Research project UrbEaT

The study looks at how urban development affects on the intensity of urban heat islands - areas with excessive temperatures that are harmful to human health (read more), and how the adverse effects of heat islands can be offset by expanding urban greenery and water reservoirs in Beijing and Warsaw.

Climate change is resulting in an increase in air temperature near the earth's surface, which is particularly acute in urban areas.

Cities are under pressure from rapid development, which accelerates the urban heat island effect. Urban greenery and water bodies can mitigate the heat effect, but due to multiple economic and social pressures, proper planning of green spaces in cities is proving to be a difficult task. 

In addition, cities are still experiencing steady, rapid growth, so it is important to plan development appropriately and minimize the urban heat island effect.

The study will examine two cities, Beijing and Warsaw. First, land-use simulations will be performed to detect the spatial and temporal characteristics of urban heat islands in both cities. 

On this basis, it will be determined to what extent the impact of urban greenery could be enhanced by water reservoirs in Beijing and Warsaw.

Next, residents' perceptions of thermal comfort, using an app on their cell phones, will be investigated. This will help determine thermal comfort in areas with different levels of urban greenery during hot weather. 

In addition, perceptions of the ecosystem services provided by greenery and water will be analyzed to understand the social determinants of mitigating the urban heat island effect.

Subsequently, simulations on spatial data will be combined with data on the perception of thermal comfort, which will allow the development of guidelines on how to level urban heat islands for both cities.

The results of the research project include datasets of air temperature near the surface over Beijing and Warsaw, as well as data analysis and comparisons of thermal conditions in Beijing and Warsaw. Analyses of residents' thermal comfort and their perceptions of urban heat islands will also be collected to understand how this topic is perceived by residents of these cities.

The results will lead to the development of planning solutions allowing heat island mitigation in the future development of both cities. 

Proposed solutions will be confronted with stakeholder assessments and will lead to the development of recommendations for urban planning policies in China and Poland.