Urban Green Infrastructure Inventory as a Key Prerequisite to Sustainable Cities in Ukraine under Extreme Heat Events

Oleksandra Khalaim, Olena Zabarna, Taras Kazantsev, Ihor Panas and Oleksandr Polishchuk
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Oleksandra Khalaim: Swedish International Centre of Education for Sustainable Development, Uppsala University-Campus Gotland, 62157 Visby, Sweden
Olena Zabarna: Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Central European University, 1051 Budapest, Hungary
Taras Kazantsev: State Institution “Scientific Centre for Aerospace Research of the Earth”, Institute of Geological Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 01601 Kyiv, Ukraine
Ihor Panas: Palladin Institute of Biochemistry of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 02000 Kyiv, Ukraine
Oleksandr Polishchuk: M.G. Kholodniy Botanical Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 01601 Kyiv, Ukraine

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-23

Abstract: The frequency of extreme heat effects has recently increased in European cities due to climate change. The problem appears to be critical in urban areas where manmade structures significantly alter the temperature balance, thus highlighting the importance of sustainable management and proper inventory of urban green zones. Based on this, the paper provides a case study on using a combination of open-access and low-cost urban greenery inventory methods that could be used by municipal governments and private land managers to estimate the contribution of urban trees to the mitigation of urban heat impacts. The research focuses on the urban greenery inventory of courtyards in high-rise residential districts of the city of Kyiv (Ukraine), aiming to estimate the adapting potential of urban vegetation against heatwaves. Visual and thermal satellite images of Kyiv enabled us to estimate how the density of buildings and greenery is distributed and analyze the surface temperature in residential districts. A UAV thermal imaging survey was made in four selected locations with varying vegetation coverage, followed by leaf-based field instrumental analysis of photosynthetic activity in selected city tree species at hot temperatures. In addition, 16 portable temperature and humidity sensors were installed in shaded and sunlight-exposed areas of the locations in focus to assess the microclimate formation impact of trees in a high-rise residential courtyard. The Ukrainian legislation on the management of green spaces in cities was reviewed to find out whether it promotes the shaping of comfortable microclimates in residential districts; follow-up recommendations were made on how to improve the applicable provisions.

Keywords: urban vegetation; urban green inventory; climate extremes; heatwaves; climate change; satellite mapping; heat tolerance; UAV thermal imaging; urban trees (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:5:p:2470-:d:505478

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