What is the Urban Heat Island Effect?

There are many reasons why parks, forests and greenery are important but one incredibly prominent reason is the urban heat island effect.

Whether or not you’ve heard the term, city livers will no doubt know the phenomenon all too well. Typically, large cities like London are warmer than the less densely populated areas around them. This is the urban heat island effect.

The reasons of the rise in temperature are numerous; dense traffic, high energy usage, pollution, building design and lack of vegetation.

In the same way as how the clothes you wear impact how you regulate temperature; when buildings are erected, the dark surfaces and pavements are often designed in a way that absorbs light (and therefore gives off heat). Unfortunately, a lot of buildings are in place already that make this a self-sustaining issue. That’s not helpful!

The issue of trapped heat in these areas is a difficult one to resolve. In part, it comes down to the way cities were (and are) planned. Of course, the issue only escalates as the 3-4°C temperature difference leads to more tech being used to cool down. The extra air cons, fans and such lead to higher energy consumption, which in turn leads to more fuel being used and even more greenhouse gasses being produced.

Fortunately, there are ways to mitigate this. Factors that are desperately in need of consideration. 2020 has been a hot year and with most of us indoors, it has been more noticeable than ever. Vegetation makes a massive difference thanks to evaporative cooling; cities using green space effectively lead to cooler and cleaner air. Now is the time for major cities to start adopting green roof initiatives. This combined with a transition from dark coloured coatings to more reflectional ones could make a world of difference, literally in fact.

The Busy Papa

Also known as Aaron, The Busy Papa focuses on lifestyle, parenting and personal wellbeing content. He has two decades experience in creative writing (including several published poems) and strongly dislikes (though tolerates) tomatoes.