Simply put, an urban heat island is a metropolitan area that has a significantly higher temperature than the less developed, natural environments surrounding it.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates paved areas, in combination with the heat produced by vehicle engines, could increase temperatures within a city by as much as 22 degree Fahrenheit.
This is due to the fact that structures such as buildings, roads, sidewalks, etc. absorb and store the heat from the sun extremely well. This stored heat is then released as the sun sets and the air temperature begins to cool.
This radiated heat from surfaces, such as concrete, prevent these urban environments from cooling as they naturally would. This phenomenon is known as the Urban Heat Island Effect.
Increasing green spaces, tree cover along sidewalks, water features, and “green roofs” would all help to mitigate this effect.
Image/Deep Dive:
Additional Source: https://time.com/5655074/concrete-urban-heat
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