A New Approach for Identification and Analysis of Urban Heat Island Hotspots
Zsolt MAGYARI-SÁSKA1, Csaba HORVÁTH*2, Sorin POP3, Adina-Eliza CROITORU2
* Corresponding author
1 Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography, Department of Extensions, Gheorgheni Branch, Cluj-Napoca, ROMANIA
2 Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography, Department of Physical and Technical Geography, Research Centre for Sustainable Development, Cluj-Napoca, ROMANIA
3 Creative Space SRL, Baia Mare, ROMANIA
E-mail: zsolt.magyari@ubbcluj.ro; ORCID: 0000-0002-5572-4132
E-mail: csaba.horvath@ubbcluj.ro; ORCID: 0000-0002-5691-2485
E-mail: sorin@cspace.ro; ORCID: 0009-0006-0858-6765
E-mail: adina.croitoru@ubbcluj.ro; ORCID: 0000-0003-1235-4327
Pages: 89-96. DOI: 10.24193/JSSP.2024.2.01
Received: 01 July 2024
Received in revised form: 06 November 2024
Accepted for publication: 25 November 2024
Available online: 05 December 2024
Cite: Magyari-Sáska Z., Horváth C., Pop S., Croitoru A.-E. (2024), A New Approach for Identification and Analysis of Urban Heat Island Hotspots. Journal of Settlements and Spatial Planning, 15(2), 89-96. DOI: 10.24193/JSSP.2024.2.01
Abstract. Cities are heating up faster than their rural counterparts due to the urban heat island phenomenon, with severe heat accumulation in various areas – hotspots. This study proposes a new approach to analysing urban heat islands by detecting and hierarchising their associated hotspots based on their severity derived from the combination of intensity and frequency. The new method, implemented in R, uses Landsat thermal band data, study area boundaries, and an imperviousness layer to pinpoint critical areas. It consists of a three-step process: i. identifying and prioritising hotspots for each usable satellite image; ii. computing the intensity and frequency, and iii. calculating severity and generating the maps. Combining reclassified multi-image intensity and persistence data, we derived nine classes representing the range from the most frequent and intense areas to the least. Incorporating the imperviousness layer, the hotspot extension is dramatically reduced. The resulting hotspot maps provide valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers, highlighting the most vulnerable regions within the urban area and signalling the need for targeted administrative interventions. This comprehensive analysis was also applied to cold spots, ensuring a thorough understanding of the most and least critical regions.
K e y w o r d s: urban heat island, hotspots severity detection, R data analysis, GIS, Landsat thermal band