A decision support information system for urban landscape management usingthermal infrared data

Efforts to use remote sensing data within the purview of an information sup port system, to assess urban thermal landscape characteristics as a means f or developing more robust models of the urban heat-island (UHI) effect are described. We also present a rationale on how we have successfully translat ed the results from the study of urban thermal heating and cooling regimes as identified from remote sensing data, to decision-makers, planners, gover nment officials, and the public at large in several U.S. cities to facilita te better understanding of how the UHI affects air quality. Additionally th rough the assessment of the spatial distribution of urban thermal landscape characteristics using remote sensing data, it is possible to develop strat egies to mitigate the UHI that hopefulIy will, in turn, drive down ozone le vels and improve overall urban air quality. Four U.S, cities have been the foci for intensive analyses as port of our s tudies: Atlanta, Georgia; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Salt Lake City Utah; and Sacramento, California. The remote sensing data for each of these cities ha s been used to generate a number of products for use by "stakeholder" worki ng groups to convey information on what the effects are of the UHI and what measures can be taken to mitigate them. In turn, these data products are u sed to both educate and inform policy-makers, planners, and the general pub lic about what kinds of UHI mitigation strategies are available.