High-resolution numerical simulations of the urban heat island (UHI) effect with the widely-used Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model are assessed. Both the sensitivity of the results to the simulation setup, and the quality of the simulated fields as representations of the real world, are investigated. Results indicate that the WRF-simulated surface temperatures are more sensitive to t...

The purpose of this paper is to provide a broad overview of the recent patterns and trends of urban growth in developing countries. Over the last 20 years many urban areas have experienced dramatic growth, as a result of rapid population growth and as the world’s economy has been transformed by a combination of rapid technological and political change. Around 3 billion people—virtually half of ...

The objective of this paper is to develop and implement a Cellular Automata (CA) algorithm to simulate urban growth process. Indianapolis city, Indiana is selected as a case study to simulate its urban growth over the last three decades. Urban growth simulation for an artificial city is carried out first. It evaluates a number of urban sprawl parameters including the size and shape of neighborh...

Analyzing spatiotemporal characteristics of the historical urbanization process is essential in understanding the dynamics of urbanization and scientifically planned urban development. Based on historical urban area maps and remote sensing images, this study examined the urban expansion of Shenyang from 1910 to 2010 using area statistics, typology identification, and landscape metrics approache...

“Urban Pixels” are wireless, solar-powered lighting units for cities that blur the boundary between digital display technology and traditional urban lighting. By combining a renewable energy source with RF communication it is possible to achieve a self-sustaining, distributed display network that can be attached to any building surface and reconfigured with ease. Depending on their configuratio...

We used the SLEUTH urban growth model, closely coupled with a land transition model, to simulate future urban growth in the Houston metropolitan area, one of the fastest growing metropolises in the United States during the past three decades. The model was calibrated with historical data extracted from a time series of satellite images. Three specific scenarios are designed to simulate the spat...

We study the extent to which responses in urban redevelopment density to demand shocks contribute to population growth, taking into account urban land expansions independent of demand shocks and changes in housing absorption by existing urban households. In the context of Chinese urban growth from 1998 to 2004 when liberalization in urban housing and labor markets significantly elevated labor m...