Influence of Tree Canopy Coverage and Leaf Area Density on Urban Heat Island Mitigation

Urban heat islands (UHI) are a widely documented phenomenon that adversely increases urban overheating and, among other effects, contributes to heat-related mortalities and morbidities in urban areas. Consequently, comprehensive UHI-mitigating measures are essential for improving urban microclimate environments and contributing to salutogenic urban design practices. This study proposed urban cooling strategies involving different tree percentages and leaf area densities in a dense urban area during the summertime in Korea. The cooling effects of sixteen various combinations of proposed scenarios based on common urban tree types were studied via in-situ field measurements and numerical modeling, considering both vegetated and exposed areas. It was observed that by changing the characteristics of the leaf area density (LAD) per plant of our vegetated base area—for instance, from 4% trees to 60% trees, from a low LAD to a high LAD—the daily average and daily maximum temperatures were reduced by approximately 3 °C and 5.23 °C, respectively. The obtained results demonstrate the usefulness of urban trees to mitigate urban heating, and they are particularly useful to urban designers and policymakers in their efforts to minimize UHI effects