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Urban heat island (UHI) variations within a city boundary: A systematic literature review

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  • Kim, Se Woong
  • Brown, Robert D.

Abstract

Urban heat islands (UHI) in a city tend to vary with changes in time and space. To effectively cope with the accelerating intensity of UHI due to global warming and the resulting damage, it is essential to accurately analyze and understand the spatial and temporal variations of UHI. This study conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) to better understand how existing studies have classified and analyzed UHI variations. Research trends and limitations related to UHI variation were reviewed focusing on 55 studies extracted through a five-stage protocol to identify critical studies. The selected studies were analyzed and synthesized in detail. The results showed that studies use different research ranges, data collection methods, analysis, and prediction models depending on the type of UHI variation. These results also indicate that studies have not used universal and specific protocols that apply to UHI variations. To address the limitations of these studies, it is necessary to develop more specific UHI research design methods and an analytical model that reflects the three-dimensional elements of the collected data. In addition, researchers should develop indexes to explain the spatial and temporal variations of UHIs. Further studies can help establish policies and planning codes to counter the spatiotemporal variability of UHIs.

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  • Kim, Se Woong & Brown, Robert D., 2021. "Urban heat island (UHI) variations within a city boundary: A systematic literature review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:148:y:2021:i:c:s1364032121005438
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2021.111256
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    3. Bohua Ling & Jiani Huang & Chengtao Luo, 2025. "Gradient-Specific Park Cooling Mechanisms for Sustainable Urban Heat Mitigation: A Multi-Method Synthesis of Causal Inference, Machine Learning and Geographical Detector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-21, June.
    4. Tehrani, Alireza Attarhay & Sobhaninia, Saeideh & Nikookar, Niloofar & Levinson, Ronnen & Sailor, David J. & Amaripadath, Deepak, 2025. "Data-driven approach to estimate urban heat island impacts on building energy consumption," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 316(C).
    5. Ante Seletković & Martina Kičić & Mario Ančić & Jelena Kolić & Renata Pernar, 2023. "The Urban Heat Island Analysis for the City of Zagreb in the Period 2013–2022 Utilizing Landsat 8 Satellite Imagery," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-13, February.
    6. Wei Dong & Jinxiu Wu & Yanxiang Yang & Shuyu Shen, 2025. "Investigating the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Campus Surface Heat Island with High-Resolution Thermal Infrared Imaging," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-29, May.
    7. Acosta-Fernández, G.A. & Martínez-Torres, K.E. & González-Trevizo, M.E. & Santamouris, M., 2025. "Advances in urban mapping of local climate zones for heat mitigation: A systematic review," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    8. Junqing Wei & Yonghua Li & Liqi Jia & Benteng Liu & Yuehan Jiang, 2025. "The Impact of Spatiotemporal Effect and Relevant Factors on the Urban Thermal Environment Through the XGBoost-SHAP Model," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-25, February.
    9. SangHyeok Lee & Donghyun Kim, 2022. "Multidisciplinary Understanding of the Urban Heating Problem and Mitigation: A Conceptual Framework for Urban Planning," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-15, August.
    10. Nasim Eslamirad & Abel Sepúlveda & Francesco De Luca & Kimmo Sakari Lylykangas & Sadok Ben Yahia, 2023. "Outdoor Thermal Comfort Optimization in a Cold Climate to Mitigate the Level of Urban Heat Island in an Urban Area," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-28, June.
    11. David B. Olawade & Melissa McLaughlin & Yinka Julianah Adeniji & Gabriel Osasumwen Egbon & Arghavan Rahimi & Stergios Boussios, 2025. "Urban Microclimates and Their Relationship with Social Isolation: A Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(6), pages 1-32, June.
    12. Wen, Yueming & Zhang, Peiyi & Wei, Jinxi & Yu, Fei & Huang, Chengfang, 2025. "Sustainable urban designs integrating aboveground microclimates and underground heat islands: A systematic review and design strategies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    13. Ahmad Fallatah & Ayman Imam, 2023. "Detecting Land Surface Temperature Variations Using Earth Observation at the Holy Sites in Makkah, Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-18, September.

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