Abstract
Thermal modifications by a 1.5 m deep pond on adjacent lawn microclimate on sunny, cloudy, overcast and rainy summer days were investigated in subtropical Hong Kong. Microclimatic parameters at a pondside lawn were monitored and compared to an open lawn and a concrete rooftop (Control), with focus on Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) to investigate thermal comfort. The cooling capability of the studied pond has been ascertained – pondside lawn registered the lowest air temperatures (Ta) in most weather conditions, and mean Ta of sunny daytime at pondside lawn was 0.7 °C cooler than open lawn. Compared to Control, UTCI calculations indicated hotter mean daytime conditions at pondside lawn (−2.3 °C) than open lawn (−3.5 °C) on sunny day. Despite the pond’s ability to lower Ta, the lack of pondside tree shading created worse human heat-stress scenarios than open lawn. Cloudy day displayed lower heat-stress levels, but pondside lawn still recorded the highest frequency of strong heat stress (83.6%). To synergistically resolve the thermal-stress problems and transform pond-induced microclimatic cooling into physiological cooling for humans, deeper and more dynamic waterbodies could be incorporated alongside pondside tree shading and natural surfaces in urban park design. Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 101858 |
Journal | Sustainable Cities and Society |
Volume | 52 |
Early online date | Sep 2019 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - Sep 2019 |
Fingerprint
microclimate
pond
infrastructure
Ponds
heat
shading
cooling
park design
climate
Cooling
urban design
Hong Kong
transform
Thermal comfort
air temperature
air
scenario
Thermal stress
Temperature
open lawn
Citation
Fung, C. K. W., & Jim, C. Y. (2020). Influence of blue infrastructure on lawn thermal microclimate in a subtropical green space. Sustainable Cities and Society, 52. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2019.101858Keywords
- Pond microclimate
- Waterbody cooling effect
- Blue infrastructure
- Urban heat island
- Universal thermal climate index
- Thermal comfort