Planning Sustainable Green Blue Infrastructure in Colombo to Optimize Park Cool Island Intensity

A. A. S. G. Wijesundara, B. G. N. Sewwandi () and Thomas Panagopoulos ()
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A. A. S. G. Wijesundara: Department of Zoology and Environmental Management, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, No. 218, Kandy Road, Kelaniya 11600, Sri Lanka
B. G. N. Sewwandi: Department of Zoology and Environmental Management, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, No. 218, Kandy Road, Kelaniya 11600, Sri Lanka
Thomas Panagopoulos: Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-16

Abstract: Colombo, a rapidly urbanizing city, increasingly faces the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect due to urban expansion and climate change. Urban parks mitigate UHI by creating cool microclimates, quantified as Park Cool Island Intensity (PCII), the temperature difference between parks and surrounding areas. Colombo exhibits an average cooling effect of 0.98 °C ± 0.21 % . The results found that the park area has the most significant positive relationship with the PCII, where the model explained 87.7% of the variance (R 2 = 0.877), indicating a strong fit, following the park perimeter (R 2 = 0.811). Park vegetation characteristics exert a significant influence to enhance the cooling effect, with canopy density emerging as a primary factor with a variance of 87.1% (R 2 = 0.871). Notably, canopy density of more than 80% demonstrates a marked PCII exceeding 1.0 °C. Additionally, other vegetation attributes, tree basal area (R 2 = 0.868), tree height (R 2 = 0.784), DBH (R 2 = 0.757), and stem density (R 2 = 0.717), exhibit a significant positive correlation with PCII, following canopy density in descending order. Furthermore, park composition analysis reveals that higher water and green cover contribute to maximizing PCII, underscoring the importance of reducing impervious cover in urban park design. These findings provide valuable insights for urban planners in facilitating the development of more effective urban park designs aimed at maximizing cooling effects, promoting sustainable urban development, and contributing to the achievement of SDG 11 and SDG 13.

Keywords: climate change; Park Cool Island (PCI); sustainable urban planning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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