Investigating the Effect of Blue–Green Infrastructure on Thermal Condition—Case Study: Elazığ, Turkey

This study examines the thermal impacts of green and blue infrastructure in Hilalkent Neighborhood, Elazığ City, in Turkey, using ENVI-met 5.6.1 software. Six design scenarios were proposed and their impact on air temperature, relative humidity, mean radiant temperature (Tmrt), physiological equival...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sevgi Yilmaz, Yaşar Menteş, Elmira Jamei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Land
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/4/891
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850144360790753280
author Sevgi Yilmaz
Yaşar Menteş
Elmira Jamei
author_facet Sevgi Yilmaz
Yaşar Menteş
Elmira Jamei
author_sort Sevgi Yilmaz
collection DOAJ
description This study examines the thermal impacts of green and blue infrastructure in Hilalkent Neighborhood, Elazığ City, in Turkey, using ENVI-met 5.6.1 software. Six design scenarios were proposed and their impact on air temperature, relative humidity, mean radiant temperature (Tmrt), physiological equivalent temperature (PET), and wind speed during August and January was analyzed. The simulation results were verified via field measurements using the Lutron AM-4247SD Weather Forecast Station at a height of 2.0 m above the ground. Data were collected in August 2023 and January 2024. The findings of this study indicate that existing vegetation in the study area provides a cooling effect of 0.8 °C during August. The addition of 10% grass coverage further reduced air temperature by 0.3 °C, while a 20% increase in tree density led to a 0.6 °C temperature reduction. The inclusion of a 10% water surface resulted in a 0.4 °C decrease in air temperature, and the implementation of extensive roof gardens contributed to an additional 0.2 °C reduction during the August period. The combined implementation of blue–green infrastructure in the study area achieved a total cooling effect of 1.5 °C during August. During January, the proposed scenarios led to a reduction in average temperatures by 0.1 °C to 0.4 °C compared to the base scenario, which may not be favorable for thermal comfort in colder conditions. Relative humidity values decreased during the August and Tmrt values were directly proportional to air temperature changes in both August and January. The results of this study provide valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers, demonstrating the effectiveness of blue–green infrastructure in mitigating the urban heat island (UHI) effect. These findings highlight the importance of integrating climate-responsive design strategies into urban planning to enhance thermal comfort and environmental sustainability in cities.
format Article
id doaj-art-4f3803cfa8ac472492b00e76804ea7da
institution OA Journals
issn 2073-445X
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Land
spelling doaj-art-4f3803cfa8ac472492b00e76804ea7da2025-08-20T02:28:24ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2025-04-0114489110.3390/land14040891Investigating the Effect of Blue–Green Infrastructure on Thermal Condition—Case Study: Elazığ, TurkeySevgi Yilmaz0Yaşar Menteş1Elmira Jamei2Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Design, Atatürk University, 25240 Erzurum, TurkeyDepartment of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Design, Atatürk University, 25240 Erzurum, TurkeyCollege of Sport, Health and Engineering (CoSHE), Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC 3011, AustraliaThis study examines the thermal impacts of green and blue infrastructure in Hilalkent Neighborhood, Elazığ City, in Turkey, using ENVI-met 5.6.1 software. Six design scenarios were proposed and their impact on air temperature, relative humidity, mean radiant temperature (Tmrt), physiological equivalent temperature (PET), and wind speed during August and January was analyzed. The simulation results were verified via field measurements using the Lutron AM-4247SD Weather Forecast Station at a height of 2.0 m above the ground. Data were collected in August 2023 and January 2024. The findings of this study indicate that existing vegetation in the study area provides a cooling effect of 0.8 °C during August. The addition of 10% grass coverage further reduced air temperature by 0.3 °C, while a 20% increase in tree density led to a 0.6 °C temperature reduction. The inclusion of a 10% water surface resulted in a 0.4 °C decrease in air temperature, and the implementation of extensive roof gardens contributed to an additional 0.2 °C reduction during the August period. The combined implementation of blue–green infrastructure in the study area achieved a total cooling effect of 1.5 °C during August. During January, the proposed scenarios led to a reduction in average temperatures by 0.1 °C to 0.4 °C compared to the base scenario, which may not be favorable for thermal comfort in colder conditions. Relative humidity values decreased during the August and Tmrt values were directly proportional to air temperature changes in both August and January. The results of this study provide valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers, demonstrating the effectiveness of blue–green infrastructure in mitigating the urban heat island (UHI) effect. These findings highlight the importance of integrating climate-responsive design strategies into urban planning to enhance thermal comfort and environmental sustainability in cities.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/4/891Urban heat islandgreen infrastructureENVI-meturban coolingmitigation strategies
spellingShingle Sevgi Yilmaz
Yaşar Menteş
Elmira Jamei
Investigating the Effect of Blue–Green Infrastructure on Thermal Condition—Case Study: Elazığ, Turkey
Land
Urban heat island
green infrastructure
ENVI-met
urban cooling
mitigation strategies
title Investigating the Effect of Blue–Green Infrastructure on Thermal Condition—Case Study: Elazığ, Turkey
title_full Investigating the Effect of Blue–Green Infrastructure on Thermal Condition—Case Study: Elazığ, Turkey
title_fullStr Investigating the Effect of Blue–Green Infrastructure on Thermal Condition—Case Study: Elazığ, Turkey
title_full_unstemmed Investigating the Effect of Blue–Green Infrastructure on Thermal Condition—Case Study: Elazığ, Turkey
title_short Investigating the Effect of Blue–Green Infrastructure on Thermal Condition—Case Study: Elazığ, Turkey
title_sort investigating the effect of blue green infrastructure on thermal condition case study elazig turkey
topic Urban heat island
green infrastructure
ENVI-met
urban cooling
mitigation strategies
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/4/891
work_keys_str_mv AT sevgiyilmaz investigatingtheeffectofbluegreeninfrastructureonthermalconditioncasestudyelazıgturkey
AT yasarmentes investigatingtheeffectofbluegreeninfrastructureonthermalconditioncasestudyelazıgturkey
AT elmirajamei investigatingtheeffectofbluegreeninfrastructureonthermalconditioncasestudyelazıgturkey