The Role of Urban Green Spaces in Mitigating Urban Heat Island Effect Amidst Climate Change

As climate change accelerates, urban heat islands (UHIs) are becoming an increasing threat to public health and well-being in cities globally. UHIs occur when urban built environments absorb and retain more heat than surrounding rural areas due to the prevalence of heat-retaining materials like concrete and asphalt and waste heat from vehicles, buildings and industry. This results in significantly higher temperatures in cities compared to nearby rural regions. Urban green spaces such as parks, gardens, urban forests, green roofs and community farms can help mitigate the UHI effect through shading, evapotranspiration and converting impervious surfaces to permeable vegetation. This study reviews the literature on the ability of various urban green spaces to reduce ambient temperatures, to improve thermal comfort and to provide refuge to urban residents during extreme heat events, which are projected to increase with climate change. An analysis of research case studies quantifies the potential temperature reduction capacity of urban vegetation and identifies key principles and guidelines for designing climate-adaptive urban green spaces to regulate urban microclimates amidst global climate change effectively.