In summer 2023, research teams in Denver and Fort
Collins collected data to better understand where and
how extreme effects people in cities—and what can
be done about it. The Denver research team measured
thermal heat and other components of microclimate at
bus stops around the city. They paired measurements
from globe thermometers with surveys of bus riders
during their daily commute. The survey asked about
riders' thermal comfort levels and perspectives on bus
stop aesthetics. With the micro-meteorological measure-
ments, this information will shed light on how extreme
heat might disproportionately affect public transit riders.
The research team in Fort Collins focused on how dif-
ferent types of vegetation and tree canopy cover affect
the microclimate around homes. The researchers visited
residential yards, which they categorized according
to characteristics such as percent tree canopy cover,
landscaping type (for example, xeric or mesic), and
cardinal directional (north-, south-, east-, or west-
facing properties). Accompanying the crew was a
mobile weather station called MaRTa, a biomete-
orological data collection machine on wheels that
scientists from the Rocky Mountain Research Station
engineered with portability in mind. Results based on
MaRTa's measurements will equip agencies and res-
idents to design safer, more comfortable, and more
pleasing cityscapes and yards throughout urban areas.
So far, the research team has found that for every ten
percent increase in canopy cover, there is a decrease
in mean radiant temperature—a metric of thermal
comfort at a hyper-local scale—of 1-2 degrees Celsius
(33.8-35.6 degrees Fahrenheit). But it is not just about
instrumental measurements of heat; the science also
shows that people feel more thermally comfortable
when they find an environment more aesthetically
pleasing and if they can see trees in the landscape.
This research will enable city planners and others to
improve urban ecosystems, residential health, and
well-being in urban heat islands across the region.
In Fort Collins, University of British Columbia students take microclimate measurements in
residential yards with varying amounts and types of vegetation. Photo by Aubrey Benson
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