Measuring the Effects of Parking Lots and Tree Shading on Microscale Urban Heat Islands

Abstract

This thesis investigates the effects of parking lots and tree shading on microscale urban heat islands on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Oregon. Urban heat islands form because of the high concentration of impervious surfaces in urban areas. Parking lots, generally constructed from impervious surfaces such as concrete and asphalt, are widely accepted to contribute to this phenomenon. This study looks at the magnitude to which the presence of these landscape types increases ambient air temperatures at an extremely localized scale. Additionally, it investigates the power of tree shading to mitigate any increases due to these lots. Three different locations were surveyed over the course of July through September, 2015 on the University of Oregon campus. Each location was comprised of either grass or asphalt surface cover, with varying amounts of tree shading. Temperature data from these areas showed that parking lots do indeed increase local ambient air temperatures and that tree shading has t11e power to mitigate these effects. Ii