Greener Urbanization: Heat Island & Air Quality

Cities built from asphalt, concrete and glass trap solar heat all day and release it well into the night — the urban heat island effect — while impervious surfaces also concentrate airborne pollution. This simulation models a city grid where every block's temperature depends on how much greenery sits nearby: parks, green roofs and street trees each cool their surroundings and improve air quality by a measurable amount. Adjust park coverage, green-roof adoption and canopy density to see how biophilic design and LEED-style green building standards compound to cool a city and clean its air, block by block, through a full day-night cycle.