Third International Conference on

Countermeasures to Urban Heat Island

Venice, October 13-15, 2014

EFFICIENT STRUCTURES OF FORESTED

CANYON IN AN ARID CITY TO MITIGATE
THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND
M. Angélica Ruiz, M. Belén Sosa, Erica Correa Cantaloube, M. Alicia Cantón
INCIHUSA - LAHV, Instituto Ciencias Humanas Sociales y Ambientales, Laboratorio de Ambiente Humano y Vivienda - CCT-
Mendoza - CONICET (Argentina)

(a) daytime (b) nighttime

Introduction and Justification 35
Urban canyons of 16 m wide
28
H/W = 0.20

• Urban heat island (UHI) is a very important phenomenon No trees

20 trees
33 26
that affects residential energy consumption, air quality

MDTair (ºC)

NTair (ºC)
40 trees
31 24
and the degree of occupation of outdoor spaces, among No trees
29 22
others.
0,15 T/m
0,20 T/m
27
• This work focuses in the semi-arid city of Mendoza
20
0.15 0.35 0.55 0.30 0.50 0.70
Soil albedo Building's albedo
which is defined by its wide and tree-lined streets. 35
Urban canyons of 20 m wide
28
H/W = 0.50

• Taking into account characteristics of the city is 33

No trees

20 trees 26
important to investigate deeply consequences of planning
MDTair (ºC)

40 trees

NTair (ºC)
31 24
decisions implemented on urban climate. No trees
29 22
• In this context, this research aims to define which urban 0,15 T/m
0,20 T/m
27 20
variables significantly determine urban air temperature 0.15 0.35
Soil albedo
0.55 0.30 0.50 0.70
Building's albedo

both during the day and night, and quantify the extent 35
Urban canyons of 30 m wide
28
H/W = 1.00

they do. 33
No trees

20 trees 26
MDTair (ºC)

NTair (ºC)
40 trees
31 24
No trees
29 22 0,15 T/m

27 0,20 T/m
20
0.15 0.35 0.55 0.30 0.50 0.70
Soil albedo Building's albedo

Nomograms of daytime and nighttime air temperature

FIGURE 1. CITY OF MENDOZA. AERIAL PICTURE AND FORESTED URBAN
CANYON.

City of Mendoza. Results

Methodology
• A field survey and a measure campaign were conducted
in 19 representative urban canyons.
• In addition, we have registered microclimatic variables
during summer 2009-2010.
• The obtained data were processed by Principal
Component Analysis and Multiple Linear Regressions.
• The results show that daytime air temperature is more
sensitive to changes of urban variables than nighttime air
temperature.
• Configurations without trees are the warmest ones both
during day and night.
• High density schemes are warmer than low density ones.
• A greater openness of the urban canyon toward the sky
possibilities the nocturnal cooling by radiative exchange.

(a) Daytime (b) Nighttime

Biplots of observations (blue squares) and variables (red circles). The coolest scheme The warmest scheme