New York City: Understanding the Interconnected Factors of the Urban Heat Island Effect

The Urban Livablility Index (ULI) is a spatial model that measures the impact of the urban heat island effect on New York City from an engineering and socioeconomic perspective. The ULI is a function of the intensity of the urban heat island effect, peak electricity load connected to the air emissions and the identification of at-risk populations using a weighted framework. The second phase of the research objective is to understand how existing technologies such bioswales, green roofs and increased vegetation can mitigate the UHI effects. Extreme temperatures and consequent electricity blackouts or brownouts create an environment of increased vulnerability to the effects of heat and heat-related illness and death. Scholarship on urban climates around the world indicates that increasing permeable and/or vegetated surfaces can modify urban micro climates, reducing surface air temperature and improving air quality. Therefore, the primary objective of this research is to examine the effects of UHI from an interconnected perspective providing better insights into the challenges and developing solutions for mitigation.