A Bicycle-Based Field Measurement System for the Study of Thermal Exposure in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA

Rajkovich, Nicholas B.; Larsen, Larissa

doi:10.3390/ijerph13020159

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A Bicycle-Based Field Measurement System for the Study of Thermal Exposure in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA

Nicholas B. Rajkovich

^1,* and

Larissa Larsen

School of Architecture and Planning, University at Buffalo, 114 Diefendorf Hall, Buffalo, New York, NY 14214, USA

Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Michigan, 2000 Bonisteel Boulevard, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Academic Editors: P. Grady Dixon and Scott Sheridan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13(2), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13020159

Received: 1 October 2015 / Revised: 5 January 2016 / Accepted: 21 January 2016 / Published: 25 January 2016

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technology, Data, and the Assessment of Atmospheric Exposure on Finer Scales)

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Abstract

Collecting a fine scale of microclimate data can help to determine how physical characteristics (e.g., solar radiation, albedo, sky view factor, vegetation) contribute to human exposure to ground and air temperatures. These data also suggest how urban design strategies can reduce the negative impacts of the urban heat island effect. However, urban microclimate measurement poses substantial challenges. For example, data taken at local airports are not representative of the conditions at the neighborhood or district level because of variation in impervious surfaces, vegetation, and waste heat from vehicles and buildings. In addition, fixed weather stations cannot be deployed quickly to capture data from a heat wave. While remote sensing can provide data on land cover and ground surface temperatures, resolution and cost remain significant limitations. This paper describes the design and validation of a mobile measurement bicycle. This bicycle permits movement from space to space within a city to assess the physical and thermal properties of microclimates. The construction of the vehicle builds on investigations of the indoor thermal environment of buildings using thermal comfort carts. View Full-Text

Keywords: urban heat island; heat wave; heat health; thermal exposure

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Rajkovich, N.B.; Larsen, L. A Bicycle-Based Field Measurement System for the Study of Thermal Exposure in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13, 159. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13020159

AMA Style

Rajkovich NB, Larsen L. A Bicycle-Based Field Measurement System for the Study of Thermal Exposure in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2016; 13(2):159. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13020159

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rajkovich, Nicholas B., and Larissa Larsen. 2016. "A Bicycle-Based Field Measurement System for the Study of Thermal Exposure in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 13, no. 2: 159. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13020159

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A Bicycle-Based Field Measurement System for the Study of Thermal Exposure in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA

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