Evaluating the Urban Heat Island Effect in Montreal: Urban Density, Vegetation, Demographic, and Thermal Landscape Analysis

Montreal experiences a significant urban heat island (UHI) effect, potentially intensified by its dense urban structure, varied vegetation, and demographic distribution, leading to substantial outdoor thermal discomfort, especially during heatwaves. To quantify this, measured thermal landscape data...

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Main Authors: Yassine Hedeya, Abdelatif Merabtine, Wahid Maref
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Buildings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/9/1562
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author Yassine Hedeya
Abdelatif Merabtine
Wahid Maref
author_facet Yassine Hedeya
Abdelatif Merabtine
Wahid Maref
author_sort Yassine Hedeya
collection DOAJ
description Montreal experiences a significant urban heat island (UHI) effect, potentially intensified by its dense urban structure, varied vegetation, and demographic distribution, leading to substantial outdoor thermal discomfort, especially during heatwaves. To quantify this, measured thermal landscape data were analyzed over several months in Montreal, including heatwave periods, and outdoor thermal comfort was assessed using the humidex, discomfort index, heat index, and temperature–humidity index. The results indicated notable temperature and humidity variations across the city, with the exceedance of thermal comfort index thresholds being significantly higher during heatwaves (humidex: 10.83%, discomfort index: 53.33%, heat index: 24.77%, temperature–humidity index: 36.67%) compared to normal periods. This study provides a quantitative evaluation of UHI-induced outdoor thermal discomfort in Montreal, emphasizing its severity during heatwaves and analyzing the influence of urban density, vegetation, and anthropogenic emissions, thus offering valuable insights for urban planning strategies to mitigate public health impacts.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2075-5309
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publishDate 2025-05-01
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series Buildings
spelling doaj-art-352345e87f36427e8cb39d6b8d6f452b2025-08-20T03:52:58ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-05-01159156210.3390/buildings15091562Evaluating the Urban Heat Island Effect in Montreal: Urban Density, Vegetation, Demographic, and Thermal Landscape AnalysisYassine Hedeya0Abdelatif Merabtine1Wahid Maref2École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS), University of Québec, 1100 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, QC H3C 1K3, CanadaÉcole de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS), University of Québec, 1100 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, QC H3C 1K3, CanadaÉcole de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS), University of Québec, 1100 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, QC H3C 1K3, CanadaMontreal experiences a significant urban heat island (UHI) effect, potentially intensified by its dense urban structure, varied vegetation, and demographic distribution, leading to substantial outdoor thermal discomfort, especially during heatwaves. To quantify this, measured thermal landscape data were analyzed over several months in Montreal, including heatwave periods, and outdoor thermal comfort was assessed using the humidex, discomfort index, heat index, and temperature–humidity index. The results indicated notable temperature and humidity variations across the city, with the exceedance of thermal comfort index thresholds being significantly higher during heatwaves (humidex: 10.83%, discomfort index: 53.33%, heat index: 24.77%, temperature–humidity index: 36.67%) compared to normal periods. This study provides a quantitative evaluation of UHI-induced outdoor thermal discomfort in Montreal, emphasizing its severity during heatwaves and analyzing the influence of urban density, vegetation, and anthropogenic emissions, thus offering valuable insights for urban planning strategies to mitigate public health impacts.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/9/1562urban heat islandthermal comfortheatwaveland surface temperatureurban densitydemographics
spellingShingle Yassine Hedeya
Abdelatif Merabtine
Wahid Maref
Evaluating the Urban Heat Island Effect in Montreal: Urban Density, Vegetation, Demographic, and Thermal Landscape Analysis
Buildings
urban heat island
thermal comfort
heatwave
land surface temperature
urban density
demographics
title Evaluating the Urban Heat Island Effect in Montreal: Urban Density, Vegetation, Demographic, and Thermal Landscape Analysis
title_full Evaluating the Urban Heat Island Effect in Montreal: Urban Density, Vegetation, Demographic, and Thermal Landscape Analysis
title_fullStr Evaluating the Urban Heat Island Effect in Montreal: Urban Density, Vegetation, Demographic, and Thermal Landscape Analysis
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating the Urban Heat Island Effect in Montreal: Urban Density, Vegetation, Demographic, and Thermal Landscape Analysis
title_short Evaluating the Urban Heat Island Effect in Montreal: Urban Density, Vegetation, Demographic, and Thermal Landscape Analysis
title_sort evaluating the urban heat island effect in montreal urban density vegetation demographic and thermal landscape analysis
topic urban heat island
thermal comfort
heatwave
land surface temperature
urban density
demographics
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/9/1562
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AT abdelatifmerabtine evaluatingtheurbanheatislandeffectinmontrealurbandensityvegetationdemographicandthermallandscapeanalysis
AT wahidmaref evaluatingtheurbanheatislandeffectinmontrealurbandensityvegetationdemographicandthermallandscapeanalysis