Abstract
Motivation: The urban heat island (UHI) effect is one of the most significant challenges in contemporary urban environments, especially in hot, dry climates. In recent years, Baghdad has witnessed the development of 46 residential projects, highlighting the urgent need to examine the impact of (UHI) in modern residential projects and explore effective mitigation strategies. The research problem stems from the lack of local knowledge and studies in Iraq regarding (UHI) effect within modern residential projects.Aim: The study aims to investigate the (UHI) phenomenon in Baghdad and explore strategies to mitigate its effect through implementation of afforestation, shading techniques, and the use of cool materials. The ENVI-MET simulation software was employed to assess the current situation and proposed development scenarios under the conditions of a hot summer day. A quantitative methodology was adopted. The findings showed that the scenario (C) led to a significant improvement in Potential Air Temperature values. Both scenarios (B and C) demonstrated a notable improvement in, Sky view factor (SVF) values, while the scenario (B) showed a considerable enhancement improvement in Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) values.Results: The study highlights the importance of integrating design strategies in residential projects to effectively mitigate the (UHI) effect.