Effects of Urban Park on Thermal Comfort in Summer – An Analysis of Microclimate Data of Seoul Forest Park –

Abstract

This study investigates the heat mitigation effects and thermal comfort improvement due to urban parks during summer. Self-developed monitoring devices to measure long-term microclimate data were installed in three spots, including the park plaza, waterside, and roadside in Seoul Forest Park, and measurements were taken from July 9 to July 30. The results of the measurement are as follows. The daily temperature of the park plaza and waterside were found to be 2.7℃ and 2.9℃ lower than the roadside and 5.5℃ and 7.4℃ lower than the roadside from 10:00 to 16:00. In addition, the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) measurement was applied to measure the thermal comfort at each point. In the average daily analysis, a significant difference was found between the park plaza, the waterside, and the roadside, and a greater difference was found between 10:00 to 16:00. Also, although there was no significant difference due to the weather condition, a statistically significant difference was also found in the average PM 10 and CO 2 concentrations. It is found to be higher in the order from the roadside, park plaza, and waterside for PM 10 concentration and park plaza, roadside, and waterside for CO 2 . In sum, although the difference in measured microclimate data and thermal comfort index results were different depending on the time and weather conditions at the three points, the park plaza and waterside, which are located inside the park, showed