Abstract:
Urbanization, coupled with climate change, poses significant risk particularly in
urban areas where the proliferation of concrete structures is continuously increasing and
has created an archipelago of urban green spaces. The resultant environmental changes
such as urban heat islands, have led to a limited outdoor activities, exacerbating
concerns about spatial degradation, thermal discomfort affecting health and well-being.
Assessments of climate related impacts on urban redevelopment are crucial to
reducing environmental vulnerabilities, especially in growing cities of emerging
economies like Bhopal which has hot and arid climate. The study was conducted along
an under construction elevated transit corridor of a commercial area. According to
literature studies on Local Climate Zones (LCZ), it has been established that urban cover
modifies the urban microclimate. Responding to the need to harmonize aesthetics with
practical functionality and address the diminishing quality of urban open spaces and
experience, this study aims to investigate the impact of this elevated transit corridor on
the overall urban microclimate. It aims to examine the potential of vegetation that can
mitigate heat stress and improve outdoor thermal comfort and activity time by reducing
ambient air temperature (Ta) and Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET)
temperatures through evidence-based landscape strategies and proactive design.
The primary data was collected from site through survey and mapped using
Auto-cad. The field measurements like air temperature, Surface temperature, Relative
humidity and Wind velocity (Ta,Ts, Rh and V) were recorded on site which was further
modeled and simulated using 3d micro climatic analytical model ENVI-met software. The
summer scenario of the existing base case was analyzed considering the meteorological
data, and simulations were conducted to understand the severity of heat stress and
predict the thermal discomfort of the user. The proposed vegetation scenarios were
modeled and simulated to assess the direct and indirect impacts on reducing ambient
and Physiological Equivalent Temperature. This study helps the designers, landscape
architects, planners, and architects etc. to arrive at a scientific way to enhance the
overall climate performance of outdoor spaces.
