Thermal environment assessment around bodies of water in urban canyons: A scale model study

Bodies of water in urban areas are regarded as potential tools for urban thermal environment amelioration, but research interest and planning recommendations remain limited. In this experimental study, by using an outdoor scale model, the influence of various configurations of bodies of water (in the form of artificial ponds) on the urban thermal environment was assessed, with particular emphasis on pedestrian comfort. The results of the first experiment conducted in this study indicate that the thermal environment inside an urban canyon with a pond is better than that without a pond, particularly during the day. Lower air temperatures were also recorded downwind from the pond. However, this effect is accompanied by an increase in the absolute humidity, which may negatively influence pedestrian comfort. Thus, effective pond design is necessary. The results of the second experiment show that ponds in different configurations have different effects on the surrounding thermal en- vironment. Generally, configurations with a larger surface area showed a greater cooling effect, and the mean radiant temperature and physiological equivalent temperature were found to be optimized with ponds oriented parallel to the prevailing winds.