Evaluating the Effects of Façade Greening on Human Bioclimate in a Complex Urban Environment

The evaluation of the effectiveness of countermeasures for a reduction of urban heat stress, such as façade greening, is challenging due to lacking transferability of results from one location to another. Furthermore, complex variables such as the mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) are necessary to ass...

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Main Authors: Britta Jänicke, Fred Meier, Marie-Therese Hoelscher, Dieter Scherer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2015-01-01
Series:Advances in Meteorology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/747259
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author Britta Jänicke
Fred Meier
Marie-Therese Hoelscher
Dieter Scherer
author_facet Britta Jänicke
Fred Meier
Marie-Therese Hoelscher
Dieter Scherer
author_sort Britta Jänicke
collection DOAJ
description The evaluation of the effectiveness of countermeasures for a reduction of urban heat stress, such as façade greening, is challenging due to lacking transferability of results from one location to another. Furthermore, complex variables such as the mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) are necessary to assess outdoor human bioclimate. We observed Tmrt in front of a building façade in Berlin, Germany, which is half-greened while the other part is bare. Tmrt was reduced (mean 2 K) in front of the greened compared to the bare façade. To overcome observational shortcomings, we applied the microscale models ENVI-met, RayMan, and SOLWEIG. We evaluated these models based on observations. Our results show that Tmrt (MD = −1.93 K) and downward short-wave radiation (MD = 14.39 W/m2) were sufficiently simulated in contrast to upward short-wave and long-wave radiation. Finally, we compare the simulated reduction of Tmrt with the observed one in front of the façade greening, showing that the models were not able to simulate the effects of façade greening with the applied settings. Our results reveal that façade greening contributes only slightly to a reduction of heat stress in front of building façades.
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spelling doaj-art-a7dece0460684787900a5fea2366b3952025-08-20T02:20:56ZengWileyAdvances in Meteorology1687-93091687-93172015-01-01201510.1155/2015/747259747259Evaluating the Effects of Façade Greening on Human Bioclimate in a Complex Urban EnvironmentBritta Jänicke0Fred Meier1Marie-Therese Hoelscher2Dieter Scherer3Chair of Climatology, Department of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology, Rothenburgstraße 12, 12165 Berlin, GermanyChair of Climatology, Department of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology, Rothenburgstraße 12, 12165 Berlin, GermanyChair of Soil Conservation, Department of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology, Ernst-Reuter-Platz 1, 10587 Berlin, GermanyChair of Climatology, Department of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology, Rothenburgstraße 12, 12165 Berlin, GermanyThe evaluation of the effectiveness of countermeasures for a reduction of urban heat stress, such as façade greening, is challenging due to lacking transferability of results from one location to another. Furthermore, complex variables such as the mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) are necessary to assess outdoor human bioclimate. We observed Tmrt in front of a building façade in Berlin, Germany, which is half-greened while the other part is bare. Tmrt was reduced (mean 2 K) in front of the greened compared to the bare façade. To overcome observational shortcomings, we applied the microscale models ENVI-met, RayMan, and SOLWEIG. We evaluated these models based on observations. Our results show that Tmrt (MD = −1.93 K) and downward short-wave radiation (MD = 14.39 W/m2) were sufficiently simulated in contrast to upward short-wave and long-wave radiation. Finally, we compare the simulated reduction of Tmrt with the observed one in front of the façade greening, showing that the models were not able to simulate the effects of façade greening with the applied settings. Our results reveal that façade greening contributes only slightly to a reduction of heat stress in front of building façades.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/747259
spellingShingle Britta Jänicke
Fred Meier
Marie-Therese Hoelscher
Dieter Scherer
Evaluating the Effects of Façade Greening on Human Bioclimate in a Complex Urban Environment
Advances in Meteorology
title Evaluating the Effects of Façade Greening on Human Bioclimate in a Complex Urban Environment
title_full Evaluating the Effects of Façade Greening on Human Bioclimate in a Complex Urban Environment
title_fullStr Evaluating the Effects of Façade Greening on Human Bioclimate in a Complex Urban Environment
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating the Effects of Façade Greening on Human Bioclimate in a Complex Urban Environment
title_short Evaluating the Effects of Façade Greening on Human Bioclimate in a Complex Urban Environment
title_sort evaluating the effects of facade greening on human bioclimate in a complex urban environment
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/747259
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AT marietheresehoelscher evaluatingtheeffectsoffacadegreeningonhumanbioclimateinacomplexurbanenvironment
AT dieterscherer evaluatingtheeffectsoffacadegreeningonhumanbioclimateinacomplexurbanenvironment