Urban areas often experience higher temperatures than their surrounding rural environments, a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect.
This temperature difference arises from the concentration of buildings, roads, and other infrastructure that absorb and retain heat more effectively than natural landscapes.
Materials commonly used in cities, such as asphalt and concrete, store heat during the day and release it slowly at night, preventing urban areas from cooling efficiently.
In contrast, vegetation in rural regions facilitates cooling through shade and evapotranspiration.
The removal of green spaces in cities therefore intensifies heat accumulation.
Human activity further contributes to urban warming.
Vehicles, air-conditioning systems, and industrial processes generate waste heat, adding to the overall temperature.
As cities grow denser, these heat sources become more concentrated, amplifying the heat island effect.
The consequences of urban heat islands are significant.
Higher temperatures increase energy demand for cooling, strain public health systems, and worsen air quality.
Vulnerable populations, including the elderly and low-income residents, are particularly at risk during prolonged heat events.
To mitigate these effects, urban planners have proposed strategies such as increasing tree cover, installing reflective roofing materials, and redesigning city layouts to enhance airflow.
These interventions demonstrate that although urban heat islands are a byproduct of development, their impact can be reduced through deliberate planning.
摘要
Urban heat islands refer to the tendency of cities to be warmer than surrounding rural areas due to heat-absorbing infrastructure such as buildings and roads.
都市熱島效應指的是城市因建築物與道路等基礎設施吸熱而比周圍鄉村地區溫度更高的現象。
Urban construction materials retain heat longer than natural landscapes, while the loss of vegetation reduces cooling effects, causing cities to cool more slowly.
城市常用的建材會長時間蓄熱，加上綠地減少使遮蔭與蒸散作用降低，導致城市降溫效率不佳。
Human activities, including transportation and industrial processes, produce waste heat that intensifies urban warming, especially as cities become denser.
交通運輸、空調與工業活動產生的廢熱，使都市溫度進一步上升，且在人口與建築密集的情況下效果更加明顯。
Urban heat islands lead to higher energy use, public health risks, and poorer air quality, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations.
熱島效應造成能源消耗增加、公共健康壓力上升與空氣品質惡化，對老年人與低收入族群影響尤為嚴重。
Although urban heat islands result from development, their effects can be reduced through urban planning strategies such as adding greenery and improving building design.
儘管都市熱島效應源於城市發展，但透過綠化與建築設計等都市規劃策略，其影響仍可被有效緩解。