Urban cooling optimization in Ahmedabad: Defining optimal radius for the thermal performance of water bodies and green spaces
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35208/ert.1668915Keywords:
Vegetation , temperature , thermal effects , UN SDG 13: climate actionAbstract
Urban water bodies and vegetation are integral components of urban landscapes. They contribute to thermal comfort, providing essential cooling effects that alleviate the impacts of rapid urbanization. The study emphasizes the importance of planning and performance assessment of these landscapes to achieve maximum cooling and extend their influence effectively. It is well-documented that urban vegetation and water bodies reduce local temperatures which can be evaluated through various landscape indices suggesting that the shape and configuration of these areas greatly impact their cooling capabilities and influence. To explore this further, a spatio-temporal analysis focusing on Land Surface Temperature (LST) is conducted by using high-resolution satellite imagery in 39 water bodies and 130 dense vegetation sites in Ahmedabad, Gujarat to identify thermal patterns and assess the cooling performance of landscape features. The analysis aimed to understand the relationship between temperature changes and the radius of landscape sites leading to the identification of the Radius of Saturation (R_sat) which is the maximum distance around a water body or green space where its cooling effect is most effective. The results indicated that the R_sat is 150 meters for water bodies and 130 meters for dense vegetation. These radii mark the points at which further increases in size do not significantly enhance the cooling effect, signifying the saturation point for thermal influence.
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