TY - JOUR

T1 - Effects of different vegetation on temperature in an urban building environment

T2 - Micro-scale numerical experiments

AU - Gross, Günter

PY - 2012/8/1

Y1 - 2012/8/1

N2 - A three-dimensional micro-scale model is used to study the effects of various greenery on temperature in a built-up environment. Green design elements like roofs and facades, lawns in courtyards and single trees are studied individually as well as in various combinations. Measures for comparison are temperatures at 2 m height and mean temperatures for the urban atmosphere up to the building height. Different types of greenery can reduce local temperatures up to 15 K during specific daytime hours. However, this extraordinary effect is restricted to a short time and especially to the direct surroundings, while an impact over larger distances is small. Roof and facade greenery have hardly any influence on temperature at the 2 m level but reduce daytime heating of the urban atmosphere to a minor degree, while the relevance of trees is more or less limited to the shadow effect. A significant decrease in urban temperatures can be achieved only with a large number of very different individual green elements. The largest effect on the urban atmosphere was simulated for a change in albedo resulting in a temperature decrease of some degrees around noon.

AB - A three-dimensional micro-scale model is used to study the effects of various greenery on temperature in a built-up environment. Green design elements like roofs and facades, lawns in courtyards and single trees are studied individually as well as in various combinations. Measures for comparison are temperatures at 2 m height and mean temperatures for the urban atmosphere up to the building height. Different types of greenery can reduce local temperatures up to 15 K during specific daytime hours. However, this extraordinary effect is restricted to a short time and especially to the direct surroundings, while an impact over larger distances is small. Roof and facade greenery have hardly any influence on temperature at the 2 m level but reduce daytime heating of the urban atmosphere to a minor degree, while the relevance of trees is more or less limited to the shadow effect. A significant decrease in urban temperatures can be achieved only with a large number of very different individual green elements. The largest effect on the urban atmosphere was simulated for a change in albedo resulting in a temperature decrease of some degrees around noon.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84874634817&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1127/0941-2948/2012/0363

DO - 10.1127/0941-2948/2012/0363

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84874634817

VL - 21

SP - 399

EP - 412

JO - Meteorologische Zeitschrift

JF - Meteorologische Zeitschrift

SN - 0941-2948

IS - 4

ER -