Micrometeorological and Hydraulic Properties of an Urban Green Space on a Warm Summer Day in a Mediterranean City (Attica–Greece)

Nikolaos D. Proutsos (), Alexandra D. Solomou, Michaela Petropoulou and Nikolaos E. Chatzipavlis
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Nikolaos D. Proutsos: Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems-Hellenic Agricultural Organization “DEMETER”, Terma Alkmanos, 11528 Athens, Greece
Alexandra D. Solomou: Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems-Hellenic Agricultural Organization “DEMETER”, Terma Alkmanos, 11528 Athens, Greece
Michaela Petropoulou: Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems-Hellenic Agricultural Organization “DEMETER”, Terma Alkmanos, 11528 Athens, Greece
Nikolaos E. Chatzipavlis: Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems-Hellenic Agricultural Organization “DEMETER”, Terma Alkmanos, 11528 Athens, Greece

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 11, 1-16

Abstract: Urban Green Spaces (UGSs) are considered the most effective tool to mitigate Urban Heat Islands (UHIs). The optical properties of the materials and the vegetation types of the UGSs affect their surface temperatures, directly influencing their cooling ability. The hydraulic properties of urban soils are also affected by the vegetation coverage. The aim of this study is to investigate the temperature and reflected radiation (albedo) differences between UGS’s elements, around noon on a warm summer day, in Greece. The results indicate that green elements have smaller surface temperatures and higher reflectance compared to the artificial or the dry bare soil, presenting differences with the direct air temperature (measured above the surfaces with unshielded thermometers) −5.5 °C (shrubs), −3.8 °C (grass), +7.8 °C or +8.7 °C (paved surfaces inside or outside the UGS), +10.8 °C (dry bare soil), +12.2 °C (concrete) and +12.5 °C (asphalt), and albedo values 0.14 (grass and shrubs), 0.15 (dry bare soil), 0.27 (concrete), 0.21 (asphalt) and 0.20 (paved surfaces). The tree shades also produce great surface differences. The unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the urban soil is greater than the surfaces covered with grass compared to the shrub-covered or bare soil, presenting values of 27.6, 10.8 and 11.4 mm h −1 , respectively.

Keywords: urban heat island; urban climate; urban green spaces; optical properties; surface temperature; albedo; green infrastructure; LIFE GrIn project; Mediterranean city (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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