Climate change is one of the most important environmental problems faced
by Planet Earth and the urban heat island (UHI) effect is probably the
most documented phenomenon of climate change. UHIs result from heat
generated in urban environments that is entrapped by urban structures,
the effect is exacerbated by greenhouse gases and the lack of green spaces.
Over the next few years this phenomenon will become much worse because
more people will live in cities (more than 2 billion by 2050) and global
warming will increase building cooling needs. This book provides a state-ofthe-
art review of eco-efficient materials that could contribute significantly to
the mitigation of UHI effects and also building cooling needs.
Part One provides an overview on the use of pavements to mitigate UHI effects.
Parts Two and Three discuss the use of façades and different roofing materials
to reduce building cooling needs. Finally, Part Four of the book describes the use
of phase-change materials and chromogenic smart materials in building design.