Uploaded on 2016-09-12 by Jack Rittenberry

In my city of Baton Rouge temperatures are an average of 13° hotter in urban areas than rural areas. While this might seem excessive, there are currently no measures currently in development to reduce the UHI effect in Baton Rouge. This is likely because the already hot and humid temperatures are expected by citizens here. Temperatures recorded as 80° or 90° Fahrenheit are often adjusted to temperatures as high as 120° F when accounting for the humidity, and the expanses of empty concrete in parking lots helps to mitigate the humidity on especially hot summer days by removing excess moisture from the air. If Baton Rouge tries to lower the UHI effect I would recommend proper streetscapes with trees and to remove concrete from underutilized land in blighted areas and replacing it with trees and proper drainage systems to prevent flooding.