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UID:pretalx-foss4g-europe-2026-YPABRR@talks.osgeo.org
DTSTART;TZID=EET:20260629T153500
DTEND;TZID=EET:20260629T154000
DESCRIPTION:Urban Heat Islands (UHI) have emerged as a critical environment
 al and socio-spatial challenge in rapidly urbanizing regions worldwide. Th
 e phenomenon is primarily driven by land-use transformations\, increasing 
 building density\, and the progressive reduction of vegetation cover\, all
  of which contribute to elevated land surface and air temperatures in urba
 n areas compared to their rural surroundings. The UHI effect has far-reach
 ing implications\, significantly affecting public health\, increasing ener
 gy consumption for cooling\, and reducing overall urban livability. In rec
 ent years\, it has also been increasingly recognized as an issue linked to
  fundamental human rights\, including the right to health\, adequate housi
 ng\, and a sustainable and safe environment. Urban populations are particu
 larly vulnerable to climate change impacts such as extreme heat events due
  to high population densities\, sealed surfaces\, and limited access to gr
 een spaces. Consequently\, international policy frameworks emphasize the u
 rgent need for climate-resilient urban planning and the adoption of nature
 -based solutions to mitigate these risks.\n\nThe city of Tirana represents
  a compelling case for investigating the dynamics of the Urban Heat Island
  effect. Over the past three decades\, Tirana has undergone rapid and ofte
 n unregulated urban expansion\, characterized by intensive construction ac
 tivity\, densification\, and significant land-cover changes. These process
 es have substantially altered the urban morphology and have intensified th
 e UHI effect\, particularly in densely built central areas. While recent s
 tudies have documented temperature variations across the city and identifi
 ed key drivers such as reduced vegetation\, increased impervious surfaces\
 , and urban density\, there remains a lack of systematic\, spatially expli
 cit\, and reproducible analyses. Furthermore\, limited attention has been 
 paid to linking these environmental patterns with urban planning policies 
 and the existing legal framework\, creating a gap between technical assess
 ments and policy-oriented applications.\n\nWithin the Albanian legal conte
 xt\, the Urban Heat Island phenomenon is not explicitly defined as a stand
 alone concept. However\, it is indirectly addressed through a set of inter
 related legal instruments\, including legislation on territorial planning 
 and development\, environmental protection\, climate change mitigation and
  adaptation\, energy efficiency\, and the energy performance of buildings.
  These laws collectively promote principles of sustainable development\, e
 ncourage the integration of green infrastructure\, and support measures ai
 med at enhancing climate resilience. At the local level\, the Tirana Gener
 al Local Plan (TR030) incorporates provisions related to ecological corrid
 ors\, natural systems\, and the expansion of public green spaces. Although
  these instruments do not directly target UHI\, they establish an institut
 ional and regulatory framework that contributes to mitigating urban heat\,
  highlighting an implicit obligation for public authorities to address the
  phenomenon more explicitly in future planning processes.\n\nThis study ai
 ms to investigate the spatial and temporal dynamics of the Urban Heat Isla
 nd effect in Tirana over a ten-year period. The research adopts a fully op
 en and reproducible approach by relying exclusively on Free and Open-Sourc
 e Software (FOSS) and openly available Earth Observation data. The primary
  objectives are to identify UHI hotspots\, analyze their relationship with
  vegetation cover and built-up expansion\, and evaluate how these spatial 
 patterns correspond to existing planning and legal instruments. By doing s
 o\, the study seeks to bridge the gap between geospatial analysis and poli
 cy-making\, offering insights that can inform evidence-based urban plannin
 g.\n\nThe methodological framework is based on satellite imagery obtained 
 from Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 missions. Land Surface Temperature (LST) is d
 erived using established radiometric calibration and atmospheric correctio
 n techniques to ensure accuracy and comparability over time. Vegetation dy
 namics are assessed through the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (ND
 VI)\, which is further used to calculate the Proportion of Vegetation (PV)
 \, providing a more detailed understanding of vegetative cover distributio
 n. Urban expansion and built-up intensity are analyzed using the Normalize
 d Difference Built-up Index (NDBI)\, enabling the identification of areas 
 experiencing significant urban growth.\n\nAll data processing\, analysis\,
  and visualization are conducted using open-source tools\, primarily QGIS\
 , alongside Python-based libraries such as GDAL\, rasterio\, and NumPy. Th
 is approach ensures that the entire workflow is transparent\, reproducible
 \, and accessible\, aligning with the principles of open science and the F
 OSS community. Moreover\, it demonstrates that advanced geospatial analysi
 s can be conducted without reliance on proprietary software\, making it pa
 rticularly relevant for researchers and institutions with limited resource
 s.\n\nPreliminary findings reveal a strong spatial correlation between ele
 vated Land Surface Temperatures and densely built areas with limited veget
 ation cover\, particularly in the central zones of Tirana. In contrast\, a
 reas characterized by higher NDVI values\, including parks\, green corrido
 rs\, and peri-urban zones\, consistently exhibit lower temperatures\, conf
 irming the cooling effect of vegetation and green infrastructure. Addition
 ally\, areas undergoing rapid urban development show a noticeable increase
  in thermal intensity over time\, suggesting that current planning measure
 s may be insufficient to counterbalance the thermal impacts of urbanizatio
 n.\n\nThe study contributes to the broader geospatial and FOSS community b
 y presenting a comprehensive\, open\, and transferable methodology for ana
 lyzing Urban Heat Islands in medium-sized cities. It highlights the value 
 of integrating geospatial technologies with legal and planning analysis\, 
 thereby bridging the divide between technical research and policy implemen
 tation. The findings support the need for more proactive and climate-sensi
 tive urban planning strategies\, including the expansion of green spaces\,
  the use of permeable and reflective materials\, and stricter regulation o
 f building density and land use.\n\nUltimately\, this research underscores
  the critical role of open-source tools in advancing sustainable\, climate
 -resilient\, and human-centered urban development. By providing a robust e
 vidence base and a reproducible analytical framework\, it aims to support 
 decision-makers\, planners\, and researchers in addressing the growing cha
 llenges posed by the Urban Heat Island effect in Tirana and beyond.
DTSTAMP:20260604T221556Z
LOCATION:A01
SUMMARY:Urban Heat Island Dynamics in Tirana: A FOSS-Based Analysis within 
 the Urban Planning and Legal Framework - Leonora Haxhiu
URL:https://talks.osgeo.org/foss4g-europe-2026/talk/YPABRR/
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