Measuring and monitoring urban heat island effects and high resolution heat mapping in urban environment – and some interesting adaptation stories

Speaker: Prof. Tzu-Ping LIN - Distinguished Professor, Department of Architecture, Vice Dean, College of Planning and Design, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan

In order to correctly measure the air temperature in the city, we are challenged not only by the accuracy of the instruments, but also by the battle with monkeys and bees. Through our urban heat island observations, we have also discovered many unexpected phenomena: large parks cool neighborhoods up to 400 meters, but small, scattered parks cool the surrounding area better. Rooftop gardens are more valuable for building energy savings than urban cooling, while roofs with highly reflective paint may have a negative impact! In Tainan City, Taiwan, the center of high temperature is not fixed at one place, but it makes a big circle from the coast to the inland every morning and evening! By understanding the systemic problems of urban heat, we can mitigate the urban heat island for better quality of life in the city.

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