About this episode

This episode explores how urban areas contribute to climate change and discusses the concept of urban heat islands with experts in the field.

Cities are where so many of us really experience climate change. They’re where heatwaves keep us awake at night, where flash floods turn streets into rivers, and where concrete, glass and asphalt can reshape the weather around us. As more than half of humanity now lives in urban areas, the story of climate change is increasingly a story about cities - how they amplify extremes, how they trap heat, and how smart planning might help protect the people who call them home. In this episode of Totally Cooked, Sarah and Iain are joined by Associate Professor Negin Nazarian, and PhD student Ressy Fitria. They're hitting the streets to explore the science of urban climate. What exactly is an urban heat island? Do cities just experience climate change, or do they actually modify the climate themselves? And how well are our climate models capturing the complexity of real neighbourhoods?  We’ll also head to Indonesia, where a brand new capital city is rising in tropical Borneo. As Jakarta sinks and sea levels rise, Nusantara is being billed as a 'smart forest city' built for the future. But what happens to heat, humidity and extreme weather when you replace tropical…

People in this episode

Hosts: Sarah, Iain

Guests: Negin Nazarian, Ressy Fitria

Topics covered

• urban climate
• heat islands
• climate change
• city planning
• extreme weather
• sustainable development

Keywords

• urban heat islands
• climate change
• city planning
• extreme weather
• sustainable cities
• urban development
• climate models

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Indonesia, Borneo, Jakarta, Nusantara, Bunurong People, Kulin Nation, Ngunnawal

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