ABSTRACT
Buildings, paving, vegetation and other physical elements of the city are the active thermal connections between the atmosphere and land surfaces. Their composition and structure within the urban canopy layer, which extends from the ground to above roof level, largely determine the thermal behaviour of different parts of the city.12 Warmer air temperatures in cities compared to surrounding rural areas are the primary characteristic of the urban heat island. This phenomenon has been studied in some detail by climatologists and is the result of the complex effects of the city’s processes on its own climate. Lowry describes it as follows (see Figs 6.5 and 6.6).13
