Coupled Human-Natural Dynamics in Urban Heat Islands: From Big Data to Local Policies

SPRING 2016 RESEARCH INCUBATION AWARDEES 

PI: Lucy Hutyra (Earth & Environment, CAS)
Collaborators: Dan Li (Earth & Environment, CAS), Mark Friedl (Earth & Environment, CAS)

This project is mining cell data for high-resolution spatio-temporal CO₂ emissions models to produce a mutidecadal assessment of trends, drivers, and scaling relationships. In order to inform the design of urban heat stress mitigation strategies through urban surface modification, the project uses geophysical modeling and data-analytic tools to assess how coupling and feedbacks between land use and land cover change and urban ecosystem services affect spatio-temporal dynamics of urban heat islands across Boston. Using this model, the project will explore difference scenarios of energy use, urban land use, and vegetation cover by assimilating satellite data products into a high-resolution urban climate model.

This work is funded by a Hariri Research Award made in January, 2016.