Analysis of Landsat satellite data from 2018–2025 made it possible to identify areas with the highest surface temperatures near schools, kindergartens, medical facilities, pharmacies, and public transport stops. These facilities formed the basis of the study, as they receive thousands of city residents every day and are the most sensitive to the effects of extreme heat.

Many residents of Rostov consider the Leventsovsky microdistrict to be the hottest place in the city. New calculations have confirmed that the socially significant facilities located here are indeed in a zone of increased thermal risk: the average surface temperature reaches 41.8–42 °C, and some areas can heat up to 50 °C or higher. The study showed that such conditions are typical not only for Leventsovsky.

The highest thermal load on socially significant facilities has been recorded in the central part of Rostov and in some industrial areas. The highest surface temperature values are observed in the area around Nagibin Avenue and the Gorizont shopping center; the largest zone of increased heat load covers the central districts of the city — the areas of Bolshaya Sadovaya, Krasnoarmeyskaya, Voroshilovsky Avenue, the railway station, Beregovaya, Tekucheva, and Mechnikova. High values are also typical for Aleksandrovka, the area around 40‑Letiya Pobedy Street, major transport hubs, shopping centers, and production sites.

At the same time, the researchers emphasize that the study is not focused on comparing the administrative districts of the city, but on analyzing the conditions around facilities that residents use on a daily basis: schools, kindergartens, medical facilities, pharmacies, and public transport stops. The leading researcher and author of the study, Denis Krivoguz, noted:

“It is important to take into account that the study does not assess the average temperature of the entire neighborhood, but the heat load around socially significant facilities. The analysis included schools, kindergartens, pharmacies, medical facilities, and public transport stops. For each facility, the area within a 100‑meter radius was assessed.”

For the analysis, the scientists used the method of spatial clustering. Clusters C0, C2, C3, and C11 are not administrative districts, but scientific designations for groups of nearby objects around which an elevated surface temperature is simultaneously observed. This approach allows us to evaluate not individual buildings, but the characteristics of the urban environment as a whole.

The study also showed that the level of thermal load on socially significant facilities is largely determined not by the administrative district, but by the type of surrounding development. The hottest areas turned out to be industrial zones, compact medium- and low-rise buildings, as well as large commercial sites with a high proportion of asphalt and other artificial surfaces. On the other hand, areas with well-developed greenery and access to water demonstrate significantly lower surface temperatures.

Based on the results obtained, the scientists created a map of the territories where measures to reduce the heat load could be most effective. The highest potential for landscaping has been identified in the Leventsovsky microdistrict, in the areas around Malinovsky and Eremenko streets, near the railway station, on both sides of the Temernitsky Bridge, as well as in the area of the Gorizont shopping and entertainment center and other large commercial and industrial areas. A significant number of such points are concentrated near transport hubs, shopping centers, and large parking lots, where the high surface temperature is combined with a lack of vegetation.

“The estimated potential for landscaping is formed where there is a combination of high surface temperature, low vegetation cover, and a relative opportunity to implement cooling measures,” explains Denis Krivoguz.

However, researchers emphasize that landscaping does not always mean large‑scale tree planting. In the historical center, in the areas of large parking lots, near shopping complexes, and in industrial districts, there is often insufficient free space. In such cases, it is more effective to use comprehensive solutions: shade canopies at bus stops and near social facilities, landscaping of parking lots, the use of light-colored surfaces, green roofs, vertical landscaping of facades, and the creation of small green public spaces.

The authors of the study note that such approaches are already being used in global practice. For example, in Singapore, there is a state program called Skyrise Greenery, which provides for the development of green roofs and vertical landscaping. In Paris, a “courtyard oasis” program is being implemented, under which school courtyards are cleared of part of the asphalt surface, landscaped, and adapted to extreme heat. This experience shows that even in densely built‑up urban areas, it is possible to significantly reduce heat.