Heat Island Science Corner
This page provides links to reports, research papers, and presentations on urban heat islands, including impacts of the heat island effect, case studies, potential benefits of mitigation strategies, and more. Please note that the inclusion of a paper or presentation on this page does not imply endorsement by EPA.
We welcome suggestions for additional papers, reports, and presentations to include on this page; please use the form on the Contact Us page to submit your suggestions.
| Subject | Reference | Topic | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago's Urban Heat Island | Gray, K. A. and Finster, M. E. 1999. The Urban Heat Island, Photochemical Smog, and Chicago: Local Features of the Problem and Solution. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University. | Measuring Heat Islands | link |
| Guidance on Meteorological Observations in Urban Areas | Oke, T.R. 2006. Initial Guidance to Obtain Representative Meteorological Observations at Urban Sites. IOM Report No.81, WMO/TD. No. 1250. Geneva, Switzerland: World Meteorological Organization. | Measuring Heat Islands | link |
| Homology Mapping Technique for Heat Island Mitigation | Douglas, S. G.; Hudischewskyj, A. B.; and Lundgren, J. R. 2001. Development and Implementation of a Homology Mapping Technique to Aid the Selection of Cities for Modeling of the Effects of Urban Heat Island Mitigation Measures on Ozone Air Quality. SYSAPP-01-008. San Rafael, CA: ICF Consulting/Systems Applications International, Inc. | Measuring Heat Islands | link |
| Measuring Cool Roof Benefits | Synnefaa, A.; Santamourisa, M.; and Akbari, H. 2007. Estimating the effect of using cool coatings on energy loads and thermal comfort in residential buildings in various climatic conditions. Energy and Buildings, Vol 39, Issue 11 (November 2007), pp. 1167-1174. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2007.01.004. | Measuring Heat Islands | link |
| Salt Lake City Fabric Analysis | Akbari, H. and Rose, L. S. 2001. Characterizing the Fabric of the Urban Environment: A Case Study of Salt Lake City, Utah. LBNL-47851. Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. | Measuring Heat Islands | link |
| Siting of Meteorological Instruments in Urban Areas | Oke, T.R., 2007. Siting and exposure of meteorological instruments at urban sites. In: Air Pollution Modeling and its Application XVII, Borrego, C. and A.-L. Norman, (eds.), Springer, 615-632. (A draft version is available as: Oke, T.R. 2004. Siting and exposure of meteorological instruments at urban sites. 27th NATO/CCMS International Technical Meeting on Air Pollution Modelling and its Application, Banff, 25-29 October, 2004. To be published by Kluwer.) | Measuring Heat Islands | link |
| Air Quality Benefits of Heat Island Mitigation | Akbari, H. 2005. Energy Saving Potentials and Air Quality Benefits of Urban Heat Island Mitigation. LBNL-58285. Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. | Heat Island Mitigation | link |
| Air Quality Benefits of Heat Island Mitigation | Taha, H.; Chang, S.; and Akbari, H. 2000. Meteorological and Air Quality Impacts of Heat Island Mitigation Measures in Three U.S. Cities. LBNL-44222. Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. | Heat Island Mitigation | link |
| Heat-health Benefits of Urban Heat Island Mitigation | Taha, H.; Kalkstein, L.; Sheridan, S.; and Wong, E. 2004. The potential of urban environmental control in alleviating heat-wave health effects in five U.S. regions. Paper J4.3, 16th Symposium on Biometeorology and Aerobiology, American Meteorological Society, Vancouver BC, August 2004. | Heat Island Mitigation | link |
| Urban Heat Island Mitigation Analysis in New York City | Rosenzweig, C.; Solecki, W.; and Slosberg, R. 2006. Mitigating New York City’s Heat Island with Urban Forestry, Living Roofs, and Light Surfaces. Report 06-06. Albany, NY: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. | Heat Island Mitigation | link |
| Urban Heat Island Mitigation Effects on Air Quality in California | Taha, H. 2008. Urban surface modification as a potential ozone air-quality improvement strategy in California: A mesoscale modeling study. Boundary-Layer Meteorology, Vol 127, No. 2 (May 2008), pp. 219-239. doi:10.1007/s10546-007-9259-5 | Heat Island Mitigation | link |
| Urban Heat Island Mitigation Effects on Air Quality in Houston | Taha, H. 2008. Episodic performance and sensitivity of the urbanized MM5 (uMM5) to perturbations in surface properties in Houston TX. Boundary-Layer Meteorology, Vol. 127, No. 2 (May 2008), pp. 193-218. doi:10.1007/s10546-007-9258-6. | Heat Island Mitigation | link |
| Urban Heat Island Mitigation Effects on Air Quality in Northeast U.S. | Hudischewskyj, A. B.; Douglas, S. G.; and Lundgren, J. R. 2001. Meteorological and Air Quality Modeling to Further Examine the Effects of Urban Heat Island Mitigation Measures on Several Cities in the Northeastern U.S.. SYSAPP-01-001. San Rafael, CA: ICF Consulting/Systems Applications International, Inc. | Heat Island Mitigation | link |
| Urban Heat Island Mitigation Effects on Energy in Toronto | Konopacki, S. and Akbari, H. 2001. Energy Impacts of Heat Island Reduction Strategies in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. LBNL-49172. Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. | Heat Island Mitigation | link |
| Urban Heat Island Mitigation Strategies | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2008. Reducing Urban Heat Islands: Compendium of Strategies. [insert EPA pub number when available] Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. | Heat Island Mitigation | link |
| Green Roof Building Performance Field Study | Cummings, J.B.; Withers, C.R.; Sonne, J.; Parker, D.; and Vieira, R.K. 2007. UCF Recommissioning, Green Roofing Technology, and Building Science Training; Final Report. Cocoa, FL: Florida Solar Energy Center. | Green Roofs | link |
| Green Roof Industry Survey 2004 & 2005 | Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. 2007. Final Report, Green Roof Industry Survey, 2006. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. | Green Roofs | link |
| Benefits of Cool Roofs | Akbari, H.; Pomerantz, M.; and Taha, H. 2001. Cool surfaces and shade trees to reduce energy use and improve air quality in urban areas. Solar Energy, Vol 70, No. 3, pp. 295–310. | Cool Roofs | link |
| Cool Roofs Energy Savings Potential | Konopacki, S.; Akbari, H.; Pomerantz, M.; Gabersek, S.; and Gartland, L. 1997. Cooling Energy Savings Potential of Light-Colored Roofs for Residential and Commercial Buildings in 11 U.S. Metropolitan Areas. LBNL-39433. Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. | Cool Roofs | link |
| Benefits of Cool Pavements | Akbari, H.; Pomerantz, M.; and Taha, H. 2001. Cool surfaces and shade trees to reduce energy use and improve air quality in urban areas. Solar Energy, Vol 70, No. 3, pp. 295–310. | Cool Pavements | link |
| Cool Pavement Report - EPA Cool Pavements Study | Cambridge Systematics, Inc., 2005. Cool Pavement Report: EPA Cool Pavements Study, Task 5. Chevy Chase, MD: Cambridge Systematics, Inc. | Cool Pavements | link |
| Pavement Reflectance Report | Levinson, R. and Akbari, H. 2001. Effects of Composition and Exposure on the Solar Reflectance of Portland Cement Concrete. LBNL-48334. Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. | Cool Pavements | link |
| Chicago's Urban Heat Island | Gray, K. A. and Finster, M. E. 1999. The Urban Heat Island, Photochemical Smog, and Chicago: Local Features of the Problem and Solution. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University. | Local Studies | link |
| Salt Lake City Fabric Analysis | Akbari, H. and Rose, L. S. 2001. Characterizing the Fabric of the Urban Environment: A Case Study of Salt Lake City, Utah. LBNL-47851. Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. | Local Studies | link |
| Urban Heat Island Mitigation Analysis in New York City | Rosenzweig, C.; Solecki, W.; and Slosberg, R. 2006. Mitigating New York City’s Heat Island with Urban Forestry, Living Roofs, and Light Surfaces. Report 06-06. Albany, NY: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. | Local Studies | link |
| Urban Heat Island Mitigation Effects on Air Quality in California | Taha, H. 2008. Urban surface modification as a potential ozone air-quality improvement strategy in California: A mesoscale modeling study. Boundary-Layer Meteorology, Vol 127, No. 2 (May 2008), pp. 219-239. doi:10.1007/s10546-007-9259-5 | Local Studies | link |
| Urban Heat Island Mitigation Effects on Air Quality in Houston | Taha, H. 2008. Episodic performance and sensitivity of the urbanized MM5 (uMM5) to perturbations in surface properties in Houston TX. Boundary-Layer Meteorology, Vol. 127, No. 2 (May 2008), pp. 193-218. doi:10.1007/s10546-007-9258-6. | Local Studies | link |
| Urban Heat Island Mitigation Effects on Air Quality in Northeast U.S. | Hudischewskyj, A. B.; Douglas, S. G.; and Lundgren, J. R. 2001. Meteorological and Air Quality Modeling to Further Examine the Effects of Urban Heat Island Mitigation Measures on Several Cities in the Northeastern U.S.. SYSAPP-01-001. San Rafael, CA: ICF Consulting/Systems Applications International, Inc. | Local Studies | link |
| Urban Heat Island Mitigation Effects on Energy in Toronto | Konopacki, S. and Akbari, H. 2001. Energy Impacts of Heat Island Reduction Strategies in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. LBNL-49172. Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. | Local Studies | link |
| Arizona State University Pavements/Materials Conference(Tempe, Arizona, November 2010) | Asphalt and concrete pavement technology, recent innovations in pavement design and construction management, and updates on federal pavement performance research. Papers and presentations are available by clicking on the individual days listed in the conference agenda. | Papers, presentations, posters, and summaries from conferences and other meetings; Emerging Science | link |
| American Meteorological Society, Ninth Annual Symposium on the Urban Environment(Keystone, Colorado, August 2010) | Urban energy balance, extreme heat events, urban heat islands, urban precipitation patterns, measurements in the urban environment, modeling and forecasting, heat island mitigation, and other topics. | Papers, presentations, posters, and summaries from conferences and other meetings; Emerging Science | link |
| Second International Conference on Countermeasures to Urban Heat Islands (Berkeley, California, September 2009) | Measuring heat islands, pavements, reflective materials, building design, vegetation, air modeling, urban planning, quality of life and health, policies, and more. | Papers, presentations, posters, and summaries from conferences and other meetings; Emerging Science | link |
| Seventh International Conference on the Urban Climate(Yokohama, Japan, June 2009) | Measurements of airflow, exchange processes, building climates, climate performance of impervious surfaces, climate performance of urban parks and plants, design and planning, maps and tools, impacts of climate change on cities, urban impacts on precipitation, urban heat islands, urban heat island mitigation, and more. | Papers, presentations, posters, and summaries from conferences and other meetings; Emerging Science | link |
| American Meteorological Society, Eighth Symposium on the Urban Environment(Phoenix, Arizona, January 2009) | Urban energy balance, urban heat islands, urban precipitation patterns, measurements in the urban environment, modeling and forecasting, heat island mitigation, and other topics. | Papers, presentations, posters, and summaries from conferences and other meetings; Emerging Science | link |
| American Meteorological Society, Seventh Symposium on the Urban Environment(San Diego, California, September 2007) | Coastal urban environments, heat island trends and comparisons, heat island mitigation, heat island modeling, and more. | Papers, presentations, posters, and summaries from conferences and other meetings; Emerging Science | link |
| International Workshop on Countermeasures to Urban Heat Islands (Tokyo, August 2006) | Environmental impacts of heat islands, current state and future prospects of research and development, and current state and future policies to reduce heat island effects. | Papers, presentations, posters, and summaries from conferences and other meetings; Emerging Science | link |