GEO 104: Urban Climate: Keeping Cities Livable with Climate Research

As early as the 1700 and 1800s, doctors and scientists observed that cities are warmer, moister and more likely sites for disease than their rural surroundings. Today’s scientists are working towards understanding precisely how cities impact climate and human health. Beyond that, they’re developing and testing approaches to mitigating urban climate, from planting trees to developing unique building materials.

This course gives an overview of urban climate research at Arizona State University:

• Introduces the fundamental physical mechanisms that need to be considered to predict urban climate

• Explains the connections between urban climate and energy, water, air quality, and human health and well-being

• Presents several strategies for mitigating urban climate, and explains advantages and disadvantages of each approach.