TY - JOUR
T1 - The impact of the Phoenix urban heat Island on residential water use
AU - Guhathakurta, Subhrajit
AU - Gober, Patricia
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. SES-0345945 Decision Center for a Desert City (DCDC). All opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
PY - 2007/6
Y1 - 2007/6
N2 - One goal of the smart growth movement is a more compact urban form, intended to reduce energy use and the cost of moving materials, products, and people. The benefits of compactness are compromised, however, if higher densities and more intense land use create urban heat islands, which increase water and energy use. This study examines the effects of Phoenix's urban heat island on water use by single-family residences, controlling for relevant population and housing attributes. Our statistical analysis demonstrates that increasing daily low temperatures by 1° Fahrenheit is associated with an average monthly increase in water use of 290 gallons for a typical single-family unit. These results suggest that planners should consider effects on water demand as well as other environmental consequences when they evaluate growth strategies, and use incentives to encourage efficiency and sustainability.
AB - One goal of the smart growth movement is a more compact urban form, intended to reduce energy use and the cost of moving materials, products, and people. The benefits of compactness are compromised, however, if higher densities and more intense land use create urban heat islands, which increase water and energy use. This study examines the effects of Phoenix's urban heat island on water use by single-family residences, controlling for relevant population and housing attributes. Our statistical analysis demonstrates that increasing daily low temperatures by 1° Fahrenheit is associated with an average monthly increase in water use of 290 gallons for a typical single-family unit. These results suggest that planners should consider effects on water demand as well as other environmental consequences when they evaluate growth strategies, and use incentives to encourage efficiency and sustainability.
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U2 - 10.1080/01944360708977980
DO - 10.1080/01944360708977980
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:35349022614
SN - 0194-4363
VL - 73
SP - 317
EP - 329
JO - Journal of the American Planning Association
JF - Journal of the American Planning Association
IS - 3
ER -