Effects of urbanization on local and regional climate

Urbanization has profound effects on climate. The materials and morphology of the urban surface, along with emissions from domestic, commercial and transport activities, result in changes in local climate often greater in magnitude than projected global scale climate change. Cities are commonly 2-3°C warmer than their surrounding environments, with the greatest differences at night and in winter. Such urban climate effects increase the vulnerability of residents to future environmental change, making cities prime sites for climate mitigation and adaptation. This chapter describes the major processes influencing urban climates at a range of scales, and illustrates these with data from London, one of Europe’s most densely populated cities and home to over 8.2 million people.