Cooling urban heat: a heat-smart framework for sustainable construction permits

The increasing temperature and Heat Island (UHI) impacts in cities are the result of climate change and rapid urbanization, aggravating urban heat problems. Metropolitan regions in Malaysia have experienced temperature rises of up to 6.75˚C, resulting in increased health risks and surging energy demands for cooling. Current building and planning frameworks only address sustainability in a general sense, but lack the mechanism to assess building-specific heat performance before construction that can provide thermal comfort in new development areas. This study proposes a framework focused on heat management by identifying critical Building Heat Indicators (BHI) for integration into construction permit approvals as a standard requirement, to promote climate-responsive and future-ready building design. A qualitative method was employed, involving expert interviews to gather insights on key heat contributors and mitigation strategies. Thematic analysis revealed a core set of BHIs that encompass microclimatic elements (e.g., temperature, wind speed, humidity, heat index, building characteristics (e.g., height, material used, shape, occupant behavior), and urban attributes (e.g., green cover, building arrangement, surrounding surface materials. All experts strongly endorsed that these indicators are critical for assessing and managing building heat. The findings have shown that integrating these indicators can reduce UHI impacts at the building level.