{"id":40113,"date":"2025-08-11T12:45:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T12:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=40113"},"modified":"2025-08-21T04:00:55","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T04:00:55","slug":"inside-an-urban-heat-island-one-street-can-be-much-hotter-than-its-neighbor-new-tech-makes-it-easier-to-target-cooling-projects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/inside-an-urban-heat-island-one-street-can-be-much-hotter-than-its-neighbor-new-tech-makes-it-easier-to-target-cooling-projects\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside an urban heat island, one street can be much hotter than its neighbor \u2013 new tech makes it easier to target cooling&nbsp;projects"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/dan-obrien-2435993\">Dan O&#8217;Brien<\/a>, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/northeastern-university-1644\">Northeastern University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s summer, and it\u2019s been hot, even in northern cities such as Boston. But not everyone is hit with the heat <a href=\"https:\/\/mitpress.mit.edu\/9780262550802\/the-pointillistic-city\/\">in the same way<\/a>, even within the same neighborhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take two streets in Boston at 4:30 p.m. <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CityOfBoston\/status\/1948413606028021855\">on a recent day<\/a>, as an example. Standing in the sun on Lewis Place, the temperature was 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34.6 degrees Celsius). On Dudley Common, it was 103 F (39.2 C). Both streets were hot, but the temperature on one was much more dangerous for people\u2019s health and well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The kicker is that those two streets are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/@42.3240871,-71.0744246,17z?entry=ttu&amp;g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDcyMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D\">only a few blocks apart<\/a>. The difference epitomizes the urban heat island effect, created <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jenvman.2017.03.095\">as pavement and buildings absorb and trap heat<\/a>, making some parts of the city hotter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/684113\/original\/file-20250805-56-ajd1ee.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"A clement-and-brick open space with a few trees to one side, but mostly open to the sun and surrounded by dark, paved streets.\"\/><figcaption>The shade of a few nearby trees doesn\u2019t keep Dudley Common from heating up several degrees more than neighboring streets. Dan O&#8217;Brien<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A closer look at the two streets shows some key differences:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Dudley Common is public open space sandwiched between two thoroughfares that create a wide expanse of pavement lined with storefronts. There aren\u2019t many trees to be found.<\/li><li>Lewis Place is a residential cul-de-sac with two-story homes accompanied by lots of trees.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This comparison of two places within a few minutes\u2019 walk of each other puts the urban heat island effect under a microscope. It also shows the limits of today\u2019s strategies for managing and responding to heat and its effects on public health, which are generally attuned to neighborhood or citywide conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/684129\/original\/file-20250806-56-iy6bvl.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"A map showing part of Roxbury, Mass., with circles around two blocks\"\/><figcaption>The top circle is Dudley Common. The bottom is Lewis Place, where trees keep the cul-de-sac several degrees cooler. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/Dudley+Town+Common\/@42.3243093,-71.0751546,336m\/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x89e37a37c7851d53:0x610306962a9d809!8m2!3d42.3265302!4d-71.0754975!16s%2Fg%2F1tjmfnx7?entry=ttu&amp;g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDczMC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D\">Imagery \u00a92025 Airbus Maxar Technologies, map data Google \u00a92025<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Even within the same neighborhood, <a href=\"https:\/\/mitpress.mit.edu\/9780262550802\/the-pointillistic-city\/\">some places are much hotter than others owing to their design and infrastructure<\/a>. You could think of these as urban heat islets in the broader landscape of a community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Sensing urban heat islets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Emerging technologies are making it easier to find urban heat islets, opening the door to new strategies for improving health in our communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the idea of reducing heat across an entire city or neighborhood is daunting, targeting specific blocks that need assistance the most can be faster and a much more efficient use of resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Doing that starts with making urban heat islets visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Boston, I\u2019m part of a team that has installed more than three dozen sensors across the Roxbury neighborhood to measure temperature every minute for a better picture of the community\u2019s heat risks, and we\u2019re in the process of installing 25 more. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.commonsensesproject.org\">Common SENSES project<\/a> is a collaboration of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dsni.org\/\">community-based<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.projectrightinc.org\/\">organizations<\/a>, including the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dsni.org\/\">Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.projectrightinc.org\/\">Project Right Inc.<\/a>; university <a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=935Cc7wAAAAJ&amp;hl=en\">researchers like me<\/a> who are affiliated with Northeastern University\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bostonarearesearchinitiative.net\">Boston Area Research Initiative<\/a>; and Boston <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.gov\/departments\/emerging-technology\">city officials<\/a>. It was created to pursue data-driven, community-led solutions for improving the local environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Data from those sensors generate a real-time map of the conditions in the neighborhood, from urban heat islets like Dudley Common to cooler urban oases, such as Lewis Place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/684133\/original\/file-20250806-66-vr3roi.PNG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"A map showing temperatures in different neighborhoods\"\/><figcaption>Temperature varied substantially in Boston\u2019s Roxbury neighborhood at 4:30 p.m. on July 25, 2025. These are some of the readings captured by the Common SENSES heat sensors. Common SENSES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These technologies are becoming increasingly affordable and are being deployed in communities around the world to pinpoint heat risks, including <a href=\"https:\/\/environment.fiu.edu\/slsc\/resources\/_assets\/shading-dade---heat-resource-guide-summer-2021.pdf\">Miami<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baltimoresustainability.org\/urban-heat-island-sensors\/\">Baltimore<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/cityperspectives.smu.edu.sg\/sites\/wcs-2024\/smu-landing\/cooling-singapore-2.0.html?t=1748649600085\">Singapore<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/web.ub.edu\/en\/web\/ciencia-ciutadana\/croniques-calor\">Barcelona<\/a>. There are also alternatives when long-term installations prove too expensive, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heat.gov\/pages\/mapping-campaigns\">U.S.\u2019s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration volunteer science campaign<\/a>, which has used mobile sensors to generate one-time heat maps for more than 50 cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Making cooler communities, block by block<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Although detailed knowledge of urban heat islets is becoming more available, we have barely scratched the surface of how they can be used to enhance people\u2019s health and well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sources of urban heat islets are rooted in development \u2013 more buildings, more pavement and fewer trees result in hotter spaces. Many projects using community-based sensors aspire to use the data to counteract these effects by identifying places where it would be most helpful to plant <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/urban-trees-vs-cool-roofs-whats-the-best-way-for-cities-to-beat-the-heat-260188\">trees for shade or install cool roofs<\/a> or cool pavement that reflect the heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/684335\/original\/file-20250806-66-e641p6.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"Two men in reflective construction vests paint a stretch of road a light color. The difference between the dark and light is evident.\"\/><figcaption>Workers in Los Angeles apply a cool pavement coating to reflect heat rather than absorbing it. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/jordan-avenue-north-of-hart-street-is-getting-a-new-surface-news-photo\/1166648116?show-asset-scope=true\">John McCoy\/MediaNews Group\/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Image<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>However, these current efforts do not fully capitalize on the precision of sensors. For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/developingresilience.uli.org\/case\/cool-surfaces-roofs-and-roads\/\">Los Angeles\u2019 massive investment in cool pavement<\/a> has focused on the city broadly rather than overheated neighborhoods. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/2399808317737071\">New York City\u2019s tree planting<\/a> efforts in some areas failed to anticipate where trees could be successfully planted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most other efforts compare neighborhood to neighborhood, as if every street within a neighborhood experiences the same temperature. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arup.com\/en-us\/news\/londons-most-extreme-urban-heat-island-hot-spot-compared-to-five-other-global-cities-in-new-survey\/\">London, for example<\/a>, uses satellite data to locate heat islands, but the resolution isn\u2019t precise enough to see differences block by block.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast, data pinpointing the highest-risk areas enables urban planners to strategically place <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acsa-arch.org\/chapter\/decentralizing-infrastructure-expanding-architecturalpractice-towards-equity-and-health\/\">small pocket parks, cool roofs and street trees<\/a> to help cool the hottest spaces. Cities <a href=\"https:\/\/louisvilleky.gov\/government\/sustainability\/cool-roof-incentive-program\">could incentivize<\/a> or require developers to incorporate greenery into their plans to mitigate existing urban heat islets or prevent new ones. These targeted interventions are cost-effective and have the greatest potential <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-023-36850-6\">to help the most people<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/467655\/original\/file-20220608-14-440sdy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"Two maps of New York City show how vegetation matches cooler areas by temperature.\"\/><figcaption>Comparing maps of New York\u2019s vegetation and temperature shows the cooling effect of parks and neighborhoods with more trees. In the map on the left, lighter colors are areas with fewer trees. Light areas in the map on the right are hotter. <a href=\"https:\/\/climate.nasa.gov\/faq\/44\/can-you-explain-the-urban-heat-island-effect\/\">NASA\/USGS Landsat<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But this could go further by using the data to create more sophisticated alert systems. For example, the National Weather Service\u2019s Boston office released a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo\/?fbid=1065150389123290&amp;set=a.237876368517367\">heat advisory for July 25<\/a>, the day I measured the heat in Dudley Common and Lewis Place, but the advisory showed nearly the entirety of the state of Massachusetts at the same warning level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>What if warnings were more locally precise?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On certain days, some streets cross a crucial threshold \u2013 say, 90 F (32.2 C) \u2013 whereas others do not. Sensor data capturing these hyperlocal variations could be communicated directly to residents or through local organizations. Advisories could share maps of the hottest streets or <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.17352\/2455-488X.000073\">suggest cool paths through neighborhoods<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/684347\/original\/file-20250806-56-3n0cff.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"A street with trees.\"\/><figcaption>Trees in the yards of homes on Lewis Place in Roxbury help keep the street several degrees cooler than nearby paved open spaces such as Dudley Common. Dan O&#8217;Brien<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There is increasing evidence of urban heat islets <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/su15042984\">in many urban communities<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/2017EF000569\">even suburban ones<\/a>. With data showing these hyperlocal risks, policymakers and project coordinators can collaborate with communities to help address areas that many community members know from experience tend to be much hotter than surrounding areas in summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As one of my colleagues, Nicole Flynt of Project Right Inc., likes to say, \u201cData + Stories = Truth.\u201d If communities act upon both the temperature data and the stories their residents share, they can help their residents keep cool \u2014 because it\u2019s hot out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/dan-obrien-2435993\">Dan O&#8217;Brien<\/a>, Professor of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and Director of the Boston Area Research Initiative, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/northeastern-university-1644\">Northeastern University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/inside-an-urban-heat-island-one-street-can-be-much-hotter-than-its-neighbor-new-tech-makes-it-easier-to-target-cooling-projects-261917\">original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dan O&#8217;Brien, Northeastern University It\u2019s summer, and it\u2019s been hot, even in northern cities such as Boston. But not everyone is hit with the heat in the same way, even within the same neighborhood. Take two streets in Boston at 4:30 p.m. on a recent day, as an example. Standing in the sun on Lewis [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":40114,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1862,42,10,118,3410,15533],"tags":[450,6666,1128,4701,885,891,886,860,6366,9312,5518,2076,5102,13853,6244],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40113"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/56"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40113"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40113\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40204,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40113\/revisions\/40204"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}