The lack of available tools to support planning decisions based on the interactions between climate and the city is a challenge for architects and urban planners. Although there are models designed for this specific purpose, the restrictions faced in their application further complicate the situation. This study aims contribute with additional information on the subject by focusing on the role played by the sky view factor in the urban heat island intensity. First, the residential neighbourhood taken as study area was characterized and its urban geometry determined. The geometric unit in this case was the sky view factor. Subsequently, reference points in urban canyons were selected and their air temperatures measured. The urban heat island intensity was identified by comparing temperatures measured by a rural meteorological station and those registered at the urban spots at the same time. Through the identification of the area's thermal trends, the data on the nocturnal urban islands' maximum intensity were compared with those obtained through an empirical model. A correction equation was suggested and real data from previous studies in the same area were compared with these adjusted results. The results indicate that the nocturnal urban temperature in this area varied according to the range of the sky view factors considered.
Sky view factor; Urban heat island; Urban geometry
