Thermal Comfort Assessment in Urban Green Spaces: Contribution of Thermography to the Study of Thermal Variation between Tree Canopies and Air Temperature

Alexandre Ornelas (), António Cordeiro and José Miguel Lameiras
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Alexandre Ornelas: Institute of Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
António Cordeiro: Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
José Miguel Lameiras: Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 8, 1-18

Abstract: Understanding the thermal effects of different urban patterns that constitute today’s urban landscapes is critical to the development of urban resilience to climate change. This article aims to assess the efficiency of urban green spaces in thermal regulation. Through thermography, we explored the interaction between air temperature and the spatial components within these environments. Through comparative analysis involving a UAV, we studied the relationship between air temperatures at varying altitudes and the temperature within tree canopies. The results revealed significant differences in the thermal distribution between impervious urban areas with buildings and green spaces. These findings provide important information for assessing thermal comfort and the efficiency of urban green spaces in mitigating the impact of extreme heat events. During the summer months, green spaces, due to shade and the enhanced absorption of solar radiation by trees, exhibited lower temperatures compared to impervious areas. However, in winter, urban areas displayed higher temperatures, attributable to their heat retention capacity. This study contributes to the existing knowledge base by providing an in-depth examination of the thermal efficiency of urban green spaces across different layers of their lower atmosphere. Our results underscore the crucial role of tree cover in thermal comfort regulation, offering valuable information for sustainable urban planning. These insights are particularly relevant for the design of more comfortable and resilient environments in response to climatic variations and for the crafting of a tree-planting strategy in Mediterranean climate cities, an area where the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly apparent.

Keywords: thermal comfort; urban green spaces; urban tree canopy; urban tree cooling effect; thermography; UAV; thermal efficiency; air temperature; Coimbra (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:8:p:1568-:d:1212507

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