Urban Heat and Street Surface  Analysis Budapest’s 7th District

The orthophoto shows the detailed street layout and vegetation in the 7th district.

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Street layout and vegetation

Comparing this with the thermal map helps to relate physical features with thermal patterns, enabling more effective urban heat mitigation strategies.

This thermal image visually represents heat intensity across the streets. Brighter colors indicate hotter zones, predominantly along major roads and dense built-up areas. 

Thermal Map of Street Surfaces - Dictrict 7

This visualization is key for identifying hotspots and prioritizing cooling interventions.

Here we see the relative coverage of different surface types in the district alongside their temperatures. Roads cover the largest areas, contributing most to heat retention. Vegetated areas, although smaller in coverage, offer critical cooling effects, underscoring the importance of green spaces in urban planning.

Surface coverage and temperature in Budapest streets (district 7)

Photo: Gretchen Kessler We Love Budapest

This analysis shows that surface materials strongly affect urban heat: asphalt and aged surfaces often exceed 42°C, while greener and weathered yellow areas stay cooler. Increasing vegetation, using reflective or permeable surfaces, and redesigning streets can help improve thermal comfort and resilience in Budapest’s 7th district.

Summary and Implications

Data Availability and Project Information

The data used for this analysis are publicly accessible at: cityzcan.eu/apps This study was conducted as part of the ICISK project in 2024.