Street-level surface and air temperatures in the Urban Center of Málaga, Spain

Abstract

Increasing urbanization is leading to rising temperatures in cities, especially in their central areas, where artificial covers, street canyons and human-induced heat release are more common. This urban microclimate is especially critical in historical centers, as the protection of these areas' cultural assets hinders the introduction of adaptation measures. In this context, this study developed a methodology to characterize the microclimate in historical city centers, using the Mediterranean city of Málaga in southern Spain as a paradigmatic case study. To this end, field measurements were carried out by using a bicycle mobile station and a handheld thermal imaging camera along the so-called Picassian route, covering eleven different streets and eight historical buildings (eleven façades) where air and surface temperatures were collected. The results showed significant differences in the values of air and surface temperatures, so studies of urban microclimate should consider both types of temperatures together, and especially the temperature of building façades, which is often ignored due to the lack of open data about it but has notable different patterns. An analysis of the relationship between field data and a range of spatial factors related to the morphology and surface artificiality of urban areas revealed that shading and tree planting might provide a solution to heat mitigation. For historical centers with important space constraints, these solutions may consist of installing awnings and green façades.