A review of mitigating strategies to improve the thermal environment and thermal comfort in urban outdoor spaces

Urban green space cooling effect in cities

Evaluating the cooling effects of green infrastructure: A systematic review of methods, indicators and data sources

Advancing urban green infrastructure in Europe: Outcomes and reflections from the GREEN SURGE project

Assessment of surface urban heat islands (SUHI) has been hampered by the lack of a consistent framework to permit consistent interpretation between cities. Local Climate Zones (LCZ) are a universal description of local scale landscape types based on expected variation at neighbourhood scale (≥1km2) in and around cities. In this study, we investigate the suitability of the LCZ scheme for SUHI studies based on 50 cities from across the globe. For comparability we use an annual temperature cycle model for MODIS land surface temperature (LST) at different overpass times and multi-year mean Landsat 8 LST. The SUHI analysis shows significant differences in the intra-urban estimate of SUHI for different built LCZ types. Substantial variability of SUHI within LCZ classes and between cities exists and SUHI patterns vary by time of day. Landsat derived estimates have very high correlations to those from MODIS at a similar time. The use of an LCZ approach combined with annual SUHI estimates provides a promising approach for a consistent and comprehensive SUHI analysis framework subject to further work to assess the spatial scale of matching LST and LCZ data, filter for topographic effects, and include the phenological status.

SUHI analysis using Local Climate Zones—A comparison of 50 cities

There is no consensus on a comprehensive classification for green infrastructure (GI). This is a consequence of the diversity of disciplines, application contexts, methods, terminologies, purposes and valuation criteria for which a GI typology is required. The aim of this systematic literature review is to evaluate the existing evidence on how GI is being categorised and characterised worldwide. We reviewed a total of 85 studies from 15 countries that were analysed for contextual trends, methods, parameters and typologies. Results show that relevant literature lacks a common terminology and that a universal typology for all scenarios is impractical. Analysis reveals that GI can be organised into four main GI categories: (a) tree canopy, (b) green open spaces, (c) green roofs and (d) vertical greenery systems (facades/walls). Green open spaces and tree canopy attracted the attention of researchers due to their complexity, variability and important roles in GI planning. Evidence suggests that a ternary approach in terms of the functional (purpose, use, services), structural (morphology) and configurational (spatial arrangements) attributes of GI should be applied for a more comprehensive classification. Although this approximation is inherently generic, since it can be used across different research disciplines, it is also sufficiently specific to be implemented for individual scopes, scenarios and settings. Further research is needed to develop a typology capable of responding to particular research aims and performance analyses based upon the findings discussed in this paper.

Towards a comprehensive green infrastructure typology: a systematic review of approaches, methods and typologies

https://cyberleninka.org/article/n/713328.pdf

A Green Infrastructure Typology Matrix to Support Urban Microclimate Studies

The local climate zones (LCZ) scheme has attracted the interest of climate researchers as it enables the standardized study of urban heat islands by combining thermal and physical parameters of built and natural structures. Most recent work on LCZ has concentrated on understanding air temperature differences, adapting the scheme to different contexts and improving satellite-based classification methods. However, studies using very high-resolution imagery, including 3-D descriptors and analyzing their land surface temperature (LST) variability are scarcer. Since a correct delineation of LCZ implies significant temperature differences among classes, the aims of this study are 1) to test a GIS-based method for the classification of LCZ based on cut-off values valid to the Australian context; and 2) to examine the quality of classifications by analyzing the LST variability among LCZ using high-resolution airborne remote sensing data. Results show that diurnal and nocturnal mean LSTs significantly differ among most LCZs. Welch's ANOVA and subsequent post hoc tests for pairwise comparisons also demonstrate that these differences prevail for 71.8% of zones during the daytime and 73.6% of zones at night. Overall, LCZs A, 8, and 3 are the most distinguishable zones during the daytime and LCZs D, G, 1, 4, and 5 are well differentiated at night. In contrast, LCZs 1 and 4 are the least distinguishable at daytime and LCZs 10, A, and E are not well differentiated at night. The present study has successfully validated the present airborne-based classification method which is contingent on further accuracy assessment and improvements.

Carlos Bartesaghi Koc

Papers

Evaluating the cooling effects of green infrastructure: A systematic review of methods, indicators and data sources

Towards a comprehensive green infrastructure typology: a systematic review of approaches, methods and typologies

A Green Infrastructure Typology Matrix to Support Urban Microclimate Studies

Understanding Land Surface Temperature Differences of Local Climate Zones Based on Airborne Remote Sensing Data

A methodological framework to assess the thermal performance of green infrastructure through airborne remote sensing