Urban heat island and fringe belt interaction: The role of the urban fringe in heat island mitigation

Fringe Belt (FB) areas are transition zones located between successive areas of urban development. They are typically characterized by open spaces, industrial and institutional areas, and low-density residential areas. An Urban Heat Island (UHI) is a microclimate phenomenon caused by urbanization, characterized by higher surface temperatures in city centers compared to the surrounding area. The primary factors exacerbating the UHI effect are dense development, reduced green spaces and the heat-retaining properties of surface materials. FB areas can mitigate the UHI effect by limiting heat accumulation due to their relatively natural and permeable surfaces. This study aims to analyze temporal changes in FB areas and evaluate their impact on the UHI effect. For this purpose, Landsat satellite images from 1985, 2000 and 2025 were processed using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform to obtain land surface temperature (LST) values and map UHI distribution alongside delineation of fringe-belt plots. The results indicate that the UHI effect is relatively low in areas where fringe belts are preserved or minimally developed. Additionally, it was observed that the UHI effect increases as these areas become more developed over time. The study reveals that fringe-belt areas can play an important role in reducing the UHI effect, suggesting that these areas should be integrated into urban planning as cooling buffers. The study emphasizes the necessity of climate-focused approaches in urban planning and suggests evaluating fringe belts as potential microclimatic mitigation areas.