Why are cities so much warmer? A look into the "urban island heat effect"
- Ronghe Chen
- Aug 30, 2022
- 1 min read
Growing up in Chicago, I'm all too familiar with how scorchingly hot it gets on midsummer afternoons. But why? I've always hypothesized that cities contributed to climate change due to human activity, but my hunch was confirmed when I learned about the urban island heat effect for the first time.
WHAT IS THE URBAN ISLAND HEAT EFFECT?
The "urban island heat effect" is a phenomenon that occurs in cities due to their high level of human activity. In fact, this effect is so profound that cities are as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than their rural counterparts. Although cities are known for their impressive architecture, this comes at a price. Urban architecture often consists of glass, concrete, asphalt, and other materials that trap heat. Another factor that contributes to this phenomenon relates to human activity: waste heat generated by energy usage.
Due to the urban heat island effect, precipitation is greater downwind of cities. High urban temperatures can also heat stormwater runoff, which in turn affects aquatic ecosystems. This effect can also affect land animals, as they can only survive within a certain temperature range.
Urban heat islands impact communities by increasing energy demand such as air conditioning, decreasing air and water quality, and contributing to heat-related deaths. Research shows that around 30% of global warming and climate change is caused by urban heat islands.
WAYS TO REDUCE THE URBAN ISLAND HEAT EFFECT
On an infrastructure level:
Investing in green infrastructure designed for reduction of heat
Building green roofs
Building cool roofs
Building lighter-colored, heat reflectant surfaces
Resources for heat-related illness prevention
On a personal level:
Checking up on family and friends
Planting trees
Increase shade around home
Use energy-efficient appliances
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