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Table 1 Summary of physical and socioeconomic variables

From: Investigating important urban characteristics in the formation of urban heat islands: a machine learning approach

Variable

Definition

Unit

Measurement

Source

Dependent variable: land surface temperature

TEMP

Land surface temperature of 12 July 2013

°C

Pixel (30 m × 30 m)

Landsat 7 ETM+

Independent variable: physical variables

Zone

Planning zone, reclassified as below

  Central Business District (CBD)

  Mixed use

  Commercial

  Industrial urban

  Industrial suburban

  Urban dwelling

  Suburban dwelling

  Agricultural dwelling

NA

Planning zone

Indianapolis and Marion County, Department of Metropolitan Development

Area

Total area of a parcel

m2

Parcel

Indy GIS

NDVI

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index

NA

Pixel (30 m × 30 m)

Landsat 7 ETM+

TREE

Percent tree canopy

%

Pixel (30 m × 30 m)

NLCD 2011, USGS

Imperv

Percent developed imperviousness

%

Pixel (30 m × 30 m)

NLCD 2011, USGS

Height_Avr

Average building height

m

Building

LiDAR, 2011

Height_Max

Maximum building height

m

Building

LiDAR, 2011

Bldg_Ftpr

Total building footprint

m2

Building

Indianapolis and Marion County, Department of Metropolitan Development

Independent variable: socioeconomic variables

POP_DEN

Population density of a Census block group

#/m2

CBG

ACS 2013

POP_UR_18

Total number of population under age 18

#

CBG

ACS 2013

POP_OV_65

Total number of population over age 65

#

CBG

ACS 2013

Female

Total number of female population

#

CBG

ACS 2013

NON_WT

Total number of non-white population

#

CBG

ACS 2013

TOT_HSUNT

Total number of household unit

#

CBG

ACS 2013

RENT

Total number of rental unit

#

CBG

ACS 2013

MedHsValue

Median house value

$

CBG

ACS 2013

MEDHHINC

Median household income

$

CBG

ACS 2013

Edu_Less

Total number of population have education less than 9th grade

#

CBG

ACS 2013

Mobile

Total number of mobile home

#

CBG

ACS 2013