Bio climatic landscape design to improve outdoor thermal environment of an urban park

Abstract

Our cities have been subjected to a number of environmental concerns as a result of population increase and fast urbanization. Increased ambient temperatures have resulted from the replacement of flora with building construction materials such as concrete, glass, and other materials, resulting in urban heat islands in many cities. Such issues have a significant impact on human outdoor thermal comfort, particularly is public areas. While the green cover is being sacrificed to accommodate a growing population, the remaining green areas are unable to provide a pleasant setting for public usage. In this study, the outdoor thermal comfort for Chhatrapati Shivaji Park, in hot and humid climate of Mumbai was in investigated along with understanding the role of softscapes in improving outdoor thermal environment and impacts of Urbanization on bio meteorological parameters to propose bioclimatic landscape design to improve outdoor thermal environment of the park. To study the micro climate of the site and hence the thermal stress experienced by the users in the park, climatic readings like Air temperature, Humidity, wind speed, black globe temperature are monitored. Together with it questionnaire surveys are performed to understand user experience of the park, the type of clothing and intensity of activities performed by the users in the park throughout the day. The analysis of the climatic parameters recorded will help map the heat stress experienced in the park. The duration and intensity of the activities performed in an outdoor space is greatly affected by the comfort conditions of the area. The success of any public open space depends on the amount of time people spend at that open space. This understanding can be applied to redesign time people spend at that open space. This understanding can be applied to redesign Shivaji park, using bio climatic landscape design strategies to create thermally comfortable outdoor.