Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure ISSN:2288-8527(Online) 응용생태공학회 논문집

This study was conducted to analyze the effect of the different land covers of an urban park (Hyowon park) in downtown Suwon on the urban thermal variations during a hot summer. The effect of the air temperature reduction in the urban park was 4.4%-4.5% for the downtown residence (Maetan-dong). This value was about 0.8% lower than that of the outskirts residence (Sanggwanggyo-dong). The daily mean temperature, daily maximum temperature, summer day and heat wave frequency were measured under the different land covers (cement-block, grass, pine-grass, shading area and mixed forest) showed these values generally decreased under natural land cover types. Daily minimum temperature and tropical night frequency didn’t seem to correlate with the land cover types. Means of thermal comfort indices (wet bulb globe temperature, heat index and discomfort index) in the shading area, mixed forest and the pine-grass types were lower than those of cement block and grass types. However the levels of those indices were equal to ‘very high’ or ‘caution’ levels in the afternoon (13:00-15:00). In the morning (06:00-08:00), thermal comfort indices of the urban park didn’t correlate with land cover types. Therefore, to reduce heat stress and to improve the thermal comfort in urban parks, an increase in the area of natural land cover such as grass, forest and open spaces is required.