EPISODE · Jan 8, 2026 · 50 MIN
When Cities Get Hotter: From New York to Abu Dhabi
from NYUAD Institute · host NYUAD Institute
Cities like New York often feel hotter than their surroundings, especially on summer nights. This is the “urban heat island” effect, caused by the replacement of natural land covers with heat-absorbing materials, reduced vegetation and evapotranspiration, urban geometry that traps heat, and waste heat from human activities. Around the world, UHIs affect energy use, air quality, and public health. This talk explores when cities get hotter, how we measure these effects, and what makes them worse or better, and discusses Abu Dhabi, a rapidly growing desert city, to see how heat islands play out in extreme climates, and what lessons desert cities can teach us about the future of urban living. Speakers Rita Leal Sousa, Associate Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering and former 19 Washington Square North Faculty Fellow, NYUAD Yi Yin, Associate Professor, Environmental Sciences, NYU; Former 19 Washington Square North Faculty Fellow, NYUAD In collaboration with NYU Abu Dhabi Institute
What this episode covers
Cities like New York often feel hotter than their surroundings, especially on summer nights. This is the “urban heat island” effect, caused by the replacement of natural land covers with heat-absorbing materials, reduced vegetation and evapotranspiration, urban geometry that traps heat, and waste heat from human activities. Around the world, UHIs affect energy use, air quality, and public health. This talk explores when cities get hotter, how we measure these effects, and what makes them worse or better, and discusses Abu Dhabi, a rapidly growing desert city, to see how heat islands play out in extreme climates, and what lessons desert cities can teach us about the future of urban living. Speakers Rita Leal Sousa, Associate Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering and former 19 Washington Square North Faculty Fellow, NYUAD Yi Yin, Associate Professor, Environmental Sciences, NYU; Former 19 Washington Square North Faculty Fellow, NYUAD In collaboration with NYU Abu Dhabi Institute
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When Cities Get Hotter: From New York to Abu Dhabi
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