Surface temperature variation among traditional and modern residential forms in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Implications for land use planning

Addis Ababa, a rapidly urbanizing city in Ethiopia, has witnessed a significant transformation in residential forms, with modern housing becoming increasingly prevalent alongside traditional Mud and Wood houses. Despite the widespread belief that modern housings improve the living conditions of residents in African cities, the influence of these residential forms on parameters of livability, here surface temperature, remains understudied. This study aims to determine the change in surface temperature across time and explore the differences in surface temperature between traditional and modern residential forms in Addis Ababa. This research utilizes data on residential forms and remotely sensed surface temperature data to investigate spatio-temporal changes in surface temperature. The analysis involves the use of Welch t-tests to examine the changes over time and Kruskal-Wallis test to compare temperature variations among different residential forms. The findings reveal a significant temperature increase of 2.2 °C in Addis Ababa, with modern residential forms exhibiting the highest surface temperature both in 2006 and 2016. However, when looking at change in surface temperature between 2006 and 2016, traditional residential forms are getting rapidly hotter than their modern counterparts. We concluded that the current boost in modern residential forms exacerbated the surface temperature in the city. To address the issue of increasing surface temperature, land use planning strategies are proposed, including the implementation of well-designed and large-scale infill developments with ample green spaces, the establishment and enforcement of green space ordinances, and halting the regularization of informal settlements.