Here is a ready-to-use decision-making exercise to help students develop green skills.

The brief:

Cities often become much hotter than the surrounding countryside. This is called the urban heat island effect. Buildings, roads, and car parks absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night, making cities warmer and sometimes uncomfortable or dangerous during heatwaves.

As an Urban Heat Mitigation Specialist, your job is to help cities stay cooler and healthier for the people who live there.

Your task:

1. Identify the hotspots where temperatures are highest.
2. Analyse the types of materials used in buildings, roads and surfaces and consider how they absorb heat.
3. Design cooling solutions to reduce the urban heat island effect.

You might suggest:

• Planting more trees for shade and cooling through evapotranspiration
• Replacing darker surfaces with lighter materials that reflect heat away
• Adding green roofs and living walls providing insulation to protect buildings from heat
• Creating more shaded areas and open areas so breezes can move through the area

Outcome:

By completing this task, you will have identified the areas of a city most affected by the urban heat island effect, analysed how different surfaces contribute to heating, and designed practical solutions to reduce temperatures.

Your work will help make cities cooler, safer, and more comfortable for residents, while also improving the environment and supporting sustainable urban planning.