Cities are getting warmer...

Ever wonder why a metropolitan or downtown area of a city is significantly warmer than its surrounding area? Well, due to rapid urbanization and increased congestion in downtown cores, we have been introduced to the concept of the "urban heat island enhancement". Such a concept explains why metropolitan areas are warmer than its surrounding area.

The elementary science behind it is as follows: cities possess large landscapes with buildings and infrastructure confined to an area. The pollution created from these urban areas stays within the city limits because of the compacted and confined landscape. Urban landscapes usually possess impervious surfaces like cement and asphalt, and when precipitation does not soak into urban landscapes, it isn’t available to absorb heat, evaporate and thus cool the environment. Cities then keep the heat inside, and the climate disallows the warm temperature to escape, this causes pollutants and air pollution to form, hover and reside over the city. Increasing urban temperatures and the extent of the urban heat island are projected to augment as a city's population booms.

I did a case study last year researching the water and climate conditions of California. Cities like Los Angeles and San Diego are experiencing the urban heat island enhancement. Does this mean that urban planners and engineers are going to have to install more water fountains and cooling stations within the city limits? Maybe, but mitigating pollution levels and other harmful pollutants is a whole other ball game.