## 1 Introduction  
Numerous projections and scenarios confront population with the need to mitigate and adapt to climate change in the near future. According to the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)'s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), the influence of man on the climate system is clear and indisputable. In the last few decades, greenhouse gas emissions were much higher, which contributed to the increase in air temperatures. The IPCC stated that the last three decades were the warmest when compared to all previous ones since 1850 [1]. According to these projections, an increase in surface temperatures is expected during the 21 st century. In 2013, IPCC projected that Earth's temperature at the end of the 21 st century will increase by 1.5 \({}^{\circ}\)C to 5 \({}^{\circ}\)C, compared to the period 1850-1900, in all climatic scenarios. Furthermore, in the presented projections, it is expected that heat waves will become more frequent and with a longer duration [1]. Urban climate results from the modifications caused by the characteristics urban areas. Cities are characterized by a well-arranged urban mosaic of warmer and cooler areas [2,3]. When urban areasare warmer than the surrounding areas, the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon occurs. These are usually densely built places where urban characteristics promote urban heating. This phenomenon is the main climatic change caused by man in an urban environment, and it is a direct consequence of the modifications of the energy and radiative balance of the urban space [4]. This is one of the most evident thermal patterns of the urban climate, occurring practically all over the world [5], and it is one of the most studied phenomena in urban climatology [6]. The magnitude or intensity of the UHI is quantified by the difference between the temperature recorded in the warmest location in the city at any given time and the lowest temperature of all rural locations that surround the city [5; 7]. The intensity of this phenomenon varies from city to city and depends on the density of construction, the abundance of vegetation, the emission of heat and pollutants by human activities, and the characteristics of the building covering materials [4]. The density of construction affects the magnitude of these phenomena; denser construction and higher buildings result in a more intense heat island [4]. On the contrary, more vegetation contributes to the reduction of UHI and urban heating. The great emission of heat and pollutants due to industrial activities also warms the urban atmosphere. The types of buildings and materials determine the amount of energy that is absorbed and emitted into the atmosphere, enhancing this phenomenon. In fact, the growing use of different types of materials in cities, with high heating capacity and low albedo, when associated with non-vegetated areas, enhances the UHI effect [8]. Being a major phenomenon and a global topic of interest for all affected cities, there are already numerous studies that suggested mitigation measures for this phenomenon. From a literature review, it is possible to see that several different types of measures can be used, for example, by increasing the city's albedo, achieved by changing the materials used in urban areas since materials with low emissivity are mainly responsible for the increase of surface temperatures during the night [9], by increasing evapotranspiration, through the increase of vegetated areas within the city, by promoting ventilation within the urban canyons, and by creating a shadow effect, with trees, for example, to promote shortwave radiation blocking. Reducing the surface temperatures of materials and planting trees in urban areas contributes directly and effectively to reducing the negative effects of UHI. The use of reflective or higher-albedo materials is an inexpensive way to improve air temperatures and to mitigate UHI [9].