Fine-Scale Urban Heat Patterns in New York City Measured by ASTER Satellite—The Role of Complex Spatial Structures

Urban areas have very complex spatial structures. These spatial structures are primarily composed of a complex network of built environments, which evolve rapidly as the cities expand to meet the growing population’s demand and economic development. Therefore, studying the impact of spatial structures on urban heat patterns is extremely important for sustainable urban planning and growth. We investigated the relationship between surface temperature obtained by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER, at 90 m spatial resolution) and different urban components based on high-resolution QuickBird satellite imagery classification. We further investigated the relationships between ASTER-derived surface temperature and building footprint and land use information acquired by the New York City (NYC) Department of City Planning. The ASTER image reveals fine-scale urban heat patterns in the NYC metropolitan region. The impervious-medium and dark surfaces, along with bright covers, generate higher surface temperatures. Even with highly reflective urban surfaces, the presence of impervious materials leads to an increased surface temperature. At the same time, trees and shadows cast by buildings effectively reduce urban heat; on the contrary, grassland does not reduce or amplify urban heat. The data aggregated to the census tract reveals high-temperature hotspots in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx region of NYC. These clusters are associated with industrial and manufacturing areas and multi-family walk-up buildings as dominant land use. The census tracts with more trees and higher building height variability showed cooling effects, consistent with shadows cast by high-rise buildings and trees. The results of this study can be valuable for urban heat island modeling on the impact of shadow generated by building heights variability and trees on small-scale surface temperature patterns since recent image reveals similar hotspot locations. This study further helps identify the risk areas to protect public health