Uploaded on 2015-06-12 by jvboekel

Visual contents In this photograph of the city of Wageningen, The Netherlands, various elements stand out. First, the abundance of vegetation within an urban environment is noticeably different from other cities. Second, the low per- centage of high rise buildings suggests a low population density. Third, the close range to nature areas is striking. Invisible contents and knowledge abstraction An aspect highlighted in this context is urban heat. While infrastructural elements are, of course, present underneath the city’s “canopy”, the veg- etation ensures a climate different from other cities. Urban heat islands are generally considered stress- and harmful. Urban vegetation, due to its evapotranspiration, is considered highly effective to mitigate these effects (Heusinkveld et al., 2014). References Heusinkveld, B. G., Steeneveld, G. J., Hove, L. V., Jacobs, C. M. J., Holt- slag, A. A. M. (2014). Spatial variability of the Rotterdam urban heat island as influenced by urban land use. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 119(2), 677-692 [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14341348098637563.jpg