Impact of Environmental Factors on Summer Thermal Comfort of Ribbon Waterfront Park in Hot Summer and Cold Winter Regions: A Case Study of Hefei

Hui Xi, Yating Li and Wanjun Hou ()
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Hui Xi: School of Architecture and Art, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056009, China
Yating Li: School of Architecture and Art, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056009, China
Wanjun Hou: School of Architecture and Art, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056009, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 7, 1-42

Abstract: Ribbon waterfront parks in hot summer and cold winter regions play a crucial role in microclimate regulation and thermal comfort enhancement due to the combined effects of water bodies and vegetation. This study focuses on ribbon waterfront parks in Hefei. This study investigates the influence of park environmental factors (e.g., plant community characteristics, spatial configuration of water bodies, and plaza layouts) on the summer thermal environment through field measurements and ENVI-met numerical simulations. Based on field studies and a literature review, five environmental factors were selected as test variables: water body direction (S), tree planting density and arrangement (A), square distribution form (B), square location (C), and pavement material (D). Using orthogonal testing, 64 different environmental scenarios under four distinct water body orientations were designed and simulated using ENVI-met (Version 5.6.1), followed by a quantitative analysis of the simulation results. The findings reveal that the interaction between water body orientation and prevailing wind direction significantly influences the cooling efficiency in both the upwind and downwind regions. In addition, through orthogonal testing, Range Analysis (RA), and analysis of variance (ANOVA), the order of magnitude of the effect of each experimental factor on the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) can be derived: density and form of tree planting (A) > pavement material (D) > location of the square in the park (C) > forms of distribution of squares in the park (B). Finally, this study suggests various environmental factor-setting schemes for ribbon waterfront parks that are tailored to distinct microclimatic requirements. It also provides design recommendations to improve thermal comfort in parks based on the orientation of different water bodies. Furthermore, it offers specific references and foundations for planning, designing, optimising, and renovating waterfront parks of similar scales.

Keywords: outdoor thermal comfort; waterfront parks; ENVI-met; green space; numerical simulation; universal thermal climate index (UTCI) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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