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The London Urban Heat Island – upwind vegetation effects on local temperatures

Watkins, Richard, Kolokotroni, Maria (2012) The London Urban Heat Island – upwind vegetation effects on local temperatures. In: PLEA2012 - 28th Conference, Lima, Perú November 2012. Opportunities, Limits & Needs Towards an environmentally responsible architecture. . (KAR id:40220)

Abstract

Vegetation has the potential to cool the air in contact with it through evaporation of surface and transpirated water. This effect may have significant benefits in reducing the need for mechanical cooling of a building or increase comfort in outdoor spaces. The actual depression in air temperature is variable and uncertain in its degree and reach. Data from a large measurement exercise in London, UK, allowed a detailed analysis of the effect of greenness on the nearby temperatures. 24 measurement sites in urban areas were used to gather hourly air temperature data for two years. Aerial photography was used to analyse the percentage greenness in 16 sectors surrounding each measurement station. These results were used as the basis for calculating an “upwind greenness” value as the wind direction changed.

This allowed a dynamic index to be used for calculating the effect of wind direction on temperature in the presence of

evaporative cooling and demonstrate the link more effectively. Inner and outer greenness were analysed separately to

assess the extent of the cooling effect. This has application to urban planning when deciding on more sustainable

development incorporating deliberate greening of an area

Item Type: Conference or workshop item (Paper)
Additional information: number of additional authors: 1;
Uncontrolled keywords: heat island, vegetation, transpiration, wind
Subjects: N Visual Arts > NA Architecture
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Arts and Humanities > Kent School of Architecture and Planning
Depositing User: Richard Watkins
Date Deposited: 07 Mar 2014 00:05 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:15 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/40220 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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