Adaptive Analysis of Green Space Network Planning for the Cooling Effect of Residential Blocks in Summer: A Case Study in Shanghai

Abstract

The effect of Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) is becoming increasingly serious in cities. Research on the adaptive planning policies for microthermal environments at the residential block level of cities is thus becoming of greater significance. Based on the cooling effect of planning control elements in residential block areas, the element effects characteristics of water bodies and vegetation distribution on the thermal environment of residential blocks were analyzed by using ENVI-met software. The simulation data analysis showed that the combination of water bodies and vegetation had a synergistic cooling effect. Based on these results, simulations of five effective adaptive measures were carried out step by step in planning scenarios, that is, improving the water bodies with vegetation corridors, the application of high-albedo material on streets, and increasing the number of green patches, east-west green corridors, and north-south green corridors. The results were as follows. First, although each of the five optimization strategies have a certain degree of cooling effect on the entire block, the superposition of each factor had a synergistic effect. Second, different spatial optimization strategies had different cooling ranges for each subzone. The optimization of the north-south green corridor, green patches, and water features corridors were particularly significant for microclimate cooling. The east-west green corridor has a certain influence on a certain range of downwind zones and had an auxiliary cooling effect. The high-albedo material also had a weak overall decrease function for the thermal environment. Finally, the downwind area of the urban creek network had a great impact on cooling intensity, with distance attenuation characteristics; it was also proposed that the comprehensive cooling effect of the green space network with optimized layout was greater than that of any single green space element. The optimization scenario planning research provided a method for improving the scientific distribution of adaptation measures in urban residential blocks.

Comparative Study on the Cooling Effects of Green Space Patterns in Waterfront Build-Up Blocks: An Experience from Shanghai

“…The SVF data and spatial T values were found to be positively correlated. This result is consistent with existing research conclusions [ 34 , 50 ]. As a three-dimensional spatial factor, SVF was very important for the T value distribution of green space in our research.…”

“…Planting smaller networks of vegetation could be a significant part of the mitigation of UHI intensity [ 33 ]. Water feature corridors have a certain influence on a certain range of downwind zones; and the different orientation of green corridors and green patches made different contributions to the cooling effect [ 34 ]. The morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) mode was used to identify the main types and structure of green spaces in the landscape, which will make the foundation of the green space network [ 35 , 36 , 37 ].…”

“…Categorical variable; value 1 = E-W orientation; 2 = S-N; 3 = SW-NE; 4 = SE-NW [16,34] MSPA types The mathematical morphology types by the Morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA). The importance of connectivity categories is extracted.…”

Investigation on Airport Landscape Cooling Associated with Irrigation: A Case Study of Adelaide Airport, Australia

“…In light of the rising temperatures due to climate change and the urban heat island (UHI) [3,4], it is important to recognize the role of irrigated public open space as a mitigating strategy for reducing urban heat and promoting human thermal comfort (HTC) [5,6]. In a previous study, simulation data analysis results showed that the combination of water bodies and vegetation had a synergistic cooling effect [7,8]. Public open spaces have a unique role in climate change adaptation in several ways.…”

“…As reported earlier by Lloyd et al [9], the Australian government have devoted a great deal of human, material and financial resources to water-sensitive urban construction in recent years. Water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) is 'a thoughtful way of urban design which is to minimize the hydrological influences of urban development on the adjoining environment' [8][9][10]. Stormwater management is a part of the WSUD approach that aims at collecting stormwater to supply water sources for non-potable uses [3,10].…”