Urban heat islands are analyzed, detailing causes like lack of green space and solutions from global cities.
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Bucuresti experienced five consecutive days above 40 degrees Celsius, highlighting a temperature difference between urban centers and rural areas, a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect. Experts explain this is caused by a lack of green spaces, which absorb more heat than vegetation or water bodies do. Construction materials like asphalt and concrete also contribute by absorbing and radiating solar energy, especially at night. Building geometry can create “urban canyons” that trap hot air, while human activities such as air conditioning use and traffic significantly increase urban temperatures. Solutions include promoting public transport, increasing green areas, and implementing architectural changes like painting roofs white or covering buildings with vegetation. International examples show successful strategies, such as Paris planting trees to reduce street temperatures, Barcelona using green tram lines, and Madrid developing a large “green wall” forest. In Lithuania, experts stress the need to conserve and expand green spaces in urban planning to better adapt to climate change.
