Socioeconomic disparities in cooling and warming efficiencies of urban vegetation and impervious surfaces |journal=Sustainable Cities and Society |volume=92 |article-number=104464 |doi=10.1016/j.scs.2023.104464 |bibcode=2023SusCS..9204464L |issn=2210-6707}}</ref> 

==== Spatial distribution ====
Historic urbanization processes, such as [[redlining]] in the United States, have lasting impacts on land use  and may perpetuate disparities in urban heat through unequal distribution of vegetation.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3a">{{Cite journal |last1=Keith |first1=Ladd |last2=Gabbe |first2=C.J. |last3=Schmidt |first3=Erika |date=2023-09-03 |title=Urban heat governance: examining the role of urban planning |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1523908X.2023.2244446 |journal=Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning |language=en |volume=25 |issue=5 |pages=642–662 |doi=10.1080/1523908X.2023.2244446 |bibcode=2023JEPP...25..642K |issn=1523-908X|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Access to healthcare, public transportation, adequate housing, and reliable energy typically govern disparities to heat, of which many of these communities may lack access to.<ref name=":3a" /> Such differences in spatial distribution leave certain, localized neighborhood at risk for micro urban heat islands.<ref name=":4a">{{Cite journal |last1=Mitchell |first1=Bruce Coffyn |last2=Chakraborty |first2=Jayajit |date=2018-08-03 |title=Exploring the relationship between residential segregation and thermal inequity in 20 U.S. cities |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13549839.2018.1474861 |journal=Local Environment |language=en |volume=23 |issue=8 |pages=796–813 |doi=10.1080/13549839.2018.1474861 |bibcode=2018LoEnv..23..796M |issn=1354-9839|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Socially vulnerable groups are known to live in more densely populated areas with little vegetation that in turn have higher threats to heat exposure and often have adapting to and mitigation their exposure.<ref name=":4a" />   

==== Housing conditions ====
Housing conditions are a factor that contributes to urban heat inequity. Living on the top-floor, having a home with a dark roof, and poor insulation exacerbate heating conditions during hot weather.<ref name=":1a">{{Cite journal |last1=Lo |first1=Alex Y. |last2=Jim |first2=C.Y. |last3=Cheung |first3=Pui Kwan |last4=Wong |first4=Gwendolyn K.L. |last5=Cheung |first5=Lewis T.O. |date=August 2022 |title=Space poverty driving heat stress vulnerability and the adaptive strategy of visiting urban parks |journal=Cities |volume=127 |article-number=103740 |doi=10.1016/j.cities.2022.103740 |issn=0264-2751}}</ref> Lower income individuals may also not have access to air-conditioning or be unable to afford the increased electricity usage.<ref name=":1a" /> In condensed cities, opening the windows for airflow and cooler air could introduce air pollution and odor into the home.<ref name=":1a" /> High-density housing is Asia often has constraints on building updates that promote cooling.<ref name=":1a" />

==== Space poverty ====
Another contributor to inequality is space poverty, which refers to a significantly reduced indoor residential space in a home.<ref name=":1a" /> Space poverty is a significant issue in Hong Kong, where low-income individuals live in extremely small, sub-divided units, which has led to overcrowding and indoor air pollution.<ref name=":1a" /> The units promote little movement, and all furniture, kitchen appliances, and bathroom necessities must fit into one sub-divided room.<ref name=":1a" /> These units are typically developed from derelict buildings that have poor ventilation and less access to proper space cooling.<ref name=":1a" /> High-density housing is Asia often has constraints on building updates that promote cooling, and residents often lack the space and authority to complete any improvements to their condition.<ref name=":1a" /> These residents typically seek out adequate [[Third place|third places]], such as libraries, parks, and cafés, to access proper cooling and space.<ref name=":1a" />

== Impacts ==
[[File:Dubai skyline 2015 (crop).jpg|thumb|Example of urbanization: [[Dubai]]]]

=== On weather and climate ===
Aside from the effect on temperature, UHIs can produce secondary effects on local meteorology, including the altering of local wind patterns, the development of [[cloud]]s and [[fog]], the [[humidity]], and the rates of precipitation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Urban Climate – Climate Study and UHI |url=http://asusmart.com/urbanclimate.php |archive-url=https://archive.today/20071123091726/http://asusmart.com/urbanclimate.php |archive-date=2007-11-23 |publisher=[[Arizona State University]] |year=2006 |author=Arizona Board of Regents |access-date=2007-08-02 }}</ref> The extra heat provided by the UHI leads to greater upward motion, which can induce additional shower and thunderstorm activity. In addition, the UHI creates during the day a local low pressure area where relatively moist air from its rural surroundings converges, possibly leading to more favorable conditions for cloud formation.<ref name="Hee">{{cite journal |last1=van Heerwaarden |first1=Chiel C. |last2=Vilà-Guerau de Arellano |first2=J. |name-list-style=amp |year=2008 |title=Relative humidity as an indicator for cloud formation over heterogeneous land surfaces |url=http://library.wur.nl/WebQuery/wurpubs/373271 |journal=Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences |volume=65 |issue=10 |pages=3263–3277 |bibcode=2008JAtS...65.3263V |doi=10.1175/2008JAS2591.1 |s2cid=56010396 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Rainfall rates downwind of cities are increased between 48% and 116%. Partly as a result of this warming, monthly rainfall is about 28% greater between {{convert|20|and|40|mi|km}} downwind of cities, compared with upwind.<ref>{{cite news| title=Spain goes hi-tech to beat drought | first=Dale | last=Fuchs | newspaper=[[The Guardian]] | date=2005-06-28 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/weather/Story/0,2763,1516375,00.html | access-date=2007-08-02}}</ref> Some cities show a total precipitation increase of 51%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20020613urbanrain.html|title=NASA Satellite Confirms Urban Heat Islands Increase Rainfall Around Cities|author=Goddard Space Flight Center|publisher=[[National Aeronautics and Space Administration]]|date=2002-06-18|access-date=2009-07-17 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080612173654/http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20020613urbanrain.html |archive-date = June 12, 2008|author-link= Goddard Space Flight Center}}</ref>

One study concluded that cities change the climate in area two–four times larger than their own area.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zhou |first1=Decheng |last2=Zhao |first2=Shuqing |last3=Zhang |first3=Liangxia |last4=Sun |first4=Ge |last5=Liu |first5=Yongqiang |title=The footprint of urban heat island effect in China |journal= Scientific Reports|volume=5 |article-number=11160 |date=10 June 2015 |bibcode=2015NatSR...511160Z |doi=10.1038/srep11160 |pmid=26060039 |pmc=4461918 }}</ref> One 1999 comparison between urban and rural areas proposed that urban heat island effects have little influence on [[Instrumental temperature record|global mean temperature trends]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Peterson |first1=T. C. |last2=Gallo |first2=K. P. |last3=Lawrimore |first3=J. |last4=Owen |first4=T. W. |last5=Huang |first5=A. |last6=McKittrick |first6=D. A. |year=1999 |title=Global rural temperature trends |url=https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natrespapers/187 |journal=Geophysical Research Letters |volume=26 |issue=3 |pages=329–332 |bibcode=1999GeoRL..26..329P |doi=10.1029/1998GL900322 |doi-access=free|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Others suggested that urban heat islands affect global climate by impacting the jet stream.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=J. Zhang |first1=Guang |last2=Cai |first2=Ming |last3=Hu |first3=Aixue |title=Energy consumption and the unexplained winter warming over northern Asia and North America |journal=Nature Climate Change |volume=3 |issue=5 |pages=466–470 |date=27 January 2013 |doi=10.1038/nclimate1803 |bibcode=2013NatCC...3..466Z }}</ref>

=== On human health ===
{{AI-generated|section=On human health|date=September 2025}}
{{See also|Heat illness|Effects of climate change on human health#Higher global temperatures and heat waves (direct risk)}}
[[File:Atlanta thermal.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Image of [[Atlanta|Atlanta, Georgia]], showing temperature distribution, with blue showing cool temperatures, red warm, and hot areas appear white]]
UHIs have the potential to directly influence the health and welfare of urban residents. As UHIs are characterized by increased temperature, they can potentially increase the magnitude and duration of heat waves within cities. The number of individuals exposed to extreme temperatures is increased by the UHI-induced warming.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Broadbent |first1=Ashley Mark |last2=Krayenhoff |first2=Eric Scott |last3=Georgescu |first3=Matei |title=The motley drivers of heat and cold exposure in 21st century US cities |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=13 August 2020 |volume=117 |issue=35 |pages=21108–21117 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2005492117 |pmid=32817528 |pmc=7474622 |bibcode=2020PNAS..11721108B |doi-access=free }}</ref> The nighttime effect of UHIs can be particularly harmful during a heat wave, as it deprives urban residents of the cool relief found in rural areas during the night.<ref name="Clarke">{{cite journal |author=Clarke |first=J. F. |year=1972 |title=Some effects of the urban structure on heat mortality |journal=Environmental Research |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=93–104 |bibcode=1972ER......5...93C |doi=10.1016/0013-9351(72)90023-0 |pmid=5032928}}</ref>

Increased temperatures have been reported to cause [[heat illness]]es, such as [[heat stroke]], [[heat exhaustion]], [[heat syncope]], and [[heat cramps]].<ref name="Review1">{{cite journal |last=Kovats |first=R. Sari |author2=Hajat, Shakoor |date=April 2008 |title=Heat Stress and Public Health: A Critical Review |journal=Annual Review of Public Health |volume=29 |issue=1 |pages=41–55 |doi=10.1146/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090843 |pmid=18031221 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Extreme heat is the deadliest form of weather in the U.S. Per a study by Professor Terri Adams-Fuller, heat waves kill more people in the U.S. than hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes combined.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adams-Fuller |first=Terri |date=2023-07-01 |title=Extreme Heat Is Deadlier Than Hurricanes, Floods and Tornadoes Combined |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/extreme-heat-is-deadlier-than-hurricanes-floods-and-tornadoes-combined/ |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=Scientific American |language=en}}</ref> These heat illnesses are more common within medium-to-large metro areas than the rest of the U.S., largely in part due to UHIs. Heat illnesses can also be compounded when combined with air pollution which is common in many urban areas.

Heat exposure can have adverse effects on mental health. Increases in temperature can contribute to increased aggression, as well as more cases of domestic violence and substance abuse.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-30 |title=The Impacts of Extreme Heat on Mental Health |url=https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/impacts-extreme-heat-mental-health |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=Psychiatric Times |language=en}}</ref> Greater heat can also negatively impact school performance and education. According to a study by Hyunkuk Cho of Yeungnam University, an increased number of days with extreme heat each year correlates to a decrease in student test scores.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cho |first1=Hyunkuk |title=The effects of summer heat on academic achievement: A cohort analysis |journal=Journal of Environmental Economics and Management |date=May 2017 |volume=83 |pages=185–196 |doi=10.1016/j.jeem.2017.03.005 |bibcode=2017JEEM...83..185C }}</ref>

High UHI intensity correlates with increased concentrations of air pollutants that gathered at night, which can affect the next day's [[Air pollution|air quality]].<ref name="DOE">{{cite web |title=Assessment of International Urban Heat Island Research |url=http://www.eereblogs.energy.gov/buildingenvelope/file.axd?file=2011%2F10%2Fuhi_report.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130217201143/http://www.eereblogs.energy.gov/buildingenvelope/file.axd?file=2011%2f10%2fuhi_report.pdf |archive-date=17 February 2013 |access-date=30 April 2014 |work=U.S. Department of Energy Report |publisher=Navigant Consulting}}</ref> These pollutants include [[volatile organic compounds]], [[carbon monoxide]], [[nitrogen oxides]], and [[Particulates|particulate matter]].<ref name="WHO">{{cite journal |last1=Koppe |first1=Christina |last2=Kovats |first2=Sari |last3=Jendritzky |first3=Gerd |last4=Menne |first4=Bettina |year=2004 |title=Heat-waves: risks and responses |url=http://www.euro.who.int/en/publications/abstracts/heat-waves-risks-and-responses |journal=Health and Global Environmental Change Series |volume=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322220743/https://www.euro.who.int/en/publications/abstracts/heat-waves-risks-and-responses |archive-date=2023-03-22 |access-date=2014-05-07}}</ref> The production of these pollutants combined with the higher temperatures in UHIs can quicken the production of [[ozone]].<ref name=DOE/> Ozone at surface level is considered to be a harmful pollutant.<ref name=DOE/> Studies suggest that increased temperatures in UHIs can increase polluted days but also note that other factors (e.g. [[Atmospheric pressure|air pressure]], [[cloud cover]], [[wind speed]]) can also have an effect on pollution.<ref name=DOE/>

Studies from [[Hong Kong]] have found that areas of the city with poorer outdoor urban air ventilation tended to have stronger urban heat island effects<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shi |first1=Yuan |last2=Katzschner |first2=Lutz |last3=Ng |first3=Edward |title=Modelling the fine-scale spatiotemporal pattern of urban heat island effect using land use regression approach in a megacity |journal=Science of the Total Environment |date=March 2018 |volume=618 |pages=891–904 |doi=10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.252 |pmid=29096959 |bibcode=2018ScTEn.618..891S }}</ref> and had significantly higher all-cause mortality<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=Pin |last2=Goggins |first2=William B. |last3=Shi |first3=Yuan |last4=Zhang |first4=Xuyi |last5=Ren |first5=Chao |last6=Ka-Lun Lau |first6=Kevin |title=Long-term association between urban air ventilation and mortality in Hong Kong |journal=Environmental Research |date=June 2021 |volume=197 |article-number=111000 |doi=10.1016/j.envres.2021.111000 |pmid=33745928 |bibcode=2021ER....19711000W |s2cid=232310626 }}</ref> compared to areas with better ventilation. Another study employing advanced statistical methods in Babol city, Iran, revealed a significant increase in Surface Urban Heat Island Intensity (SUHII) from 1985 to 2017, influenced by both geographic direction and time. This research, enhancing the understanding of SUHII's spatial and temporal variations, emphasizes the need for precise urban planning to mitigate the health impacts of urban heat islands.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Weng |first1=Qihao |last2=Firozjaei |first2=Mohammad Karimi |last3=Sedighi |first3=Amir |last4=Kiavarz |first4=Majid |last5=Alavipanah |first5=Seyed Kazem |title=Statistical analysis of surface urban heat island intensity variations: A case study of Babol city, Iran |journal=GIScience & Remote Sensing |date=19 May 2019 |volume=56 |issue=4 |pages=576–604 |doi=10.1080/15481603.2018.1548080 |bibcode=2019GISRS..56..576W |s2cid=134003294 }}</ref> Surface UHI's are more prominent during the day and are measured using the land surface temperature and remote sensing.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Yuan |first=F. |date=2007 |title=Comparison of impervious surface area and normalized difference vegetation index as indicators of surface urban heat island effects in Landsat imagery |journal=Remote Sensing of Environment |volume=106 |issue=3 |pages=375–386 |bibcode=2007RSEnv.106..375Y |doi=10.1016/j.rse.2006.09.003}}</ref>

Heat stress vulnerability refers to an individual's predisposition, typically due to demographic factors, to be negatively impacted by heat.<ref name=":1a" /> The measurement takes into account daily routines, location, sensitivity due to demographic factors, including age.<ref name=":1a" /> Some demographic groups known to have higher heat stress vulnerability include the elderly, women, children, low-income households, and those who are chronically ill.<ref name=":1a" /> Elderly populations are included because they are often unable to regular their body temperatures and typically have pre-existing medical conditions that make them more susceptible to heat.<ref name=":1a" /> Children are also sensitive to increased heat, which may cause stress on their developing bodies.<ref name=":1a" /> Intensified indoor heat causes stress on the mind and body and strains domestic relations.<ref name=":1a" />

=== On water bodies and aquatic organisms ===
UHIs also impair [[water quality]]. Hot pavement and rooftop surfaces transfer their excess heat to stormwater, which then drains into storm sewers and raises water temperatures as it is released into streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes. Additionally, increased urban water body temperatures lead to a [[Biodiversity loss|decrease in biodiversity]] in the water.<ref>NYS DEC. "Streams Tributary to Onondaga Lake Biological Assessment." Dec.ny.gov. N.p., 2008. Web. 12 September 2013.</ref> For example, in August 2001, rains over [[Cedar Rapids, Iowa]] led to a {{convert|10.5|C-change}} rise in the nearby stream within one hour, resulting in a [[fish kill]] which affected an estimated 188 fish.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fish Kill Event – McLoud Run |url=https://programs.iowadnr.gov/fishkill/events/478 |website=Iowa DNR Fish Kill Database}}</ref> Since the temperature of the rain was comparatively cool, the deaths could be attributed to the hot pavement of the city. Similar events have been documented across the American Midwest, as well as Oregon and California.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tipler |first1=Paul A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BMVR37-8Jh0C&pg=PA686 |title=Physics for Scientists and Engineers |last2=Mosca |first2=Gene |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers (United States)|Macmillan]] |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-4292-0124-7 |page=686 |name-list-style=amp}}</ref> Rapid temperature changes can be stressful to aquatic ecosystems.<ref>{{cite web | title=Urban Climate – Climate Study and UHI | url=http://www.epa.gov/hiri/about/index.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402045737/http://www.epa.gov/hiri/about/index.htm | archive-date=April 2, 2009 | publisher=[[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] | date=2009-02-09 | access-date=2009-06-18 }}</ref>

With the temperature of the nearby buildings sometimes reaching a difference of over {{convert|50|F-change}} from the near-surface air temperature, precipitation warms rapidly, and run-off into nearby streams, lakes and rivers (or other bodies of water) to provide excessive [[thermal pollution]]. The increase in thermal pollution has the potential to increase water temperature by {{convert|20|to|30|F-change}}. This increase causes the fish species inhabiting the body of water to undergo thermal stress and shock due to the rapid change in temperature of their habitat.<ref>{{cite web |title=Islands in the Sun |url=http://islands.environment.umn.edu/research/themes/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221028/http://islands.environment.umn.edu/research/themes/ |archive-date=2016-03-03 |access-date=2014-11-11 |website=Institute on the Environment |publisher=University of Minnesota}}</ref>

[[Permeable paving|Permeable pavements]] may reduce these effects by [[Percolation|percolating]] water through the pavement into subsurface storage areas where it can be dissipated through absorption and evaporation.<ref name="coolpave">{{cite web | title=Cool Pavement Report | url=http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/resources/pdf/CoolPavementReport_Former%20Guide_complete.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061002125836/http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/resources/pdf/CoolPavementReport_Former%20Guide_complete.pdf | archive-date=October 2, 2006 | date=June 2005 | publisher=[[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] | pages=21, 43| access-date=2013-01-15}}</ref>

=== On animals ===
Species that are good at colonizing can use conditions provided by urban heat islands to thrive in regions outside of their normal range. Examples of this include the [[grey-headed flying fox]] (''Pteropus poliocephalus'') and the [[common house gecko]] (''Hemidactylus frenatus'').<ref name="Paige S 2005"/> Grey-headed flying foxes, found in [[Melbourne, Australia]], colonized urban habitats following the increase in temperatures there. Increased temperatures, causing warmer winter conditions, made the city more similar in climate to the more northerly wildland habitat of the species.

With temperate climates, urban heat islands will extend the growing season, therefore altering breeding strategies of inhabiting species.<ref name="Paige S 2005">{{cite journal |last1=Shochat |first1=Eyal |last2=Warren |first2=Paige S. |last3=Faeth |first3=Stanley H. |last4=Mclntyre |first4=Nancy E. |last5=Hope |first5=Diane |date=April 2006 |title=From Patterns to Emerging Processes in Mechanistic Urban Ecology |journal=Trends in Ecology & Evolution |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=186–91 |doi=10.1016/j.tree.2005.11.019 |pmid=16701084}}</ref> This can be best observed in the effects that urban heat islands have on water temperature (see [[#on water bodies and aquatic organisms|effects on water bodies]]).

Urban heat islands caused by cities have altered the [[natural selection]] process.<ref name="Paige S 2005" /> Selective pressures like temporal variation in food, predation and water are relaxed causing a new set of selective forces to roll out. For example, within urban habitats, insects are more abundant than in rural areas. Insects are [[ectotherms]]. This means that they depend on the temperature of the environment to control their body temperature, making the warmer climates of the city perfect for their ability to thrive. A study done in [[Raleigh, North Carolina]] conducted on ''[[Parthenolecanium quercifex]]'' (oak scales), showed that this particular species preferred warmer climates and were therefore found in higher abundance in urban habitats than on [[oak]] trees in rural habitats. Over time spent living in urban habitats, they have adapted to thrive in warmer climates than in cooler ones.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tang |first1=Teri |date=2014-06-05 |title=Where are the Insects? |url=https://askabiologist.asu.edu/plosable/where-are-insects |access-date=19 October 2014 |website=School of Life Sciences |publisher=Arizona State University}}</ref>

=== On energy usage for cooling ===
[[File:NASA SLC Urban Heat Island Effect Roof.jpg|upright=1.55|thumb|Images of [[Salt Lake City]] show positive correlation between white reflective roofs and cooler temperatures. Image A depicts an aerial view of Salt Lake City, Utah, site of 865000 sqft white reflective roof. Image B is a thermal infrared image of same area, showing hot (red and yellow) and cool (green and blue) spots. The reflective vinyl roof, not absorbing solar radiation, is shown in blue surrounded by other hot spots.]]
Another consequence of urban heat islands is the increased energy required for [[air conditioning]] and [[refrigeration]] in cities that are in comparatively hot climates. The heat island effect costs [[Los Angeles]] about [[US$]] 100 million per year in energy (in the year 2000).<ref>{{cite web |author=Chang |first=Sheng-chieh |date=2000-06-23 |title=Energy Use |url=http://eetd.lbl.gov/HeatIsland/EnergyUse/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311050754/http://eetd.lbl.gov/heatisland/EnergyUse/ |archive-date=March 11, 2009 |access-date=2009-06-18 |publisher=Environmental Energies Technology Division}}</ref> Through the implementation of heat island reduction strategies, significant annual net energy savings have been calculated for northern locations such as Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Toronto.<ref>{{cite web |date=2005-08-23 |title=Aging and Weathering of Cool Roofing Membranes |url=http://vinylroofs.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/aging_weathering.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111115021825/http://vinylroofs.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/aging_weathering.pdf |archive-date=2011-11-15 |access-date=2010-08-16 |publisher=Cool Roofing Symposium}}</ref>

Every year in the U.S. 15% of energy goes towards the [[air conditioning]] of buildings in these urban heat islands. It was reported in 1998 that "the air conditioning demand has risen 10% within the last 40 years."<ref name="Rosenfeld98">{{cite journal |last1=Rosenfeld |first1=Arthur H. |last2=Akbari |first2=Hashem |last3=Romm |first3=Joseph J. |last4=Pomerantz |first4=Melvin |date=1998 |title=Cool communities: strategies for heat island mitigation and smog reduction |url=https://coolcolors.lbl.gov/assets/docs/Papers/EnergyandBuilding-98%20(RosenfeldAkbari-CoolCommunities).pdf |journal=Energy and Buildings |volume=28 |issue=1 |pages=51–62 |doi=10.1016/S0378-7788(97)00063-7|bibcode=1998EneBu..28...51R }}</ref>

Increases in air conditioning use also serve to worsen the effects of UHIs at night. While cooler nights are often a reprieve from heat waves during the day, the residual heat created by the use of air conditioning systems can lead to higher nighttime temperatures. According to a study by Professor Francisco Salamanca Palou and colleagues, this residual heat can cause nighttime increases of up to 1&nbsp;°C in urban areas.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Salamanca |first1=F. |last2=Georgescu |first2=M. |last3=Mahalov |first3=A. |last4=Moustaoui |first4=M. |last5=Wang |first5=M. |title=Anthropogenic heating of the urban environment due to air conditioning |journal=Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres |date=27 May 2014 |volume=119 |issue=10 |pages=5949–5965 |doi=10.1002/2013JD021225 |bibcode=2014JGRD..119.5949S }}</ref> Increased energy use from air conditioners also contributes to carbon emissions, which doubly exacerbates the effects of UHIs.

== Options for reducing heat island effects ==
[[File:Ogród botaniczny UMCS.png|thumb|left|Botanical Garden in [[Lublin]], Poland]]

Strategies to improve [[urban resilience]] by reducing excessive heat in cities include: Planting trees in cities, [[Reflective surfaces (climate engineering)|cool roofs (painted white or with reflective coating)]] and light-coloured concrete, [[green infrastructure]] (including [[green roof]]s), [[passive daytime radiative cooling]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jia |first=Siqi |last2=Weng |first2=Qihao |last3=Yoo |first3=Cheolhee |last4=Xiao |first4=Huijuan |last5=Zhong |first5=Qingwei |date=2024-04-03 |title=Building energy savings by green roofs and cool roofs in current and future climates |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-024-00159-8 |journal=npj Urban Sustainability |language=en |volume=4 |issue=1 |page=23 |doi=10.1038/s42949-024-00159-8 |issn=2661-8001|hdl=10397/107505 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web | title=Making roofs white or reflective is the best way to keep a city cool |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2438111-making-roofs-white-or-reflective-is-the-best-way-to-keep-a-city-cool/ |access-date=2024-07-11 |website=New Scientist |language=en-US}}</ref>

The temperature difference between urban areas and the surrounding suburban or rural areas can be as much as {{convert|5|C-change|abbr=on}}. Nearly 40 percent of that increase is due to the prevalence of dark roofs, with the remainder coming from dark-coloured pavement and the declining presence of vegetation. The heat island effect can be counteracted slightly by using white or reflective materials to build houses, roofs, pavements, and roads, thus increasing the overall albedo of the city.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Albers |first1=R. A. W. |last2=Bosch |first2=P. R. |last3=Blocken |first3=B. |last4=van den Dobbelsteen |first4=A. A. J. F. |last5=van Hove |first5=L. W. A. |last6=Spit |first6=T. J. M. |last7=van de Ven |first7=F. |last8=van Hooff |first8=T. |last9=Rovers |first9=V. |date=January 2015 |title=Overview of challenges and achievements in the climate adaptation of cities and in the Climate Proof Cities program |url=https://pure.tue.nl/ws/files/3986648/901695708161161.pdf |journal=Building and Environment |volume=83 |pages=1–10 |bibcode=2015BuEnv..83....1A |doi=10.1016/j.buildenv.2014.09.006 |hdl=1874/309149}}</ref>

Concentric expansion of cities is unfavourable in terms of the urban heat island phenomenon. It is recommended to plan the development of cities in strips, consistent with the hydrographic network, taking into account green areas with various plant species.<ref>Michał Kaszewski: "Miejska wyspa ciepła – sposoby jej ograniczania": [https://up.lublin.pl/blog/12845/ Wykład popularno-naukowy: "Miejska wyspa ciepła – sposoby jej ograniczania"]{{unreliable source?|date=May 2024}}</ref> In this way, it was planned to build urban settlements stretching over large areas, e.g. [[Kielce]], [[Szczecin]] and [[Gdynia]] in Poland, [[Copenhagen]] in Denmark and [[Hamburg]], [[Berlin]] and [[Kiel]] in Germany.

=== Planting trees in cities ===
{{Main|Urban forest|Urban forestry}}

Planting trees around the city can be another way of increasing albedo and decreasing the urban heat island effect. It is recommended to plant [[deciduous]] trees because they can provide many benefits such as more shade in the summer and not blocking warmth in winter.<ref name="Rosenfield97">{{cite journal |last1=Rosenfeld |first1=Arthur H. |last2=Romm |first2=Joseph J. |last3=Akbari |first3=Hashem |last4=Lloyd |first4=Alan C. |title=Painting the town white—and green |journal=Technology Review |date=February 1997 |volume=100 |issue=2 |pages=52–59 }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Trees are a necessary feature in combating most of the urban heat island effect because they reduce air temperatures by {{convert|10|F-change|C-change}},<ref>{{cite web |title=Top 22 Benefits of Trees |url=http://www.treepeople.org/top-22-benefits-trees |access-date=7 July 2014 |website=Tree People}}</ref> and surface temperatures by up to {{convert|20|-|45|F-change|C-change}}.<ref>{{cite web |date=2014-02-28 |title=Trees and Vegetation |url=http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/mitigation/trees.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211070517/http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/mitigation/trees.htm |archive-date=December 11, 2008 |access-date=7 July 2014 |website=EPA.gov}}</ref> Another benefit of having trees in a city is that trees also help fight global warming by absorbing {{CO2}} from the atmosphere.

Recent syntheses show that increasing street-tree canopy measurably cools pedestrian-level air temperatures, with effects varying by climate, canopy density, and urban form. A 2024 meta-analysis across 110 cities reports typical ~1–2 °C daytime cooling, and a 2024 field study found that locations with no canopy within 10 m were up to five times more likely to exceed 32.2 °C, with air temperature declining linearly as canopy increased.<ref name="Li2024" /><ref name="Ettinger2024" />

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) are integrated networks of green spaces in cities and are developed in both private and public areas of the city.<ref name=":0" /> Examples of UGI include urban parks with trees and shrub cover, rows of trees along a street, private gardens, rooftop gardens, and other green space throughout a city.<ref name=":1a" /> Properly utilized UGI promotes more equitable heat distribution, where improper usage only perpetuates heat inequity.<ref name=":0" /> UGI provides shading and [[evapotranspiration]], which reduces both air and land temperatures.<ref name=":0" /> Therefore, a lack of UGI in marginalized communities reduces the land's temperature regulating capabilities promotes heat inequity.<ref name=":0" /> UGI is widely recognized as an efficient, sustainable, and non-controversial solution to heat inequity.<ref name=":0" />

=== Cool roofs and light-coloured concrete ===
{{Main|Reflective surfaces (climate engineering)}}

[[File:20080708 Chicago City Hall Green Roof.JPG|thumb|Green roof of [[Chicago City Hall]]]]
Painting rooftops white has become a common strategy to reduce the heat island effect.<ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite journal |last1=Zinzi |first1=M. |last2=Agnoli |first2=S. |date=2012 |title=Cool and green roofs. An energy and comfort comparison between passive cooling and mitigation urban heat island techniques for residential buildings in the Mediterranean region |journal=Energy and Buildings |volume=55 |pages=66–76 |doi=10.1016/j.enbuild.2011.09.024 |bibcode=2012EneBu..55...66Z }}</ref> In cities, there are many dark coloured surfaces that absorb the heat of the sun in turn lowering the albedo of the city.<ref name="autogenerated3" /> White rooftops allow high solar reflectance and high solar emittance, increasing the albedo of the city or area the effect is occurring.<ref name="autogenerated3" /> Green roofs and cool roofs can play a big role in helping cities manage extreme heat. In warmer regions, cool roofs were especially effective, with some cutting cooling energy use completely for certain low-rise buildings. Green roofs may be more beneficial in colder climates because they provide insulation and help reduce the need for heating during winter.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Zhou |first=Y. |title=Building energy savings by green roofs and cool roofs in current and future climates |journal=npj Urban Sustainability |year=2023 |volume=4 |article-number=23 |doi=10.1038/s42949-024-00159-8|hdl=10397/107505 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>



Additionally, covering rooftops with a reflective coating, has shown to be an effective measure to reduce solar heat gain. A study led by Oscar Brousse from University College London, which simulated the impact of various cooling measures in London found that rooftops, which were either painted white or had reflective coating, proved to be the most effective solution for reducing outdoor temperatures at the pedestrian level, outperforming solar panels, green roofs, and tree cover. The study simulated the impact of various cooling measures in London during a 2018 heatwave, finding that the so-called cool roofs could reduce average outdoor temperatures by 1.2&nbsp;°C, and up to 2&nbsp;°C in certain areas. In comparison, additional tree cover reduced temperatures by 0.3&nbsp;°C and solar panels by 0.5&nbsp;°C.<ref name="auto"/>

Relative to remedying the other sources of the problem, replacing dark roofing requires the least amount of investment for the most immediate return. A [[cool roof]] made from a reflective material such as vinyl reflects at least 75 percent of the sun's rays, and emit at least 70 percent of the solar radiation absorbed by the building envelope. Asphalt built-up roofs (BUR), by comparison, reflect 6 percent to 26 percent of solar radiation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Comprehensive Cool Roof Guide from the Vinyl Roofing Division of the Chemical Fabrics and Film Association |url=http://vinylroofs.org/resources/coof-roofing-codes-programs-standards/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921054154/http://vinylroofs.org/resources/coof-roofing-codes-programs-standards/index.html |archive-date=2013-09-21 }}</ref>

Using light-coloured concrete has proven effective in reflecting up to 50% more light than asphalt and reducing ambient temperature.<ref name="coolpave 2">{{cite web | title=Cool Pavement Report | url=http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/resources/pdf/CoolPavementReport_Former%20Guide_complete.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061002125836/http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/resources/pdf/CoolPavementReport_Former%20Guide_complete.pdf | archive-date=October 2, 2006 | date=June 2005 | publisher=[[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] | page=14| access-date=2009-02-06}}</ref> A low albedo value, characteristic of black asphalt, absorbs a large percentage of solar heat creating warmer near-surface temperatures. Paving with light-coloured concrete, in addition to replacing asphalt with light-coloured concrete, communities may be able to lower average temperatures.<ref name="worldchange">{{cite book |author=Gore |first1=Al |title=World Changing: A User's Guide for the 21st Century |last2=Steffen |first2=A. |publisher=Abrams |year=2008 |location=New York |page=258}}</ref> However, research into the interaction between reflective pavements and buildings has found that, unless the nearby buildings are fitted with reflective glass, solar radiation reflected off light-coloured pavements can increase building temperatures, increasing air conditioning demands.<ref name=Yaghoobian>{{Cite journal | last1 = Yaghoobian | first1 = N. | last2 = Kleissl | first2 = J. | doi = 10.1016/j.uclim.2012.09.002 | title = Effect of reflective pavements on building energy use | journal = Urban Climate | volume = 2 | pages = 25–42 | year = 2012 | bibcode = 2012UrbCl...2...25Y | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{Citation
 |title        = Unintended Consequences: A Research Synthesis Examining the Use of Reflective Pavements to Mitigate the Urban Heat Island Effect
 |url          = http://ncesmart.asu.edu/docs/smart/unintended-consequences-1013.pdf
 |date         = October 2013
 |last1        = Yang
 |first1       = Jiachuan
 |last2        = Wang
 |first2       = Zhihua
 |last3        = Kaloush
 |first3       = Kamil E.
 |publisher    = NCE SMART Innovations
 |location     = Tempe, Arizona
 |access-date  = 2013-11-25
 |archive-date = 2013-12-02
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20131202223924/http://ncesmart.asu.edu/docs/smart/unintended-consequences-1013.pdf
 }}</ref>

There are specific paint formulations for daytime radiative cooling that reflect up to 98.1% of sunlight.<ref>{{cite news |date=April 15, 2021 |title=Whitest-ever paint could help cool heating Earth, study shows |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/15/whitest-ever-paint-could-help-cool-heating-earth-study-shows |access-date=April 16, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Li |first1=Xiangyu |last2=Peoples |first2=Joseph |last3=Yao |first3=Peiyan |last4=Ruan |first4=Xiulin |title=Ultrawhite BaSO 4 Paints and Films for Remarkable Daytime Subambient Radiative Cooling |journal=ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces |date=12 May 2021 |volume=13 |issue=18 |pages=21733–21739 |doi=10.1021/acsami.1c02368 |pmid=33856776 |s2cid=233259255 |url=https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/coolingpubs/376 }}</ref>

=== Green infrastructure ===
{{Main|Green infrastructure|Green roof}}

[[File:Budapest, CAF Urbos 3, 4.jpg|thumb|alt=Grassed tramway track in Budapest, Hungary|[[Green track|Grassed tramway track]] in Budapest, Hungary]]
[[Green roofs]] are excellent insulators during the warm weather months and the plants cool the surrounding environment. Plants can improve air quality as they absorb carbon dioxide and concomitantly produce oxygen.<ref>{{cite web |title=Green (Planted) Roofs |url=http://vinylroofs.org/resources/green-planted-roofs/index.html |access-date=2010-08-07 |archive-date=2011-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728163054/http://www.vinylroofs.org/resources/green-planted-roofs/index.html }}</ref> Green roofs can also have positive impacts on stormwater management and energy consumption.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Hongqing |last2=Kong |first2=Fanhua |last3=Yin |first3=Haiwei |last4=Middel |first4=Ariane |last5=Zheng |first5=Xiandi |last6=Huang |first6=Jing |last7=Xu |first7=Hairong |last8=Wang |first8=Ding |last9=Wen |first9=Zhihao |date=2021 |title=Impacts of green roofs on water, temperature, and air quality: A bibliometric review |journal=Building and Environment |volume=196 |article-number=107794 |doi=10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.107794 |bibcode=2021BuEnv.19607794L |issn=0360-1323}}</ref> Cost can be a barrier to implementing a green roof.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Four Barriers to Implementing Green Roofs – And How to Overcome Them {{!}} Nicole Holmes |url=https://livingarchitecturemonitor.com/articles/four-barriers-to-implementing-green-roofs-and-how-to-overcome-them-fa23 |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=Living Architecture Monitor |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite journal |last1=Teotónio |first1=Inês |last2=Silva |first2=Cristina Matos |last3=Cruz |first3=Carlos Oliveira |date=2021 |title=Economics of green roofs and green walls: A literature review |journal=Sustainable Cities and Society |volume=69 |article-number=102781 |doi=10.1016/j.scs.2021.102781 |bibcode=2021SusCS..6902781T |issn=2210-6707}}</ref> Several factors influence the cost of a green roof, including design and soil depth, location, and the price of labor and equipment in that market, which is typically lower in more developed markets where there is more experience designing and installing green roofs.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Feng |first1=Haibo |title=Nature based strategies for urban and building sustainability |last2=Hewage |first2=Kasun N. |publisher=Butterworth-Heinemann |year=2018 |pages=307–318 |chapter=Economic benefits and costs of green roofs |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-812150-4.00028-8|isbn=978-0-12-812150-4 }}</ref> The individualized context of each green roof presents a challenge for making broad comparisons and assessments, and focusing only on monetary costs may leave out the social, environmental, and public health benefits green roofs provide.<ref name=":12" /> Global comparisons of green roof performance are further challenged by the lack of a shared framework for making such comparisons.<ref name=":12" />

Stormwater management is another option to help mitigate the effect of the urban heat island. Stormwater management is the controlling the water produced by the storm in a way that protects property and infrastructure.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.gosnells.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/seamless/3_stormwater_management.pdf | title=Stormwater Management Objectives | website=www.gosnells.wa.gov.au}}</ref> Urban infrastructure like streets, sidewalks, and parking lots do not allow for water to penetrate into the earth's surface causing water to flood. By using stormwater management, you can control the flow of the water in ways that can mitigate UHI effect. One way is using a stormwater management technique called pervious pavement system (PPS). This technique has been used in over 30 countries and found to be successful in stormwater management and UHI mitigation. The PPS allows water to flow through the pavement allowing for the water to be absorbed causing the area to be cooled by evaporation.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=Junsong |last2=Meng |first2=Qinglin |last3=Zou |first3=Ya |last4=Qi |first4=Qianlong |last5=Tan |first5=Kanghao |last6=Santamouris |first6=Mat |last7=He |first7=Bao-Jie |title=Performance synergism of pervious pavement on stormwater management and urban heat island mitigation: A review of its benefits, key parameters, and co-benefits approach |journal=Water Research |date=August 2022 |volume=221 |article-number=118755 |doi=10.1016/j.watres.2022.118755 |pmid=35728492 |bibcode=2022WatRe.22118755W }}</ref>

[[Green parking lot]]s use vegetation and surfaces other than asphalt to limit the urban heat island effect.

{{excerpt|green infrastructure|paragraphs=1}}

=== Passive daytime radiative cooling ===
{{Main|Passive daytime radiative cooling}}

A passive daytime radiative cooling roof application can double the energy savings of a white roof, attributed to high solar reflectance and thermal emittance in the [[infrared window]],<ref name=":352">{{cite journal |last1=Heo |first1=Se-Yeon |last2=Lee |first2=Gil Ju |last3=Song |first3=Young Min |title=Heat-shedding with photonic structures: radiative cooling and its potential |journal=Journal of Materials Chemistry C |date=2022 |volume=10 |issue=27 |pages=9915–9937 |doi=10.1039/D2TC00318J |s2cid=249695930 }}</ref> with the highest cooling potential in hot and dry cities such as [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] and [[Las Vegas]].<ref name=":36">{{Cite journal |last1=Zhou |first1=Kai |last2=Miljkovic |first2=Nenad |last3=Cai |first3=Lili |date=March 2021 |title=Performance analysis on system-level integration and operation of daytime radiative cooling technology for air-conditioning in buildings |journal=Energy and Buildings |volume=235 |article-number=110749 |doi=10.1016/j.enbuild.2021.110749 |bibcode=2021EneBu.23510749Z |s2cid=234180182 }}</ref> When installed on roofs in dense urban areas, passive daytime radiative cooling panels can significantly lower outdoor surface temperatures at the pedestrian level.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Younes |first1=Jaafar |last2=Ghali |first2=Kamel |last3=Ghaddar |first3=Nesreen |date=August 2022 |title=Diurnal Selective Radiative Cooling Impact in Mitigating Urban Heat Island Effect |journal=Sustainable Cities and Society |volume=83 |article-number=103932 |doi=10.1016/j.scs.2022.103932 |bibcode=2022SusCS..8303932Y |s2cid=248588547 }}</ref><ref name=":13">{{cite journal |last1=Khan |first1=Ansar |last2=Carlosena |first2=Laura |last3=Feng |first3=Jie |last4=Khorat |first4=Samiran |last5=Khatun |first5=Rupali |last6=Doan |first6=Quang-Van |last7=Santamouris |first7=Mattheos |title=Optically Modulated Passive Broadband Daytime Radiative Cooling Materials Can Cool Cities in Summer and Heat Cities in Winter |journal=Sustainability |date=19 January 2022 |volume=14 |issue=3 |page=1110 |doi=10.3390/su14031110 |bibcode=2022Sust...14.1110K |doi-access=free |hdl=2454/46738 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

== Society and culture ==

=== History of research ===
The phenomenon was first investigated and described by [[Luke Howard (meteorologist)|Luke Howard]] in the 1810s, although he was not the one to name the phenomenon.<ref>{{cite book |last=Howard |first=Luke |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dsoO-3LF0GoC&pg=PP1 |title=The Climate of London Deduced from Meteorological Observations |date=2012 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-108-04951-1 |volume=1 |author-link=Luke Howard (meteorologist) |orig-date=1818}}</ref> A description of the very first report of the UHI by Luke Howard said that the urban center of London was warmer at night than the surrounding countryside by {{convert|3.7|F-change|C-change|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite web |author=Heidorn |first=Keith C. |year=2009 |title=Luke Howard: The Man Who Named The Clouds |url=http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/history/howard.htm |access-date=2009-06-18 |publisher=Islandnet.com}}</ref>

Investigations of the urban atmosphere continued throughout the nineteenth century. Between the 1920s and the 1940s, researchers in the emerging field of local climatology or [[microscale meteorology]] in Europe, Mexico, India, Japan, and the United States pursued new methods to understand the phenomenon.

In 1929, Albert Peppler used the term in a German publication believed to be the first instance of an equivalent to urban heat island: {{lang|de|städtische Wärmeinsel}} (which is ''urban heat island'' in German).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Stewart |first1=Iain D. |title=Why should urban heat island researchers study history? |journal=Urban Climate |date=December 2019 |volume=30 |article-number=100484 |doi=10.1016/j.uclim.2019.100484 |bibcode=2019UrbCl..3000484S |s2cid=203337407 }}</ref> Between 1990 and 2000, about 30 studies were published annually; by 2010, that number had increased to 100, and by 2015, it was more than 300.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Masson |first1=Valéry |last2=Lemonsu |first2=Aude |last3=Hidalgo |first3=Julia |last4=Voogt |first4=James |date=2020-10-17 |title=Urban Climates and Climate Change |journal=Annual Review of Environment and Resources |volume=45 |issue=1 |pages=411–444 |doi=10.1146/annurev-environ-012320-083623 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Leonard O. Myrup published the first comprehensive numerical treatment to predict the effects of the urban heat island (UHI) in 1969.<ref name=":3" /> His paper surveys UHI and criticizes then-existing theories as being excessively qualitative.

=== Aspects of social inequality ===
'''Urban heat inequity''', also termed thermal inequity, is an unequal distribution of heat in urban areas or neighborhoods within them, which causes disproportionate impacts to people living in those communities. Unequal threat of heat stress in urban environments is often correlated with differences in demographics, including racial and ethnic background, income, education level, and age.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Chen |first=Peng |date=January 2024 |title=Inequality in heat: The role of spatial patterns of urban green infrastructure |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2212095524000166 |journal=Urban Climate |language=en |volume=53 |article-number=101820 |doi=10.1016/j.uclim.2024.101820|bibcode=2024UrbCl..5301820C |url-access=subscription }}</ref> While the general impacts of urban heat inequity depend on the city studied, negative effects typically act on historically marginalized communities.<ref name=":0" /> The idea is closely tied to the [[Heat island effect|urban heat island effect]], where a major cause to urban heat inequity is increased urbanization.<ref name=":2a" />

Some studies suggest that the effects of UHIs on health may be disproportionate, since the impacts may be unevenly distributed based on a variety of factors such as age,<ref name="WHO" /><ref name="Diaz article">{{cite journal |last=Díaz |first=J. |author2=Jordán, A. |author3=García, R. |author4=López, C. |author5=Alberdi, J. |author6=Hernández, E. |author7=Otero, A. |date=1 February 2014 |title=Heat waves in Madrid 1986–1997: effects on the health of the elderly |journal=International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health |volume=75 |issue=3 |pages=163–170 |doi=10.1007/s00420-001-0290-4 |pmid=11954983 |s2cid=31284700}}</ref> ethnicity and socioeconomic status.<ref name="Harlan article">{{cite journal |last=Harlan |first=Sharon L. |author2=Brazel, Anthony J. |author3=Prashad, Lela |author4=Stefanov, William L. |author5=Larsen, Larissa |date=December 2006 |title=Neighborhood microclimates and vulnerability to heat stress |journal=Social Science & Medicine |volume=63 |issue=11 |pages=2847–2863 |doi=10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.07.030 |pmid=16996668 |hdl=2286/R.I.55228|hdl-access=free }}</ref> This raises the possibility of health impacts from UHIs being an [[environmental justice]] issue. Studies have shown that [[communities of color]] in the United States have been disproportionately affected by UHI.<ref>{{Cite web |last=US Environmental Protection Agency |first=OAR |date=2019-11-06 |title=Heat Islands and Equity |url=https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/heat-islands-and-equity |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812155725/https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/heat-islands-and-equity |archive-date=August 12, 2020 |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=[[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wilson |first1=Bev |title=Urban Heat Management and the Legacy of Redlining |journal=Journal of the American Planning Association |date=October 2020 |volume=86 |issue=4 |pages=443–457 |doi=10.1080/01944363.2020.1759127 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Adams |first1=Kaitlyn |last2=Knuth |first2=Colette Steward |title=The effect of urban heat islands on pediatric asthma exacerbation: How race plays a role |journal=Urban Climate |date=January 2024 |volume=53 |article-number=101833 |doi=10.1016/j.uclim.2024.101833 |bibcode=2024UrbCl..5301833A }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Teron |first=Lemir |title=Inequality, Urban Heat Islands, and Crime |url=https://rockinst.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/inequality-urban-heat-crime.pdf |publisher=Rockefeller Institute of Government |date=October 2023 |access-date=2025-07-07}}</ref>

There is a correlation between neighborhood income and tree canopy cover.<ref name="Demand">{{cite journal |last1=Zhu |first1=Pengyu |last2=Zhang |first2=Yaoqi |title=Demand for urban forests in United States cities |journal=Landscape and Urban Planning |date=March 2008 |volume=84 |issue=3–4 |pages=293–300 |doi=10.1016/j.landurbplan.2007.09.005 |bibcode=2008LUrbP..84..293Z }}</ref> Low-income neighborhoods tend to have significantly fewer trees than neighborhoods with higher incomes.<ref name="Income Inequality">{{cite journal |last=De Chant |first=Tim |title=Urban Trees Reveal Income Inequality |journal=Landscape and Urban Planning |date=2008 |volume=84 |issue=3 |url=http://persquaremile.com/2012/05/17/urban-trees-reveal-income-inequality/ |publisher=Per Square Mile |doi=10.1016/j.landurbplan.2007.09.005 |bibcode=2008LUrbP..84..293Z |access-date=7 May 2014|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Researchers hypothesized that less-well-off neighborhoods do not have the financial resources to plant and maintain trees. [[Affluent]] neighborhoods can afford more trees, on "both public and private property".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chant |first1=Tim |title=Urban Trees reveal income inequality |url=http://persquaremile.com/2012/05/17/urban-trees-reveal-income-inequality/ |doi=10.1016/j.landurbplan.2007.09.005 |access-date=7 July 2014 |journal=Landscape and Urban Planning|date=2008 |volume=84 |issue=3 |bibcode=2008LUrbP..84..293Z |url-access=subscription }}</ref> One reason for this discrepancy is that wealthier homeowners and communities can afford more land, which can be kept open as [[green belt|green space]], whereas poorer housing often takes the form of [[Renting|rentals]], where landowners try to maximize their [[profit (economics)|profit]] by putting as much housing [[population density|density]] as possible on their land.<ref>{{Cite web |last=DeSilver |first=Drew |date=2021-08-02 |title=As national eviction ban expires, a look at who rents and who owns in the U.S. |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/08/02/as-national-eviction-ban-expires-a-look-at-who-rents-and-who-owns-in-the-u-s/ |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US}}</ref>

On a global scale, there are discrepancies in the effects of UHIs in different regions of the world. While overall heat exposure is increasing worldwide, its effects have increased faster in the Global South in recent decades, per a study by Professor Kanging Huang and colleagues.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Huang |first1=Kangning |last2=Li |first2=Xia |last3=Liu |first3=Xiaoping |last4=Seto |first4=Karen C |date=November 2019 |title=Projecting global urban land expansion and heat island intensification through 2050 |journal=Environmental Research Letters |volume=14 |issue=11 |page=114037 |bibcode=2019ERL....14k4037H |doi=10.1088/1748-9326/ab4b71 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

The disproportionate impact of UHIs on the Global South exacerbates already occurring environmental injustices. Because many countries in the equator are naturally hot and humid, these areas are particularly susceptible to the effects of UHIs. One World Bank study has found a 7.0° disparity between the hottest and coolest neighborhoods in Bandung, Indonesia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Unlivable: What the Urban Heat Island Effect Means for East Asia's Cities |url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/eap/publication/unlivable-what-the-urban-heat-island-effect-means-for-east-asia-s-cities |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=World Bank |language=en}}</ref>

===The US experience===
There is a correlation in the U.S. between ethnicity and exposure to UHIs. Within most U.S. cities, people of color are more likely to live in areas of high Surface Urban Heat Island Intensity than white people in the same cities. According to a study by climatologist Angel Hsu and colleagues, "the average person of color lives in a [[census tract]] with higher SUHI intensity than non-Hispanic whites in all but 6 of the 175 largest urbanized areas" in the U.S.<ref name=":6a">{{cite journal |last1=Hsu |first1=Angel |last2=Sheriff |first2=Glenn |last3=Chakraborty |first3=Tirthankar |last4=Manya |first4=Diego |date=25 May 2021 |title=Disproportionate exposure to urban heat island intensity across major US cities |journal=Nature Communications |volume=12 |issue=1 |page=2721 |bibcode=2021NatCo..12.2721H |doi=10.1038/s41467-021-22799-5 |pmc=8149665 |pmid=34035248}}</ref> A 2023 policy brief further found that historically redlined and low‑income Black neighborhoods—already burdened by urban heat—also experience clusters of violent crime, amplifying intersecting vulnerabilities in these communities.<ref>{{cite web |last=Teron |first=Lemir |title=Inequality, Urban Heat Islands, and Crime |url=https://rockinst.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/inequality-urban-heat-crime.pdf |publisher=Rockefeller Institute of Government |date=October 2023 |access-date=2025-07-07}}</ref>

Economic status also plays a role in the human effects on UHIs. Not only are people of lower economic classes more likely to live in UHIs, but they are also less likely to be able to afford commodities such as air conditioning. Like the correlation between SUHI intensity and ethnicity, a similar pattern can be seen when comparing households under the poverty line against those with an income more than double the poverty line.<ref name=":6a" />

UHIs can have particularly strong effects on African Americans with chronic diseases. African Americans have higher rates of various chronic diseases, such as asthma and diabetes, than the general population. Per Professor Pamela Jackson and colleagues, these diseases can be exacerbated by extreme heat, leading to health problems such as hypertension or stroke.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Jackson |first1=Pamela |last2=Larkin |first2=Danielle |last3=Kinnie |first3=Kiari R. |last4=Aroke |first4=Edwin N. |date=July 2022 |title=Heat Islands and Chronic Disease: Could African Americans Be More Vulnerable to Heat-Related Health Impacts? |journal=Journal of National Black Nurses' Association |volume=33 |issue=1 |pages=33–39 |pmc=10387230 |pmid=37520179}}</ref>

Researchers have also noted that the spread of [[Impervious surface|impervious surfaces]], such as concrete, tar, and asphalt, is correlated with neighborhoods of low socioeconomic status across various U.S. cities and states.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Jesdale |first1=Bill M. |last2=Morello |first2=-Frosch Rachel |last3=Cushing |first3=Lara |date=2013-07-01 |title=The Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Heat Risk–Related Land Cover in Relation to Residential Segregation |journal=Environmental Health Perspectives |volume=121 |issue=7 |pages=811–817 |doi=10.1289/ehp.1205919 |pmc=3701995 |pmid=23694846 |bibcode=2013EnvHP.121..811J }}</ref> The presence of these materials serves as a predictor of "intra-urban variation in temperature".

=== Redlining, Urban Heat Exposure, and Health Inequity in U.S. cities ===
Redlining worked as a housing policy created and put to use in the 1930s, under the Roosevelt Administration, by the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC). This policy, when implemented, categorized neighborhoods by perceived investment risk. Notably, areas with higher populations of minorities and low-income residents were discriminated against using this policy, often labeled as hazardous and outlined in red on HOLC maps. This significantly restricted not only access to housing loans but also led to long-term divestment from these communities.

A study analyzing 108 U.S. cities found that formerly redlined neighborhoods are, on average, 2.6 °C (4.7 °F) hotter than non-redlined areas, and as the authors noted, this was largely due to a lack of tree canopy and the increased presence of heat-absorbent surfaces like asphalt and other dark clustered infrastructure.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hoffman |first1=Jeremy S. |last2=Shandas |first2=Vivek |last3=Pendleton |first3=Nicholas |date=2020-01-13 |title=The Effects of Historical Housing Policies on Resident Exposure to Intra-Urban Heat: A Study of 108 US Urban Areas |journal=Climate |language=en |volume=8 |issue=1 |page=12 |doi=10.3390/cli8010012 |bibcode=2020Clim....8...12H |doi-access=free |issn=2225-1154}}</ref> In cities like Durham, Fresno, and Pittsburgh, "D" graded areas have substantially lower tree coverage compared to wealthier, "A" graded neighborhoods, which are also predominantly white.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cooper |first1=Gregory |last2=Liberti |first2=Anne |last3=Asch |first3=Michael |date=2016-04-28 |title=Replanting Durham's Urban Forest |hdl=10161/11899 |url=https://hdl.handle.net/10161/11899 |language=en-US}}</ref> Similarly, Phoenix, Arizona, a rapidly warming city, also shows high surface temperatures in formerly redlined communities reaching up to 10-15 °F (5.6–8.3 °C) higher than other neighborhoods.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Napieralski |first1=Jacob |last2=Sulich |first2=Catherine |last3=Taylor |first3=Audrey |last4=Draus |first4=Paul |date=October 2022 |title=Mapping the link between outdoor water footprint and social vulnerability in Metro Phoenix, AZ (USA) |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0169204622001475 |journal=Landscape and Urban Planning |language=en |volume=226 |article-number=104498 |doi=10.1016/j.landurbplan.2022.104498 |bibcode=2022LUrbP.22604498N |doi-access=free }}</ref>

In addition to higher temperatures, these neighborhoods also experience higher levels of air pollution due to their proximity to highways and industrial zones, a characterization of previously redlined areas. Cities like Los Angeles experienced freeway construction in the 1950s that routed interstates through redlined areas, including neighborhoods like Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles. These areas have since experienced much higher concentrations of vehicular emissions such as diesel exhaust and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which are also closely associated with higher risks of respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, and birth defects.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Katner |first1=Adrienne |last2=Stelly |first2=Amy |last3=Lecompte |first3=Erin |last4=Stallard |first4=Caroline |last5=Walsh |first5=Ian |last6=Brisolara |first6=Kari |date=2021-08-23 |title=Traffic-related pollutants and human health within the interstate-10 Claiborne Corridor: land use implications |journal=ISEE Conference Abstracts |volume=2021 |issue=1 |article-number=isee.2021.P-467 |doi=10.1289/isee.2021.p-467 |issn=1078-0475|doi-access=free }}</ref> On an international scale, research has also suggested that urban air pollution, like that of vehicular emissions, may directly intensify the urban heat island effect. In China, an urban haze effect, essentially a miniature greenhouse layer which prevents outgoing thermal radiation from escaping dense urban areas, was found to contribute as much as 0.7 °C of additional nighttime warming.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cao |first1=Chang |last2=Lee |first2=Xuhui |last3=Liu |first3=Shoudong |last4=Schultz |first4=Natalie |last5=Xiao |first5=Wei |last6=Zhang |first6=Mi |last7=Zhao |first7=Lei |date=2016-08-23 |title=Urban heat islands in China enhanced by haze pollution |journal=Nature Communications |language=en |volume=7 |issue=1 |article-number=12509 |doi=10.1038/ncomms12509 |pmid=27551987 |pmc=4996972 |bibcode=2016NatCo...712509C |issn=2041-1723}}</ref> This conclusion underscores the critical consequences of urban heat islands, especially in previously redlined communities driven by both local development and broader atmospheric processes. 

In response to these disparities, some cities have begun to introduce urban greening programs and reflective "cool pavement" initiatives to help mitigate the urban heat island effect in historically disadvantaged communities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cool Pavement Pilot Program |url=https://globalfutures.asu.edu/sustainabilitysolutions/cool-pavement-pilot-program/ |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Yindan |last2=Chen |first2=Gang |last3=Myint |first3=Soe W. |last4=Zhou |first4=Yuyu |last5=Hay |first5=Geoffrey J. |last6=Vukomanovic |first6=Jelena |last7=Meentemeyer |first7=Ross K. |date=September 2022 |title=UrbanWatch: A 1-meter resolution land cover and land use database for 22 major cities in the United States |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0034425722002206 |journal=Remote Sensing of Environment |language=en |volume=278 |article-number=113106 |doi=10.1016/j.rse.2022.113106 |bibcode=2022RSEnv.27813106Z |url-access=subscription }}</ref> These efforts are part of an ongoing pish toward not only climate justice but also aims to redress the legacy of redlining, a policy driven by environmental racism.

=== Chief heat officers ===
Beginning in the 2020s, a number of cities and local governments began creating Chief Heat Officer positions to organize and manage work counteracting the urban heat island effect. They lead efforts to try to mitigate the increasing effects of [[climate change]] by increasing shade, providing for [[Cooling center|cooling centers]], planting trees, and coordinating anti-heat work.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dehghan |first=Saeed Kamali |date=2021-11-15 |title=Stop talking, start acting, says Africa's first extreme heat official |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/nov/15/eugenia-kargbo-freetown-sierra-leone-first-chief-heat-officer-climate-crisis |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230106132340/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/nov/15/eugenia-kargbo-freetown-sierra-leone-first-chief-heat-officer-climate-crisis |archive-date=2023-01-06 |access-date=2023-01-06 |website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Yeung |first=Peter |date=2022-01-21 |title=Africa's First Heat Officer Faces a Daunting Task |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-01-21/how-africa-s-first-heat-officer-confronts-climate-change |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221119004207/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-01-21/how-africa-s-first-heat-officer-confronts-climate-change |archive-date=2022-11-19 |access-date=2023-01-06 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramirez |first=Rachel |date=2022-07-20 |title=Faced with more deadly heat waves, US cities are taking an unprecedented step |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/20/weather/deadly-heat-waves-chief-heat-officers-climate/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230106132344/https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/20/weather/deadly-heat-waves-chief-heat-officers-climate/index.html |archive-date=2023-01-06 |access-date=2023-01-06 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> Early heat officer positions were created in [[Los Angeles]], [[Miami-Dade County, Florida|Miami-Dade County]], [[Melbourne]], [[Athens]], and [[Freetown]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Visram |first=Talib |date=7 October 2022 |title=Meet the 7 Chief Heat Officers who are making their cities more resilient |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90793483/meet-the-7-chief-heat-officers-who-are-making-their-cities-more-resilient |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221231002835/https://www.fastcompany.com/90793483/meet-the-7-chief-heat-officers-who-are-making-their-cities-more-resilient |archive-date=31 December 2022 |access-date=6 January 2023 |work=[[Fast Company]]}}</ref> The initiative to create the positions was organized by the [[Atlantic Council]]'s [[Adrienne Arsht]]-[[Rockefeller Foundation]] Resilience Center.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Moloney |first=Anastasia |date=2022-11-09 |title=How 'chief heat officers' keep cities cool as the world warms |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/how-chief-heat-officers-keep-cities-cool-world-warms-2022-11-09/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230106132340/https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/how-chief-heat-officers-keep-cities-cool-world-warms-2022-11-09/ |archive-date=2023-01-06 |access-date=2023-01-06 |work=Reuters |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=McLeod |first=Kathy Baughman |date=2022-05-26 |title=Every City Needs a Chief Heat Officer |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2022-05-26/every-city-needs-chief-heat-officer |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230106132340/https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2022-05-26/every-city-needs-chief-heat-officer |archive-date=2023-01-06 |access-date=2023-01-06 |work=[[Foreign Affairs]] |language=en-US |issn=0015-7120}}</ref> [[Eleni Myrivili]] is the current [[United Nations Human Settlements Programme|United Nations Human Settlements Programme's]] chief heat officer<ref>{{Cite press release |title=First-ever Global Chief Heat Officer Announced at World Urban Forum |date=2022-06-27 |publisher=UN-Habitat and Arsht-Rock Resilience Center |location=Katowice, Poland |url=https://wuf.unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2022-06/files/UN-Habitat-CHO.pdf}}</ref> and the [[City of Athens]] Chief Resilience Officer.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Η Αθήνα αναλαμβάνει πρωτοβουλία για την αντιμετώπιση των πολύ υψηλών θερμοκρασιών λόγω κλιματικής αλλαγής |date=2021-07-23 |publisher=Δήμος Αθηναίων |url=https://www.cityofathens.gr/i-athina-analamvanei-protovoylia-gia-t/}}</ref>

== Examples ==
{{Globalize|date=March 2023|2=US}}

=== United States ===
Bill S.4280,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Markey |first=Edward J. |date=2020-07-22 |title=S.4280 – 116th Congress (2019–2020): Preventing HEAT Illness and Deaths Act of 2020 |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/4280 |access-date=2021-10-26 |website=www.congress.gov}}</ref> introduced to the U.S. Senate in 2020, would authorize the National Integrated Heat Health Information System Interagency Committee (NIHHIS) to tackle extreme heat in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New federal bill supports heat island mitigation |url=https://www.usgbc.org/articles/new-federal-bill-supports-heat-island-mitigation |access-date=2021-10-26 |publisher=U.S. Green Building Council}}</ref> Successful passage of this legislation would fund NIHHIS for five years and would instate a $100 million grant program within NIHHIS to encourage and fund urban heat reduction projects, including those using cools roofs and pavements and those improving [[Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning|HVAC]] systems. As of July 22, 2020 the bill has not moved past introduction to Congress.

The city of New York determined that the cooling potential per area was highest for street trees, followed by living roofs, light covered surface, and open space planting. From the standpoint of cost effectiveness, light surfaces, light roofs, and curbside planting have lower costs per temperature reduction.<ref>{{cite web |author=New York City Regional Heat Island Initiative |date=October 2006 |title=Mitigating New York City's Heat Island With Urban Forestry, Living Roofs, and Light Surfaces |url=http://www.nyserda.ny.gov/programs/environment/emep/project/6681_25/06-06%20Complete%20report-web.pdf |access-date=2009-06-18 |publisher=New York State Energy Research and Development Authority |page=ii}}{{Dead link|date=October 2022|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

==== Los Angeles ====
A hypothetical "cool communities" program in [[Los Angeles]] has projected in 1997 that urban temperatures could be reduced by approximately {{convert|3|C-change|0|abbr=on}} after planting ten million trees, reroofing five million homes, and painting one-quarter of the roads at an estimated cost of US$1&nbsp;billion, giving estimated annual benefits of US$170&nbsp;million from reduced air-conditioning costs and US$360&nbsp;million in smog related health savings.<ref name="Rosenfield97" />

In a case study of the [[Los Angeles Basin]] in 1998, simulations showed that even when trees are not strategically placed in these urban heat islands, they can still aid in minimization of pollutants and energy reduction. It is estimated that with this wide-scale implementation, the city of Los Angeles can annually save $100M with most of the savings coming from cool roofs, lighter colored pavement, and the planting of trees. With a citywide implementation, added benefits from the lowering smog-level would result in at least one billion dollars of saving per year.<ref name="Rosenfeld98" />

Los Angeles [[TreePeople]] is an example of how [[tree planting]] can empower a community. TreePeople provides the opportunity for people to come together, build capacity, community pride and the opportunity to collaborate and [[Social network|network]] with each other.<ref>Wilmsen, Carl. Partnerships for Empowerment: Participatory Research for Community-based Natural Resource Management. London, England: Earthscan, 2008. Print.</ref>

Los Angeles has also begun to implement a Heat Action Plan to address the city's needs at a more granular level than the solutions provided by the state of California. The city uses the LA Equity Index in an effort to ensure that the effects of extreme heat are mitigated in an equitable manner.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 26, 2023 |title=Cool solutions for urban heat islands {{!}} Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment |url=https://woods.stanford.edu/news/cool-solutions-urban-heat-islands |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=woods.stanford.edu |language=en}}</ref>

==== Virginia ====
In 2021, Climate Adaptation Planning Analysis (CAPA) received funding from the [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] to conduct Heat Mapping across the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |last=KristinaP |title=Collaborative Heat Mapping Research Project |url=https://www.vfic.org/vfic-programs/stem-faculty-initiative/collaborative-heat-mapping-research-project/ |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges |language=en-US}}</ref> Ten areas from [[Virginia]] – Abington, Arlington, Charlottesville, Farmville, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, Petersburg, Richmond, Salem, Virginia Beach and Winchester – participated in the heat watch campaign. This campaign consisted of 213 Volunteers brought together by campaign organizers who made 490,423 Heat Measurements across 70 Routes total. After taking measurements throughout the day, equipment and data was sent back to CAPA where it was analyzed using machine learning algorithms. After analysis of the data, CAPA came back together with campaign organizers from each area to discuss potential plans for each town in the future.

==== New York ====
New York City implemented its "Cool Neighborhoods NYC" program in 2017 intending to mitigate the effects of extreme urban heat. One of the plan's ambitions was to increase funding for the city's Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Specifically, the plan sought to increase funding for cooling solutions for lower-income families.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-06-14 |title=Cool Neighborhoods NYC |url=https://climate.cityofnewyork.us/reports/cool-neighborhoods-nyc/ |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=NYC Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== India ===
Several cities in [[India]] experience significant urban heat island effects due to rapid urbanization, loss of green cover, and extensive concretization. A report by ''The Hindu'' highlights that metropolitan areas like Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Kolkata have seen temperature differences ranging from 1&nbsp;°C to 6&nbsp;°C compared to their rural surroundings. These urban heat islands not only increase the local temperatures but also exacerbate the impacts of heatwaves, leading to higher energy consumption for cooling and posing health risks to vulnerable populations.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Balasubramanian |first=D. |date=2020-02-15 |title=Urban heat islands in India |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/urban-heat-islands-in-india/article30830560.ece |access-date=2024-10-23 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==== Mumbai ====
Mumbai, India's financial hub and one of the most densely populated cities globally, is significantly affected by the urban heat island effect. Rapid urbanization, extensive concretization, and loss of green spaces have led to higher temperatures in the city compared to its surroundings. According to a report, Mumbai is projected to spend twice as much as New York City to manage urban heat generated due to concretization. This increased expenditure highlights the severity of the urban heat island effect in Mumbai and its impact on the city's infrastructure and residents.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-02-06 |title=Mumbai's spendings will be double of New York's to manage urban heat generated due to concretisation |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/mumbais-spendings-will-be-double-of-new-yorks-to-manage-urban-heat-generated-due-to-concretisation/articleshow/107465459.cms |access-date=2024-10-23 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

==See also==
* {{annotated link|Urban climatology}}
* {{annotated link|Urban reforestation}}
* {{annotated link|Tropical night}}
* {{annotated link|Urban dust dome}}
* {{annotated link|Household energy insecurity}}
* {{annotated link|Urban forest inequity}}
* {{slink|Stuttgart|Climate atlas and ventilation corridors}}

<ref name="Li2024">{{cite journal
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<ref name="Ettinger2024">{{cite journal
 |last1=Ettinger |first1=Ailene K.
 |title=Street trees provide an opportunity to mitigate urban heat and reduce risk of high heat exposure
 |journal=Scientific Reports
 |date=2024-02-13
 |volume=14
 |article-number=3266
 |doi=10.1038/s41598-024-51921-y
 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-51921-y
}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading ==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |last=Stewart |first=Iain D. |last2=Mills |first2=Gerald |title=The Urban Heat Island: A Guidebook |publisher=Elsevier |year=2021 |isbn=978-0-12-815017-7}}

* {{cite journal |last=Huang |first=Qingming |last2=Lu |first2=Yuqi |title=Urban heat island research from 1991 to 2015: a bibliometric analysis |journal=Theoretical and Applied Climatology |volume=131 |issue=3–4 |pages=1055–1067 |year=2017 |doi=10.1007/s00704-016-2025-1 |s2cid=13435754}}

* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Yow |first=Donald |title=Urban Heat Islands |encyclopedia=Oxford Bibliographies in Urban Studies |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2023 |doi=10.1093/obo/9780190922481-0070}}

* {{cite journal |last=Sharma |first=Prashant |last2=Yogeswaran |first2=Nagendra |title=A systematic review of literature on major domains of urban heat island studies |editor-last=Reddy |editor-first=Kasi |editor2-last=Kumar |editor2-first=Ramesh |editor3-last=Rao |editor3-first=Venkata |journal=Sustainable Resilient Built Environments |publisher=Springer |year=2024 |pages=213–222 |doi=10.1007/978-981-99-8811-2_18 |isbn=978-981-99-8810-5}}

* {{cite book |last=Oke |first=T. R. |title=Boundary Layer Climates |edition=2nd |publisher=Routledge |year=1987 |isbn=978-0-415-04319-9}}
{{refend}}
==External links==
{{sister project links |auto=y|d=y}}
* [http://www.globalcoolcities.org Global Cool Cities Alliance] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606130147/http://www.globalcoolcities.org/ |date=2023-06-06 }}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_apVv7dbMQ Urban Heat Islands – introductory video by Science Museum of Virginia]

{{Climate change}}{{Cities}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Urban Heat Island}}
[[Category:Climatology]]
[[Category:Climate forcing]]
[[Category:Urbanization]]
[[Category:Regional climate effects]]