A Sustainable Urban Engineering Complexity: The Built Environment-Induced Urban Heat Island Effect in Rapidly Urbanizing Regions

Abstract

Increased development in the front of infrastructural activities, something that is especially being witnessed in developing countries in the past few decades, has resulted in unforeseen increases in urban air temperatures. The study was conducted to get the various urban infrastructure measurements used to assess the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. Shrinking vegetation in urban spaces also plays a significant role. Hence, vegetation metrics have also been studied to provide a holistic interpretation of the phenomena. Overall, the studies indicate that increasing albedo values and vegetation can reduce UHII. A reduction in building density, urban size, and population can play a role in reducing UHII. Building height, Canyon H/W, and SVF need to be optimized to achieve UHI mitigation. A study conducted in 5 cities in Tamil Nadu revealed that the city with the highest population density recorded the highest average daily high dry bulb temperature (DBT). However, further cities did not follow a similar pattern. Hence, the importance of studying various metrics in tandem is important to understand the climate wholistically. The research gap identified in the studies shows the need to study material properties other than just albedo values. These may include thermal conductivity, diffusivity, emissivity, heat evolution, and rheological properties of materials, along with physical and mechanical properties. There is a potential for a part of sustainable development goals to be met through enhancing material properties that can mitigate the UHI effect.