OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development
Open-access peer-reviewed journal
https://doi.org/10.64211/oidaijsd190810
Rapid Urban Micro-Mapping and Cooling Strategy for Coastal Tourism and Public Health: An Urban Planning Study
Robert W. Taylor *1, Hoang NguyenBa 2
1 Montclair State University, USA.
2 BaRia-Vung Tau University, Vietnam.
*Corresponding authour: taylorr@mail.montclair.edu
Volume 19, Issue 08, Pg. 155-166, 2026.
Abstract: Large Megacities in Southeast Asia face increasing thermal stress due to rapid urbanization, high impervious surface coverage, and climate-driven temperature rise. In 2025, Ho Chi Minh City expanded its boundaries to include two provinces, Binh Duong to the north and northeast and Ba Ria-Vung Tau to the southeast. The new consolidated Megacity went from 10 million to 14 million people and more than tripled its land area, incorporating sizable agricultural and coastal marine environments. This study establishes a model for urban planners to redesign cities using thermal mapping and heat stress analytics to reduce urban heat island intensity. It is structured as a case study of Vũng Tàu Ward, the highly dense coastal tourism core in the newly consolidated Ho Chi Minh Megacity, and is designed to demonstrate how targeted micro-scale thermal mapping and wet-bulb global temperature (WBGT) assessment studies can produce the data necessary to promote more cooling urban design and lead to better urban planning. In the context of Vung Tau, this can strengthen both tourism capacity and public health resilience in the context of rising temperatures associated with global warming. As a coastal destination dependent on walkability, outdoor recreation, and beach-oriented commerce, Vũng Tàu’s economic vitality is linked to thermal comfort. Simultaneously, increasing heat exposure presents heightened vulnerability for elderly residents, outdoor workers, and visitors. By integrating thermal mapping with urban design planning, the study positions climate adaptation as both an economic development strategy and a public health response. This research contributes to the emerging discourse on scalable, low-cost climate resilience strategies for cities in Southeast Asia. It demonstrates that rapid micro-heat mapping can serve as a decision-support tool for integrating vegetation planning, stormwater management, tourism development, and public health preparedness into cohesive urban cooling strategies.
Keywords: UHI, Megacities, Climate Adaptation, Heat Stress, Public Health, Tourism
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