Temperatures in cities are generally increasing and ambient temperatures result in increased system wired electricity use. Hashem Akbari explains how technologies that can be used to lower the summertime ambient temperatures and increase comfort, including light coloured surfaces on roofs and walls, trees and vegetation to shade buildings, walkways and streets and light coloured paving materials for streets, parking lots, etc, because when sunlight strikes an opaque surface, some energy is reflected, therefore reducing albido. Trees are relatively inexpensive to plant and they shade buildings.
Part I: On the theory and consequences of urban heat islands,- 1. An Introduction to Urban Heat Islands, -2. Heat Islands and Urban climates,- 3. Heat Islands and Urban Energy Use,- 4. Heat Islands and Urban Air Quality,- 5. Heat Island and Human Comfort,- 6. Modelling Urban Heat Islands,- 7. Monitoring Urban Heat Islands,- Part II: Mitigating urban heat islands,- 8. Mitigation measures, - 9. Urban forest,- 10. Cool roofs,- 11. Cool pavements,- 12. Estimating the effect of heat-island mitigation measures,- 13. A review of local, state and national programs in implementing heat-island mitigation measures,- 14. Conclusions