Mitigating the Urban Heat Island Effect in Swiss Cities

Brownell, Stephanie; Merolle, Sophia; McCarthy, John; Kershner, Carson

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Mitigating the Urban Heat Island Effect in Swiss Cities

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The urban heat island effect (UHI) is a phenomenon in which urban areas exhibit higher temperatures than surrounding areas. The UHI effect can cause negative impacts ranging from poor health to infrastructure damage, making mitigating the urban heat island effect a significant concern for many cities. UHIs are also exacerbated by climate change, an increasing issue in recent decades. This project, hosted by Grolimund and Partner AG, explores the status of the UHI effect in Switzerland and its mitigation methods through interviews with experts in city governments. The data collected in these interviews was used to assess the status of the urban heat island effect and its mitigation methods throughout Switzerland. These results helped us to recommend the most effective steps to further mitigate Switzerland's urban heat island effect. In our findings, we determined which impacts of UHI are the most severe and which mitigation methods are the most implemented.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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