Urban Heat Island Mitigation by LEED and BIM Integration—A Review

Rising temperatures are one of the most severe consequences of climate change, and the built environment plays a significant role in exacerbating heat, particularly in urban areas. In densely populated cities with hot climates, buildings release heat generated from cooling their interiors, contribut...

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Main Authors: Hafiz Saeed Ur Rehman, Sabahat Alamgir, Muhammad Arif Khan, Rehan Masood, Muhammad Hassan Sammad, Krishanu Roy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Buildings
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/14/2523
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author Hafiz Saeed Ur Rehman
Sabahat Alamgir
Muhammad Arif Khan
Rehan Masood
Muhammad Hassan Sammad
Krishanu Roy
author_facet Hafiz Saeed Ur Rehman
Sabahat Alamgir
Muhammad Arif Khan
Rehan Masood
Muhammad Hassan Sammad
Krishanu Roy
author_sort Hafiz Saeed Ur Rehman
collection DOAJ
description Rising temperatures are one of the most severe consequences of climate change, and the built environment plays a significant role in exacerbating heat, particularly in urban areas. In densely populated cities with hot climates, buildings release heat generated from cooling their interiors, contributing to the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Global research actively seeks ways to reduce UHI and promote a more sustainable built environment. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is among the most widely used sustainability assessment systems. Additionally, digital technologies, especially Building Information Modelling (BIM), are increasingly used to assess and improve energy performance in buildings. While there are frameworks that apply LEED and BIM separately to address UHI strategies, there are potential LEED–BIM integrations which need to be investigated. This study investigates how LEED and BIM can be integrated to support UHI mitigation efforts. A systematic literature review was conducted to examine existing integrations, analyzing trends by publication year, country, and building type. The study identified approximately thirty examples of LEED–BIM integrations supporting ten UHI mitigation strategies. However, it also highlighted underutilized BIM technologies and gaps in addressing certain strategies. The study proposes a framework to help practitioners and policymakers apply LEED–BIM integrations more efficiently, reducing the effort required to implement UHI mitigation strategies while enhancing their practicality and effectiveness.
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spelling doaj-art-cee5f56034474a3c86b65f2e0bf739b62025-08-20T03:58:27ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-07-011514252310.3390/buildings15142523Urban Heat Island Mitigation by LEED and BIM Integration—A ReviewHafiz Saeed Ur Rehman0Sabahat Alamgir1Muhammad Arif Khan2Rehan Masood3Muhammad Hassan Sammad4Krishanu Roy5Department of Architectural Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 54890, PakistanDepartment of Architectural Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 54890, PakistanFaculty of Architecture and Design, University of South Asia, Lahore 54000, PakistanSchool of Construction Management & Quantity Surveying, College of Engineering, Construction & Living Sciences, Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin 9054, New ZealandDepartment of Architectural Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 54890, PakistanSchool of Engineering, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New ZealandRising temperatures are one of the most severe consequences of climate change, and the built environment plays a significant role in exacerbating heat, particularly in urban areas. In densely populated cities with hot climates, buildings release heat generated from cooling their interiors, contributing to the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Global research actively seeks ways to reduce UHI and promote a more sustainable built environment. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is among the most widely used sustainability assessment systems. Additionally, digital technologies, especially Building Information Modelling (BIM), are increasingly used to assess and improve energy performance in buildings. While there are frameworks that apply LEED and BIM separately to address UHI strategies, there are potential LEED–BIM integrations which need to be investigated. This study investigates how LEED and BIM can be integrated to support UHI mitigation efforts. A systematic literature review was conducted to examine existing integrations, analyzing trends by publication year, country, and building type. The study identified approximately thirty examples of LEED–BIM integrations supporting ten UHI mitigation strategies. However, it also highlighted underutilized BIM technologies and gaps in addressing certain strategies. The study proposes a framework to help practitioners and policymakers apply LEED–BIM integrations more efficiently, reducing the effort required to implement UHI mitigation strategies while enhancing their practicality and effectiveness.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/14/2523urban heat islandLEEDBIMbuildingsintegration
spellingShingle Hafiz Saeed Ur Rehman
Sabahat Alamgir
Muhammad Arif Khan
Rehan Masood
Muhammad Hassan Sammad
Krishanu Roy
Urban Heat Island Mitigation by LEED and BIM Integration—A Review
Buildings
urban heat island
LEED
BIM
buildings
integration
title Urban Heat Island Mitigation by LEED and BIM Integration—A Review
title_full Urban Heat Island Mitigation by LEED and BIM Integration—A Review
title_fullStr Urban Heat Island Mitigation by LEED and BIM Integration—A Review
title_full_unstemmed Urban Heat Island Mitigation by LEED and BIM Integration—A Review
title_short Urban Heat Island Mitigation by LEED and BIM Integration—A Review
title_sort urban heat island mitigation by leed and bim integration a review
topic urban heat island
LEED
BIM
buildings
integration
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/14/2523
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