Mapping the Spatial Distribution of Urban Heat Island in Scotlandville in the Louisiana State of USA using Satellite Remote Sensing

Abstract. Urban Heat Island (UHI) is a phenomenon where urban areas experience higher temperatures than their surrounding rural areas due to human activities and the presence of heat-absorbing materials such as concrete and asphalt. This study aims to map the spatial distribution of UHI in Scotlandville, a neighbourhood in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, using satellite remote sensing approach. Landsat 9 imagery was used to compute the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) to extract the urban heat islands and greenspaces within the study area. The results revealed the spatial distribution of UHI across Scotlandville, where 1635 ha of the total area were urban heat islands, representing 64% of the total study area. These findings provide substantial information for urban planning and development policies aimed at mitigating the impact of UHI on local climate and public health. Moreover, this study informs the health and vitality status of the greenspaces and calls for action to plant more trees and properly care for existing ones, as the current state of these greenspaces is insufficient to improve urban resilience and liveability in Scotlandville.