Integrated Assessment of Urban Heat and Green Infrastructure Cooling for Sustainable Cities: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The urban heat island (UHI) effect has become a persistent climate-related challenge affecting sustainable urban development, with consequences for public health, thermal comfort, energy demand, and climate adaptation. Numerous studies have investigated UHI using diverse observational, modeling, and analytical approaches. However, existing approaches remain fragmented and lack standardized integrated assessment frameworks. This study aims to synthesize the contemporary methodologies in UHI assessment and provide an integrated framework that supports sustainable urban heat mitigation and decision-making. A PRISMA-inspired systematic review was conducted using Web of Science (WoS) and considered peer-reviewed English-language articles published between 2016 and 2026. In line with the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, studies were screened and classified into several methodological domains: urban characterization, microclimate monitoring, urban environmental indicators, spatial analysis, statistical modeling, cooling interventions, and sustainable assessment. Based on the synthesized evidence, a proposed integrated methodological framework was developed, providing a comprehensive foundation for researchers, urban planners, and decision-makers to design standardized UHI studies and support climate-resilient and sustainable urban development.