Impact of urbanization on land surface temperature: A global perspective

Urbanization, as a component of land use and land cover (LULC) changes, significantly affects land surface temperature (LST), intensifying the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. Therefore, understanding the impact of LULC change on LST is critical for addressing urban heat and advancing sustainable development. In this review, our objective was to evaluate how urbanization-driven LULC changes influence LST patterns across diverse climatic zones, including temperate, tropical, arid/semi-arid, and polar regions. Simultaneously, we assessed the effectiveness of mitigation strategies such as green infrastructure and urban planning interventions. We analyzed more than 73 peer-reviewed studies published between 2004 and 2024. Our findings reveal that India is the most frequently studied country, followed by China and the United States. Most studies relied on Landsat imagery, while MODIS was more commonly used in polar regions. Research output has increased since 2015, coinciding with advances in satellite platforms and analytical tools. Regionally, semi-arid/arid zones, as well as tropical zones, exhibited the most substantial LST increases, linked to vegetation loss and impervious surface expansion. Among mitigation approaches, urban greening emerged as the most effective and widely applicable strategy. In addition, water bodies, high albedo materials, and optimized urban geometry are also effective in reducing LST. Overall, our results demonstrate that satellite data selection is strongly affected by regional climate, emphasizing the need for context-specific approaches to monitoring and mitigating urban heat. By integrating regional analyses with mitigation and adaptation strategies, this study provides valuable insights for sustainable urban planning and global efforts to reduce the UHI effect.