_____ Heat Island Effect
A 2012 study by the Urban Climate Lab at Georgia Tech shows that Louisville has the highest index of the heat island effect in America. According to Brian Stone of the Urban Climate Lab and author of The City and the Coming Climate,
"The average increase in the temperature difference between urban and rural environments in the Louisville area has been 1.67 degrees Fahrenheit every decade between 1961 and 2010. That's nearly double the rate of the next city on the list, Phoenix, which saw an average change of .96 degrees in the same period."
Stone said that part of Louisville's problem stems from the unfortunate meteorological conditions of the Ohio River Valley, which is prone to stagnant air conditions but also that the lack of tree cover in the urban core contributes as well. Stone states that
"The tree canopy downtown is one of the sparsest of any city I have seen in the country."