Cycling Through Mississauga to Map Air Temperature Differences

A University of Toronto Mississauga research has come up with a new method of monitoring urban air temperature variations, on sensor-mounted bicycles. The study identifies how heat patterns are localized within neighborhoods, and knowledge that can aid city planners in addressing the effects of climate change. The study cycled across Mississauga on specially equipped bicycles and picked up hyper-local data, monitoring temperature fluctuations that may go undetected by regular weather stations.

It was carried out by Ph.D. candidate Scarlett Rakowska, a GIS researcher. She cycled across the city, taking measurements to establish the variation in air temperature between residential, commercial, industrial, and green areas. Her paper, reported in Urban Climate, revealed that mobile monitoring gives a more realistic view of urban heat distribution than fixed weather stations.

Mississauga, like all urbanizing cities, suffers from an effect called the urban heat island effect. Urban and asphalted land traps and retains heat more than park land does, so some parts of the city get a lot hotter than others. As rising climate change increases, record highs are becoming increasingly more frequent, so it is very important for city planners to know where the heat accumulates most. One weather station, such as the one at Pearson Airport, may not be able to capture the magnitude of these temperature changes.

To collect more accurate data, Rakowska cycled seven predetermined routes in Mississauga in the summer of 2022. She cycled each route four times in different directions and at different times of day, collecting more than 500 kilometers over a 28-day period. Her cycle was equipped with a sensor for measuring temperature, a GPS, and a camera. She took real-time readings on air quality. Her cycle, unlike cars, did not add excess air heating to the environment, making measurements accurate.

Her findings revealed significant trends in Mississauga temperature patterns. Commercial and industrial areas were always the warmest, and those with higher vegetation cover and proximity to Lake Ontario were colder. Of interest was that the marginalized communities, especially those with housing instability and high newcomer population levels, had different temperatures from the city at large. These types of heat exposure disparities have major public health implications, especially for susceptible city dwellers.

Rakowska has presented the findings to urban planners in the expectation that they will guide future city planning. Rakowska also hopes to bring awareness to the localized effect of temperature variability on quality of life and trigger more environmentally friendly city planning that works for nature and people.

Conclusion:-

This research illustrates the potential of mobile temperature mapping to decode urban heat dynamics. The use of bicycles to collect data may provide researchers with more information about how temperature changes in different parts of the city. The results indicate that local climate factors should be considered when designing cities by urban planners, particularly as temperature extremes are increasing due to global warming. Greening and enhanced land-use planning can contribute to the creation of more livable, cooler cities.

Source and Credits:
Produced by the University of Toronto Mississauga.