Sky View Factor Analysis
Sky view factor (SVF) analysis quantifies the fraction of the overlying hemisphere of sky that is visible from a given point on the ground, ranging from 1.0 in a wide-open field to near 0 at the bottom of a deep, narrow street canyon. It is a central geometric descriptor in urban climatology because the amount of visible sky governs how much longwave radiation a surface can lose at night, directly shaping the urban heat island. The measure was put on a rigorous footing by Timothy Oke's 1981 work linking canyon geometry to nocturnal urban warming.
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Sources
- Oke, T. R. (1981). Canyon geometry and the nocturnal urban heat island: comparison of scale model and field observations. Journal of Climatology, 1(3), 237–254. DOI: 10.1002/joc.3370010304 ↗
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 22). Sky View Factor Analysis (Fraction of Visible Sky in Urban Geometry). ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/urban-studies/sky-view-factor-analysis
Which method?
Set this method beside its closest kin and read them side by side — the library lays the books on the table; the choice is yours.
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