Examining the Relationship between Urban Sprawl and Heat Island Intensification through a Sustainable Urban Management Approach

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of GIS, School of Surveying and Geospatial Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of GIS, School of Surveying and Geospatial Information, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

3 Faculty of Civil Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran

10.22059/jtcp.2025.384081.670477

Abstract

Urban sprawl is recognized as a distinct and irregular pattern of city growth, with significant consequences across economic, social, and environmental domains. This study explores the relationship between the expansion of built-up areas and the intensification of urban heat islands, a key consequence of urban sprawl. To achieve this, Landsat satellite imagery was used to generate land surface temperature (LST) maps for Houston, United States, spanning from 2017 to 2023. Additionally, land cover maps of the study area were created using a machine learning algorithm, yielding an accuracy of 94.31%. The normalized Shannon entropy values of 0.9271 for 2017 and 0.9314 for 2023 indicate a marked dispersion of built-up areas and the continued expansion of urban sprawl over this period. A comparison of land cover and LST maps reveals a 3.84°C increase in the temperature of built-up areas during the study period. Moreover, the temperature difference of 4.41°C between built-up areas and surrounding non-built areas highlights the severity of heat islands exacerbated by construction growth. The substantial rise in temperature associated with urban development and its contribution to the formation of urban heat islands emphasize the need for effective urban management and planning to mitigate the impacts of urban sprawl and promote sustainable development.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Town and Country Planning

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 07 January 2025

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History

  • Receive Date: 23 October 2024
  • Revise Date: 30 November 2024
  • Accept Date: 07 January 2025

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