Abstract
The type, size, and spatial distribution of public green spaces and water bodies are key factors for the microclimatic quality of urban areas, particularly within densely built-up districts, where they influence the quality of life. The analytical method presented in this paper looks at entire cities in a GIS-based approach that identifies potential critical areas of the city (with regard to heat stress or the accessability of green spaces) and quantifies their size and location in relation to green space and water bodies. The advantage of this method is that analysing the urban environment can be largely automated by the use of available geo base data. This requires the application of algorithms from the field of landscape ecology to the urban environment. The method is based on multifactorial evaluation. Comparisons between cities are made possible by extremum normalisation. Densely built-up areas as well as all green spaces and water bodies within settlements are quantified in the form of areal indicators. Thus the proximity of densely built-up areas to green space or water bodies is measured by the indicator “Euclidian distance.” By correlating the resulting potential heat islands with population data from the 2011 National Census, it is possible to determine the likely number of residents affected. The method presented, which has been tested on seven cities in Germany, is part of a wide-ranging investigation into urban densities aimed at improving efficiency and environmental quality.
Highlights
The method presented in this paper to determine the quality of urban green spaces and bodies of water as a key factor and impact parameter on the urban microclimate situation and the quality of life in cities is one part of a research project to investigate urban density in regard to efficiency and environmental quality
The very low ratios of green space and water surfaces in Neubrandenburg and Landau are compensated by the large areas of open space making up 78% and 76% of total area respectively
Since it can be assumed that the open space surrounding the city will have a positive effect on the microclimate, an additional buffer is posited as extending into built-up areas
Summary
The method presented in this paper to determine the quality of urban green spaces and bodies of water as a key factor and impact parameter on the urban microclimate situation and the quality of life in cities is one part of a research project to investigate urban density in regard to efficiency and environmental quality (http://www.ioer.de/1/projekte/compactnessand-efficiency/). S151 with their functions for local residents such as housing, places of work, education, relaxation, local services provision, etc Such structures are closely related to various urban systems such as the volume of traffic in a city, the level of soil sealing, the amount of urban greenery, the consumption of material resources and energy, as well as the level of emissions and immissions. They can help to achieve a particular urban density with a high level of resource efficiency and environmental quality. The extreme scenario of a 10% reduction in the proportion of green space in the city centre or in densely built-up areas can lead to an increase in ground temperatures of between 7 °C and 8.2 °C (Gill et al, 2007: 127)
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