Urban heat indicator map for climate adaptation planning.

Area of Science:

• Urban climatology
• Environmental planning
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Background:

• By 2050, 75% of the global population will reside in cities, with a potential doubling of heat wave events.
• Existing urban heat mapping lacks a comprehensive indicator for planning, failing to integrate climate and land use change impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a single, complex indicator for mapping urban heat impacts.
• To assess visualization techniques for communicating complex urban heat data.
• To evaluate the usability of the indicator and maps for policymakers in local adaptation planning.

Main Methods:

• Combining climatic drivers and land use characteristics with future projections.
• Developing and testing various visualization techniques for complex, multi-variable data.
• Conducting a usability test with policymakers to assess information and communication effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Future impact information is crucial for setting local adaptation agendas.
• A map series using cartographic techniques effectively visualizes complex information.
• The developed indicator and visualization methods meet key information needs of policymakers.

Conclusions:

• The information enrichment chain approach supports local adaptation planning.
• Integrating future climate and land use change impacts is vital for urban resilience.
• Effective visualization tools are essential for translating complex data into actionable policy.