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Cool Cities: Towards Sustainable and Healthy Urban Environments

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A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Biometeorology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 May 2022) | Viewed by 18092

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jack Ngarambe

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Guest Editor

Department of Architectural Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Yong-in 17104, Republic of Korea
Interests: building physics; thermal comfort; building performance modeling; urban heat islands; indoor environments
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Geun Young Yun

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Guest Editor

Department of Architectural Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Yongin 17104, Republic of Korea
Interests: urban heat islands; energy and environment; adaptive comfort; occupant behavior
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Jin Woo Moon

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Guest Editor

School of Architecture and Building Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea
Interests: building environment and control; thermal comfort; energy efficiency; artificial intelligence; air quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

The urban heat island (UHI) is, arguably, the most important contributor to urban overheating, which has various adverse effects on (I) urban dwellers (e.g., increased heat stress and heat-related mortalities) (II) the urban building stock (e.g., increased space cooling energy consumption during the summertime) and (III) the overall urban climate (e.g., synergies with atmospheric pollution in urban areas). The ongoing urbanisation seen in many parts of the world is likely to exacerbate the said effects of UHI, further deteriorating the quality of life in urban areas. Moreover, UHI is mainly dependent on the specific characteristics (e.g., topography, synoptic and mesoscale circulations, land use patterns etc.,) of a given locality, making the "one size fits all" approach to tackling UHI nearly impossible. Consequently, comprehensive and interdisciplinary research attempting to understand the UHI phenomenon, which is somewhat complex and multi-faceted, is essential for designing sustainable and salutogenic cities. To that end, we invite papers for the special issue on the following themes;

- Impact of UHI on the mortality and morbidities of vulnerable and low-income populations

- Interactions between UHI and urban atmospheric pollution

- Impact of UHI on local/global energy use

- Advanced modelling of UHI

- The assessment of UHI in developing countries

- Current UHI adaptation and mitigation strategies

We are interested in abroad range of UHI-related studies from various parts of the world so as to shine more light on the peculiarity and seriousness of UHI-related issues and hopefully help enrich the ongoing scientific discourse on the urban liveability agenda and science-driven urban design policies/practices.

Dr. Jack Ngarambe
Prof. Dr. Geun Young Yun
Prof. Dr. Jin Woo Moon

Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

key drivers of urban overheating
local climates and building energy use
urban heat island and urban pollution
machine learning-based UHI modelling
urban heat island in developing countries
current UHI adaptation and mitigation strategies

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2457 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Anthropogenic Vehicular Heat and Its Influence on Urban Planning

by Ruth M. Grajeda-Rosado, Elia M. Alonso-Guzmán, Carlos Escobar-Del Pozo, Carlos J. Esparza-López, Cristina Sotelo-Salas, Wilfrido Martínez-Molina, Max Mondragon-Olan and Alfonso Cabrera-Macedo

Atmosphere 2022, 13(8), 1259; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13081259 - 08 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1779

Abstract

Anthropogenic heat (Q_F) is one of the parameters that contributes to the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon. Usually, this variable is studied holistically, among other anthropogenic flux such as industrial, vehicular, buildings, and human metabolism, due to the complexity of data collection through field measurements. The aim of this paper was to weigh vehicular anthropogenic heat and its impact on the thermal profile of an urban canyon. A total of 108 simulations were carried out, using the ANSYS Fluent^® software, incorporating variables such as the number of vehicles, wind speed, urban canyon orientation, and urban canyon aspect ratio. The results were compared with a database of 61 American cities in 2015 and showed that orientation is the main factor of alteration in vehicular heat flow, increasing it in a range of 2 °C to 6.5 °C, followed by the wind speed (1.2 to 2.2 m/s), which allows for decreases of 1 to 3.8 °C. The exploration of these variables and their weighing in the definition of urban street canyon temperature profiles at the canopy level of urban structures provides valuable information on the hygrothermal comfort of its inhabitants; its appropriate quantification can be an example of many urban energy balances altering processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cool Cities: Towards Sustainable and Healthy Urban Environments)

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18 pages, 6082 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combining Spatial and Temporal Data to Create a Fine-Resolution Daily Urban Air Temperature Product from Remote Sensing Land Surface Temperature (LST) Data

by David Neil Bird, Ellen Banzhaf, Julius Knopp, Wanben Wu and Laurence Jones

Atmosphere 2022, 13(7), 1152; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13071152 - 20 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1893

Abstract

Remotely sensed land surface temperature (LST) is often used as a proxy for air temperature in urban heat island studies, particularly to illustrate relative temperature differences between locations. Two sensors are used predominantly in the literature, Landsat and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). However, each has shortcomings that currently limit its utility for many urban applications. Landsat has high spatial resolution but low temporal resolution, and may miss hot days, while MODIS has high temporal resolution but low spatial resolution, which is inadequate to represent the fine grain heterogeneity in cities. In this paper, we overcome this inadequacy by combining high spatial frequency Environmental Services (ES), Landsat-driven Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and MODIS low spatial frequency background LST at different spatial frequency bands (spatial spectral composition). The method is able to provide fine scale LST four times daily on any day of the year. Using data from Paris in 2019 we show that (1) daytime cooling by vegetation reaches a maximum of 30 °C, above which there is no further increase in cooling. In addition, (2) the cooling is relatively local and does not extend further than 200 m beyond the boundary of the NBS. This model can be used to quantify the benefits of NBS in providing cooling in cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cool Cities: Towards Sustainable and Healthy Urban Environments)

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19 pages, 8889 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Urbanization on the Development of a Convective Storm—A Study for the Belém Metropolitan Region, Brazil

by Juarez Ventura de Oliveira, Julia Cohen, Michael Barlage and Maria Assunção Silva Dias

Atmosphere 2022, 13(7), 1026; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13071026 - 28 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1811

Abstract

One of the main problems faced by the Belém Metropolitan Region (BMR) inhabitants is flash floods caused by precarious infrastructure and extreme rainfall events. The objective of this article is to investigate whether and how the local urban characteristics may influence the development of thunderstorms. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was used with three distinct configurations of land use/cover to represent urbanization scenarios in 2017 and 1986 and the forest-only scenario. The WRF model simulated reasonably well the event. The results showed that the urban characteristics of the BMR may have an impact on storm systems in the urban areas close to the Northern Coast of South America. In particular, for the urban characteristics in the BMR in 2017, the intensification of the storm may be linked to a higher value of energy available for convection (over 1000 J kg⁻¹) and favorable wind convergence and vertical shear in the urban area (where the wind speed at the surface was more than 3 m s⁻¹ slower than in the forest-only scenario). Meanwhile, the other land cover scenarios could not produce a similar storm due to lack of moisture, wind convergence/shear, or convective energy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cool Cities: Towards Sustainable and Healthy Urban Environments)

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24 pages, 5760 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of SUHI in Urban Areas by Remote Sensing Data and Mitigation Hypothesis through Solar Reflective Materials

by Sofia Costanzini, Francesca Despini, Leonardo Beltrami, Sara Fabbi, Alberto Muscio and Sergio Teggi

Atmosphere 2022, 13(1), 70; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13010070 - 31 Dec 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2088

Abstract

The urban heat island (UHI) is an increasingly widespread phenomenon of concern to the wellbeing and the health of populations living in urban environments. The SUHI (Surface UHI) is directly related to UHI and influences its extension and intensity. Satellite images in the thermal infrared spectral region can be used to identify and study the SUHI. In this work, Landsat 8 TIR images were acquired to study the SUHI of a medium-sized municipality of the Po valley in the northern part of Italy. An additional Worldview 3 satellite image was used to classify the study area and retrieve the surface albedo of building roofs. Using the Local Climate Zone approach, existing roof materials were virtually replaced by solar reflective materials, and the mitigation potential of the SUHI and the UHI was quantified. This virtual scenario shows a decrease in the overheating of building roofs with respect to the ambient temperature of up to 33% compared to the current situation in the industrial areas. Focusing on UHI intensity, the air temperature decrease could be up to 0.5 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cool Cities: Towards Sustainable and Healthy Urban Environments)

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19 pages, 10609 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermo-Hygrometric Variability on Waterfronts in Negative Radiation Balance: A Case Study of Balneário Camboriú/SC, Brazil

by Cássio Arthur Wollmann, Ismael Luiz Hoppe, João Paulo Assis Gobo, João Paulo Delapasse Simioni, Iago Turba Costa, Jakeline Baratto and Salman Shooshtarian

Atmosphere 2021, 12(11), 1453; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12111453 - 03 Nov 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2352

Abstract

Extensive urbanization around the world has resulted in the consumption of massive vegetated areas and natural resources. To this end, one strategy for urban development is to consolidate urban areas. In Balneário Camboriú/SC, Brazil, this trend has transformed the city into a vertical built-up area on its coastal strip, accommodating a large amount of buildings both in terms of quantity and number of floors. This research aims to quantify the thermo-hygrometric fluctuation on the waterfront of Balneário Camboriú, in negative radiation balance. To acquire the data on air temperature (Ta) and relative humidity (RH), two mobile transects and measuring at two fixed points were made in a situation of negative radiation balance on 26 August 2019, in the winter period of the Southern Hemisphere. The collection work began at 06:00:00 a.m. (before sunrise, the peak of the negative radiation balance), on Atlântica Avenue (waterfront) and Brasil Avenue (parallel to the waterfront). It was verified that the Ta varied from 16.0 °C to 19.0 °C, and the RH remained over 80% during the entire route. At the meteorological shelters, the temperature presented a variation from 14.4 °C to 17.7 °C, and the RH ranged from 79.6% to 91.3% between the two points. The spatial variability in the Ta and RH along the paths travelled and at the fixed points is directly related to the land cover, represented especially by the buildings’ verticalization and data collection time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cool Cities: Towards Sustainable and Healthy Urban Environments)

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25 pages, 12429 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of the Surface Urban Heat Island and Its Driving Factors Based on Local Climate Zones and Population in Beijing, China

by Yatong Zhang, Delong Li, Laibao Liu, Ze Liang, Jiashu Shen, Feili Wei and Shuangcheng Li

Atmosphere 2021, 12(10), 1271; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12101271 - 29 Sep 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 2916

Abstract

The increasing degree of urbanization has continuously aggravated the surface urban heat island (sUHI) effect in China. To investigate the correlation between spatiotemporal changes of sUHI and urbanization in Beijing, land surface temperature in summer from 2000 to 2017 and the distribution of local climate zones (LCZs) in 2003, 2005, 2010, and 2017 was retrieved using remote sensing data and used to analyze the sUHI area and intensity change. The statistical method GeoDetector was utilized to investigate the explanatory ability of LCZs and population as the driving factors. The year of 2006 was identified as the main turning year for sUHI evolution. The variation the sUHI from 2000 showed first an increasing trend, and then a decreasing one. The sUHI pattern changed before and after 2009. Before 2009, the sUHI mainly increased in the suburbs, and then, the enhancement area moved to the central area. The sUHI intensity change under different LCZ conversion conditions showed that the LCZ conversion influences the sUHI intensity significantly. Based on population distribution data, we found that the relationship between population density and sUHI gets weaker with increasing population density. The result of GeoDetector indicated that the LCZ is the main factor influencing the sUHI, but population density is an important auxiliary factor. This research reveals the sUHI variation pattern in Beijing from 2000 and could help city managers plan thermally comfortable urban environments with a better understanding of the effect of urban spatial form and population density on sUHIs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cool Cities: Towards Sustainable and Healthy Urban Environments)

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Review

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17 pages, 751 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

A Literature Review of Cooling Center, Misting Station, Cool Pavement, and Cool Roof Intervention Evaluations

by Flannery Black-Ingersoll, Julie de Lange, Leila Heidari, Abgel Negassa, Pilar Botana, M. Patricia Fabian and Madeleine K. Scammell

Atmosphere 2022, 13(7), 1103; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13071103 - 13 Jul 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4046

Abstract

Heat islands and warming temperatures are a growing global public health concern. Although cities are implementing cooling interventions, little is known about their efficacy. We conducted a literature review of field studies measuring the impact of urban cooling interventions, focusing on cooling centers, misting stations, cool pavements, and cool or green roofs. A total of 23 articles met the inclusion criteria. Studies of cooling centers measured the potential impact, based on evaluations of population proximity and heat-vulnerable populations. Reductions in temperature were reported for misting stations and cool pavements across a range of metrics. Misting station use was evaluated with temperature changes and user questionnaires. The benefits and disadvantages of each intervention are presented, and metrics for evaluating cooling interventions are compared. Gaps in the literature include a lack of measured impacts on personal thermal comfort, limited documentation on intervention costs, the need to standardize temperature metrics, and evaluation criteria. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cool Cities: Towards Sustainable and Healthy Urban Environments)

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