Abstract
Heat waves have threatened many people’s health and affected people’s thermal comfort on the West Coast of Canada in recent years. Urban greenery is crucial in mitigating climate change issues by influencing the temperature in cities. Land surface temperature is a metric to understand energy change at a landscape scale, while the air temperature is not representative of its surroundings. The land surface temperature can be measured and calculated by using remote sensing technology. This technology can capture surface temperature data from satellite imagery, allowing for accurate measurements of temperature changes over time. The paper studied how urban greenery coverage affected land surface temperature and air temperature respectively at the University of British Columbia in July and August 2022. The study calculated land surface temperature from Landsat images and collected air temperature data from available sensors. Two linear regression models were built to illustrate relationships between urban greenery coverage and land surface temperature and air temperature respectively. The results revealed that with the increasing percentage of urban greenery coverage, the land surface temperature reduced. Deciduous trees showed the strongest ability to reduce land surface temperature, followed by modified grass-herb and coniferous trees. Areas that are classified as barren had the highest land surface temperature. However, there was no significant relationship between urban greenery coverage and air temperature. This study provides valuable information for urban planners and policymakers to design and implement effective green space strategies that can address climate change and human thermal comfort issues.
MGEM Student: Honghong Li
Community Partner: Penny Martyn (UBC Campus + Community Planning), SEEDS
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Li, Honghong, 2023, “The Cooling Effects of Campus Greenery at the University of British Columbia Campus”, https://doi.org/10.5683/SP3/IUULCE, Borealis, V1