Exploring Urban Heat and Thermal Comfort in Kano Old City Residential Neighbourhoods

Traditional urban morphology in Kano's Old City presents a distinctive built environment characterised by compact courtyard houses, narrow shaded streets, and earthen building materials that offer potential thermal comfort advantages over modern construction typologies, yet rapid alteration of this fabric through building replacement and street widening raises questions about the thermal implications for residents. This study evaluates urban heat conditions and outdoor thermal comfort in six residential neighbourhoods within Kano Old City, comparing traditional compact zones with transitional areas undergoing modernisation. Land Surface Temperature was retrieved from Landsat 9 thermal band data for four seasonal observations in 2022 and 2023 and linked to ground-based meteorological measurements. Pedestrian thermal comfort was assessed using the Physiological Equivalent Temperature index computed from air temperature, mean radiant temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed data recorded at street-level monitoring stations. Field measurements were conducted at 18 transect points across the six neighbourhoods during daytime peak temperature hours. Results confirm that traditional compact street canyons with high building height-to-street width ratios and shaded corridors maintain outdoor air temperatures 3 to 5 degrees Celsius lower than transitional neighbourhoods with wider streets and modern buildings. Physiological Equivalent Temperature values in modernised zones frequently exceed uncomfortable threshold levels during mid-afternoon hours in March and April. The study advocates bioclimatic urban design guidelines that preserve traditional morphological principles in Old City development control. Keywords: urban heat, thermal comfort, Kano Old City, bioclimatic design, North West Nigeria.