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Urban Overheating in a Context of Climate Change: Measurements, Modeling, Thermal Comfort and Adaptation Strategies

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 January 2024) | Viewed by 7867

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Florent Renard

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Guest Editor

Department of geography and urban planning, University of Lyon, 69007 Lyon, France
Interests: urban overheating and thermal comfort; impacts on health; climate change; management of climate extremes in cities; adaptation and mitigation of thermal extremes; urban climate measurements and modeling

Dr. Lucille Alonso

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Resallience, University of Lyon, 69007 Lyon, France
Interests: urban overheating and thermal comfort; impacts on health; climate change; management of climate extremes in cities; adaptation and mitigation of thermal extremes; urban climate measurements and modeling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the next 30 years, the world's population is expected to increase by 2 billion people, leading to a total global population of 9.7 billion by 2050. Currently, more than half of this population lives in urban areas. It is expected to represent 60% of the world total by 2030 and 70% by 2050. This population is subject to an anthropization of climatic conditions favoring the appearance of a type of urban climate. This transzonal climate leads to the urban heat island effect, which is characterized by an increase in temperatures in the city compared to the rural environment due to anthropogenic activities and the replacement of natural surfaces by artificial surfaces with different thermal properties. Excessive mineralization of the urban environment and reduced evapotranspiration drastically impact local radiative balances. This can lead to very marked thermal gradients in the city depending on the urban fabric and the properties of its constituents (density of the built environment, fraction of vegetation, water surfaces, height of buildings, anthropogenic heat, nature of the pavement, and so on). This excess heat can lead to very problematic situations of thermal discomfort, particularly in the context of the global increase in temperatures linked to climate change. Urban populations are particularly vulnerable, and the health consequences can be dramatic. All sectors of activity are potentially impacted, and awareness of the risks linked to overexposure to high temperatures is increasing. These socio–climatic issues are becoming more and more important in the management strategies of urban environmental problems in order to contribute to a more sustainable city. Research on issues related to urban climate and the management of hot weather is therefore crucial. They are varied, often multidisciplinary, and developed in a systemic and integrated manner.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome that deal with urban parameters and geographical factors likely to impact the climatic signal in cities; techniques and tools to apprehend these phenomena such as in situ or remote sensing measurements; the most appropriate spatial and temporal scales; climatic evolutions specific to urban environments and their adaptations, their modelling, and the transition to the operational phases and their concrete translation in urban planning and requalification. This list is far from being exhaustive and the articles may focus on a wide range of the following applications:

Urban overheating and thermal comfort;
Impacts on health;
Urban climate and biodiversity;
Climate change and the urban environment;
Management of climate extremes in the city;
Adaptation and mitigation of thermal extremes;
Climate measurements in the urban environment;
Urban climate modeling;
Surface urban heat island and remote sensing.

Related References:

Alonso, L.; Renard, F. A New Approach for Understanding Urban Microclimate by Integrating Complementary Predictors at Different Scales in Regression and Machine Learning Models. Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 2434.

Alonso, L.; Renard, F. A Comparative Study of the Physiological and Socio-Economic Vulnerabilities to Heat Waves of the Population of the Metropolis of Lyon (France) in a Climate Change Context. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 1004.

Feng, Y.; Du, S.; Myint, S.W.; Shu, M. Do Urban Functional Zones Affect Land Surface Temperature Differently? A Case Study of Beijing, China. Remote Sens. 2019, 11, 1802.

Keeratikasikorn, C.; Bonafoni, S. Urban Heat Island Analysis over the Land Use Zoning Plan of Bangkok by Means of Landsat 8 Imagery. Remote Sens. 2018, 10, 440

Oke, T.R. Canyon geometry and the nocturnal urban heat island: Comparison of scale model and field observations. Clim. 1981, 1, 237–254

Oltra-Carrió, R.; Sobrino, J.A.; Franch, B.; Nerry, F. Land surface emissivity retrieval from airborne sensor over urban areas, Remote Sens. Environ. 2012, 123, 298–305.

Sobrino, J.A.; Oltra-Carrió, R.; Sòria, G.; Bianchi, R.; Paganini, M. Impact of spatial resolution and satellite overpass time on evaluation of the surface urban heat island effects. Remote Sens. Environ. 2012, 117, 50–56.

Renard, F.; Alonso, L.; Fitts, Y.; Hadjiosif, A.; Comby, J. Evaluation of the Effect of Urban Redevelopment on Surface Urban Heat Islands. Remote Sens. 2019, 11, 299.

Roupioz, L.; Nerry, F.; Colin, J. Correction for the Impact of the Surface Characteristics on the Estimation of the Effective Emissivity at Fine Resolution in Urban Areas. Remote Sens. 2018, 10, 746.

Sobrino, J.A.R.; Oltra-Carrió, G.; Sòria, J.C.; Jiménez-Muñoz, B.; Franch, V.; Hidalgo, C.; Mattar, Y.; Julien, J.; Cuenca, M.; Romaguera, J.A.; et al. Evaluation of the surface urban heat island effect in the city of Madrid by thermal remote sensing. J. Remote Sens. 2013, 34, 3177–3192.

Voogt, J.A. Urban heat island. In Munn (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Change,.2002, Wiley: Chichester, UK, pp. 660–666.

Voogt, J.A.; Oke, T.R. Thermal remote sensing of urban climates. Remote Sens. Environ. 2003, 86, 370–384.

Yang, L.; Yu, K.; Ai, J.; Liu, Y.; Yang, W.; Liu, J. Dominant Factors and Spatial Heterogeneity of Land Surface Temperatures in Urban Areas: A Case Study in Fuzhou, China. Remote Sens. 2022, 14, 1266.

Zhao, C.; Jensen, J.; Weng, Q.; Weaver, R. A Geographically Weighted Regression Analysis of the Underlying Factors Related to the Surface Urban Heat Island Phenomenon. Remote Sens. 2018, 10, 1428.

Zhou, D.; Xiao, J.; Bonafoni, S.; Berger, C.; Deilami, K.; Zhou, Y.; Frolking, S.; Yao, R.; Qiao, Z.; Sobrino, J.A. Satellite Remote Sensing of Surface Urban Heat Islands: Progress, Challenges, and Perspectives. Remote Sens. 2019, 11, 48.

Dr. Florent Renard
Dr. Lucille Alonso
Guest Editors

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Keywords

urban overheating
UHI
thermal extremes
measurements
modeling
adaptation and mitigation strategies
health
thermal comfort
climate change evolution

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

29 pages, 22750 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microscale Investigation of Urban Heat Island (UHI) in Annaba City: Unveiling Factors and Mitigation Strategies

by Bouthaina Sayad, Mansour Rifaat Helmi, Oumr Adnan Osra, Ahmad Mohammed Abed and Haytham Hussain Alhubashi

Sustainability 2024, 16(2), 747; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020747 - 15 Jan 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 940

Abstract

Cities are facing significant challenges related to climate change, particularly due to the increasing impact of the Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomenon. The present study investigated the UHI phenomenon at the microscale in Annaba, Algeria. The research involved a multi-step approach, starting with on-site measurements of urban microclimate parameters, performed in downtown Annaba on 6 July 2023. The UHI intensity was quantified by comparing city-measured temperatures with rural surroundings. Thermal imaging is then used to empirically identify the contributing factors to UHI initiation at the microscale. The study employed the ENVI-met model to analyse mitigation strategies, manipulating parameters for six scenarios including the current design of the study area. Outputs were used to assess the impact of these strategies on air temperature, mean radiant temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. The findings revealed an intense UHI effect in Annaba city with a peak difference of 6.9 °C, with practical implications for buildings, ground and roads, vehicles, air conditioners, and specific facade materials. Introducing urban vegetation, particularly urban trees and green roofs, proved highly effectiveness in mitigating the UHI in downtown Annaba. Urban trees demonstrated the most substantial impact, reducing temperatures by 1.9 °C at 1 p.m., while green roof temperature reductions ranged from 0.1 °C to 2 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Overheating in a Context of Climate Change: Measurements, Modeling, Thermal Comfort and Adaptation Strategies)

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26 pages, 9680 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Microclimate-Suitable Spatial Patterns of Waterfront Settlements in Summer: A Case Study of the Nan Lake Area in Wuhan, China

by Ningcheng Gao, Hui Zhang, Pei Wang, Ling Ning, Nyuk Hien Wong, Haibo Yu and Zikang Ke

Sustainability 2023, 15(22), 15687; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152215687 - 7 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 850

Abstract

As China’s urbanization progresses, thermal environmental problems such as the overheating effect experienced by cities are becoming more and more obvious in the daily lives of residents. Urban waterfront spaces not only create pleasant landscape environments and regulate microclimates, but also help to maintain ecological diversity. However, the current high-density urban construction model has led to poor air mobility and weakened water regulation functions in cities. Therefore, the rationalization of the spatial form of settlements has become particularly important in recent times. In this study, the Nan Lake area of Wuhan City was taken as the research object, and it was simulated using ENVI-met (5.5.1) software. Further, the orthogonal experimental design method was combined with the extremum difference analysis method. This study focused on the effects of the layout form (LF), floor area ratio (FAR), green form (GF), and offshore distance (OD) on the temperature (T), relative humidity (RH), and thermal comfort in waterfront settlements in summer. This study found that (1) among the various factors, the effect of the GFs and LFs on the overall microclimate of the study region was the most significant, while the volume ratio had the least significant effect on each indicator. (2) The parallel layout form was found to have better ventilation effects compared to the other three layout forms, with its cooling and humidifying effects being superior. (3) Among the four types of greening combinations, the combination of “grass + shrubs” had the best cooling effect at the height of pedestrians, while trees were able to reduce the heat transfer of solar radiation to the ground due to the shading and evaporation effects provided by their canopies. (4) The cooling and humidifying effects provided by the water body of Nan Lake gradually diminished as the distance from its shore increased; therefore, waterfront settlements maintaining a reasonable proximity to their water bodies will help bring into play the microclimate adjustment effect of such bodies. This study provides a valuable reference for the construction and renewal of urban waterfront settlements in the hot summer and cold winter zones of China (HSCW). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Overheating in a Context of Climate Change: Measurements, Modeling, Thermal Comfort and Adaptation Strategies)

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21 pages, 9657 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Vegetation Canopy on the Outdoor Thermal Environment in Cold Winter and Spring

by Hankai Chen, Rui Liu and Yu Zhang

Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 12818; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151712818 - 24 Aug 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1097

Abstract

The current study investigated the impact of vegetation canopy on the outdoor thermal environment in cold winter and spring, a less-explored aspect of its climate effects. Firstly, we conducted on-site observations of meteorology parameters on a campus in a hot summer and cold winter region. Then the ENVI-met microclimate simulation model was utilized to simulate the air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, and solar radiation of typical winter and spring days. Furthermore, the PET index was calculated to evaluate the thermal conditions. Our findings revealed that during the daytime, the vegetation canopy raised air temperature and relative humidity, reduced wind speed, and mitigated solar radiation. Solar radiation emerged as the primary factor affecting thermal comfort in the cold winter and spring. The presence of deciduous broad-leaved vegetation notably reduced cold discomfort and improved thermal comfort in the cold winter and spring. Finally, we propose replacing evergreen broad-leaved vegetation with deciduous broad-leaved vegetation in hot summer and cold winter regions to ensure year-round thermal comfort, especially in the cold winter and spring. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Overheating in a Context of Climate Change: Measurements, Modeling, Thermal Comfort and Adaptation Strategies)

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23 pages, 8566 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Integrated Decision-Making Framework for Mitigating the Impact of Urban Heat Islands on Energy Consumption and Thermal Comfort of Residential Buildings

by Cihan Turhan, Ali Serdar Atalay and Gulden Gokcen Akkurt

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9674; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129674 - 16 Jun 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1523

Abstract

Urban heat island (UHI) is a zone that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural zones as a result of human activities and rapid and dense urbanization. Excessive air temperature due to the UHI phenomenon affects the energy performance of buildings and human health and contributes to global warming. Knowing that most of the building energy is consumed by residential buildings, therefore, developing a framework to mitigate the impact of the UHI on residential building energy performance is vital. This study develops an integrated framework that combines hybrid micro-climate and building energy performance simulations and multi-criteria decision-making techniques. As a case study, an urban area is analyzed under the Urban GreenUP project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme. Four different strategies to mitigate the UHI effect, including the current situation, changing the low-albedo materials with high-albedo ones, nature-based solutions, and changing building façade materials, are investigated with a micro-climatic simulation tool. Then, the output of the strategies, which is potential air temperature, is used in a dynamic building energy simulation software to obtain energy consumption and thermal comfort data of the residential buildings in the case area. Finally, a multi-criteria decision-making model, using real-life criteria, such as total energy consumption, thermal comfort, capital cost, lifetime and installation flexibility, is used to make a decision for decreasing the UHI effect on residential energy performance of buildings. The results showed that applying NBSs, such as green roofs and changing existing trees with high leaf area density ones, have the highest ranking among all mitigation strategies. The output of this study may help urban planners, architects, and engineers in the decision-making processes during the design phase of urban planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Overheating in a Context of Climate Change: Measurements, Modeling, Thermal Comfort and Adaptation Strategies)

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26 pages, 14082 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Urban Heat Island’s Vulnerability Assessment by Integrating Urban Planning Policies: A Case Study of Montpellier Méditerranée Metropolitan Area, France

by Magalie Técher, Hassan Ait Haddou and Rahim Aguejdad

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 1820; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15031820 - 18 Jan 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2273

Abstract

The energy balance differences between urban and rural areas give rise to a representative phenomenon of urban climate change called the urban heat island (UHI). The UHI phenomenon, which is exacerbated by global warming effects and urban expansion, exposes urban areas and populations to thermal stress and overheating. Therefore, measuring the intensity of UHI vulnerability is needed to mitigate its effects on health, comfort, energy consumption and infrastructure. Additionally, urban decision makers are looking for methodologies to identify the most vulnerable areas in urban planning. This research aims to investigate areas prone to urban overheating in Montpellier Mediterranean metropolitan area as a representative case study of the French urban planning context. The objective is to develop a methodology for assessing UHI vulnerability based on the interaction of exposure and sensitivity to urban planning policies. Accordingly, a set of fifteen indicators is developed to visualize urban planning policies, exposure and sensitivity to urban overheating. A statistical-based method is applied to determine the individual weights based on the indicators’ variance, which is calculated using principal component analysis (PCA). The spatial and urban planning distribution of vulnerability is then analyzed. The results indicate that the areas with the highest urban planning challenges are most vulnerable to UHI. In fact, the results reveal that these areas have urban planning characteristics likely to aggravate urban overheating. Therefore, this research proposes a methodology for integrating mitigation solutions into urban planning: increase in permeable and green areas; improvement of urban ventilation and heat exchange and decrease in anthropogenic heat generation. It demonstrates that combining urban planning policies with exposure and sensitivity is a new perspective for vulnerability studies. The findings of this study can be utilized by decision makers to better visualize areas susceptible to UHI and plan appropriate mitigation strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Overheating in a Context of Climate Change: Measurements, Modeling, Thermal Comfort and Adaptation Strategies)

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