Alternative scenarios for ecological urbanizations using ENVI-met model

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Urban Planning
• Climatology

Background:

• Urbanization leads to habitat degradation and the formation of Urban Heat Islands (UHI) due to increased settlement and industrial areas.
• Urban structures, land modification, and concrete surfaces exacerbate UHI effects, impacting thermal comfort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate meteorological parameters and thermal comfort using outdoor measurements and micro-scale modeling.
• To assess the impact of vegetation characteristics on thermal comfort in various urban settings during winter and summer.

Main Methods:

• Conducted 24-hour outdoor measurements of meteorological parameters including temperature, humidity, wind velocity, and direction.
• Utilized the ENVI-met micro-scale model to simulate alternative scenarios for winter and summer.
• Analyzed meteorological data alongside vegetation characteristics in diverse locations: botanical garden, auto industrial area, city center, and rural open area.

Main Results:

• Botanical garden simulations showed an average temperature 2.2°C cooler than the city center's current situation.
• Simulated wooded areas increased average temperatures by 1.4°C in winter.
• Coniferous plants resulted in a 1.2°C cooler mean temperature in summer compared to other simulations.

Conclusions:

• Deciduous plants in city centers yielded more positive thermal comfort results in winter than coniferous plants.
• Afforestation in cold climatic regions offers significant benefits for both summer and winter thermal comfort.
• Further research and measurements are recommended to fully understand the impact of afforestation on urban thermal comfort.