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Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Niš Serbia
Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Niš Serbia
Rapid urbanization has significantly altered urban morphology, intensifying the urban heat island (UHI) effect and increasing thermal stress in cities. Previous studies have demonstrated that urban morphology plays a crucial role in UHI formation, especially at the micro-scale. This study examines the feasibility of assessing UHI sensitivity at the micro-scale through key urban morphology indicators – building coverage ratio (BCR), floor area ratio (FAR), and street canyon aspect ratio (SCR) – using the City of Niš (Serbia) as a case study. The methodology used in this research was developed within the framework of the Be Ready project. The results indicate that publicly available satellite datasets are not adequate for micro-scale UHI assessment due to limitations in data precision, data timeliness, and the nature of the data itself, which requires additional analytical computation. With respect to data availability at the city or municipal level, there are no systematically monitored or georeferenced datasets of urban morphology indicators. Consequently, the values of the selected indicators can be determined only through analytical calculations and field surveys, which is highly time-consuming and limits the practical applicability of these indicators in urban planning practice. The study highlights the need for improved, up-to-date urban morphology datasets to support the effective UHI risk assessment and climate-resilient urban planning.
This research was supported by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, under the Agreement on Financing the Scientific Research Work of Teaching Staff at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Niš - Registration number: 451-03-34/2026-03/200095 dated 05/02/2026. Sustainable Development Goals: Sustainable Cities and Communities
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