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Effects of Roadside Trees and Road Orientation on Thermal Environment in a Tropical City

Author

Listed:
  • Sheikh Ahmad Zaki

    (Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur 54100, Malaysia)

  • Hai Jian Toh

    (Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur 54100, Malaysia)

  • Fitri Yakub

    (Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur 54100, Malaysia)

  • Ahmad Shakir Mohd Saudi

    (Environmental Health Research Cluster, Environmental Healthcare Section, Institute of Medical Science Technology, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Kajang 43000, Malaysia)

  • Jorge Alfredo Ardila-Rey

    (Department of Electrical Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Santiago de Chile 8940000, Chile)

  • Firdaus Muhammad-Sukki

    (School of Engineering, Robert Gordon University, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, Scotland AB10 7GJ, UK)

Abstract

Emerging tropical cities are experiencing rapid population growth and development, which can greatly affect the thermal environments. The effects of roadside trees and road orientation on the outdoor thermal environment were investigated on four different roads in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Field measurements were conducted to assess outdoor thermal environments, where the selection of sites was based on different roadside tree morphological features and road orientations. Outdoor air temperature ( T a ), relative humidity ( RH ), globe temperature ( T g ), wind speed ( WS ), and wind direction ( WD ) were measured. Absolute humidity ( AH ) was estimated based on relative humidity and air temperature. Planting dense canopy trees with an average sky view factor (SVF) of 0.07 reduced the mean radiant temperature ( T mrt ) by 35% and the physiological equivalent temperature (PET) by 25%. East–West (E–W) and Northwest–Southeast (NW–SE) oriented roads had high PET values of 41 °C and 43 °C, respectively. North–South (N–S) and Northeast–Southwest (NE–SW) orientated roads had lower PET values (37 °C), providing improved outdoor microclimate. Roadside trees provided greater cooling potential in E–W and NW–SE oriented roads. The findings are useful for urban road design in tropical cities in order to improve the outdoor thermal environment and pedestrian comfort.

Suggested Citation

  • Sheikh Ahmad Zaki & Hai Jian Toh & Fitri Yakub & Ahmad Shakir Mohd Saudi & Jorge Alfredo Ardila-Rey & Firdaus Muhammad-Sukki, 2020. "Effects of Roadside Trees and Road Orientation on Thermal Environment in a Tropical City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-23, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:3:p:1053-:d:315530
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sheikh Ahmad Zaki & Siti Wan Syahidah & Mohd Fairuz Shahidan & Mardiana Idayu Ahmad & Fitri Yakub & Mohamad Zaki Hassan & Mohd Yusof Md Daud, 2020. "Assessment of Outdoor Air Temperature with Different Shaded Area within an Urban University Campus in Hot-Humid Climate," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-24, July.
    2. Bin Li & Hanfa Xing & Duanguang Cao & Guang Yang & Huanxue Zhang, 2022. "Exploring the Effects of Roadside Vegetation on the Urban Thermal Environment Using Street View Images," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-18, January.
    3. Tieqiao Xiao & Lanlan Sheng & Shaojie Zhang & Licheng Zheng & Taotao Shui, 2023. "Thermal Comfort Improvement Strategies for Outdoor Spaces in Traditional Villages Based on ENVI-Met: Shimengao Village in Chizhou City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-19, July.
    4. Daranee Jareemit & Manat Srivanit, 2022. "A Comparative Study of Cooling Performance and Thermal Comfort under Street Market Shades and Tree Canopies in Tropical Savanna Climate," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-22, April.
    5. Kateřina Mácová & Andrea Szórádová & Jaroslav Kolařík, 2022. "Are Trees Planted along the Roads Sustainable? A Large-Scale Study in the Czech Republic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-14, April.
    6. Qindong Fan & Fengtian Du & Hu Li & Chenming Zhang, 2021. "Thermal-comfort evaluation of and plan for public space of Maling Village, Henan, China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(9), pages 1-33, September.
    7. Katarzyna Kocur-Bera & Jacek Rapiński & Monika Siejka & Przemysław Leń & Anna Małek, 2023. "Potential of an Area in Terms of Pro-Climate Solutions in a Land Consolidation Project," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-25, June.
    8. Heng Liu & Xinyu Liu & Lufeng Nie & Xiaochun Hong & Xiang Ji, 2022. "Research Progress of Urban Wind and Thermal Environment Based on CiteSpace and China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-22, October.

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