Mitigating air pollution and the urban heat island effect – impact on the living conditions of inhabitants

Abstract This is a review article indicating the direction of further research. It is a fragment of broader research aimed at assessing the effectiveness of solutions for improving living conditions in European cities. Among the analysed issues are those related to the phenomena of smog and urban heat island in the context of global warming. The interdependence of these phenomena was pointed out and the excess death rate was adopted to assess their impact on the living conditions of residents. The aim of the article was achieved based on a review of domestic and foreign literature on the subject and documents, as well as by means of comparative analysis. The study covered living conditions in European cities with reference to the global context, due to the global nature of climate change and the common occurrence of smog and urban heat island phenomena. In the conclusion of this article, the author indicates that although there are some premises for the positive impact of climate change in the studied scope, further research is needed on their influence, assessment of the solutions used and the degree of their adaptation to local climatic conditions.