The Northeastern Geographer Vol. 5 2013 34 The ChaNGe iN The UrbaN heaT islaNd for Westield Massachusetts robert bristow Westield State University Robert Blackie University of Illinois at Chicago Nicole Brown Ininata Introduction Previous studies in the geographic literature have highlighted strategies involved in stu- dent ield investigations of the urban heat island (Nicholas 1976; Mattingly 1979; George and Becker 2003). hese projects described the methodology and results of studies exploring urban climates and the beneits to student learning with a real-life practical exercise in research meth- odologies. he research had been executed as student learning experiences using basic weather instruments and maps. Similar studies have become a focal point of meteorological and other physical geography lab experiments by applying geographic themes (Bristow and Mullens 1996). Field studies are an important aspect of geographic inquiry. Beyond the practical beneits of learning about a region, there is a recent interest to engage students in local concerns that ben- eit the community as well as become a “teaching moment.” Bednarz et al. (2008) suggest that this civic engagement expands geographic knowledge, develops skills, creates global citizens and provides solutions to real world problems. So ield work outside of the classroom has tremen- dous beneits to all participants. ABSTRACT his study compares and contrasts the urban climate of Westield, Massachusetts be- tween 1993 and 2009. Undertaken by undergraduate students in a statistics class, the data collection procedure is quick and inexpensive. Given that weather condi- tions were dissimilar between the two sample years, a methodology is proposed to standardize the presence or absence of an Urban Heat Island between the two time periods. Once the UHI is identiied, future land use planning and management can be based on the impacts of the environment and the urban micro climate. he re- search found that increased urbanization tied to a modest population growth, even in smaller cities, led to a larger area impacted by the urban heat island. Keywords: urban heat islands, longitudinal study, civic engagement. ©2013 by the New England-St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society. All rights reserved.