Evaluating the cooling performance of vegetation combined with a fountain in horizontal and vertical urban environments

Abstract

Urban greenery and fountains effectively mitigate the urban heat island (UHI) effect. While many studies have assessed individual vegetation configurations (grass, shrub, and tree) and fountains at pedestrian heights, few have explored their combined effects horizontally and vertically. This study uses the ENVI-met model to evaluate the cooling effects of three vegetation configurations and their combinations with fountains in a typical historical and cultural neighborhood. The “grass, shrub, tree and fountain” scenario achieved the most substantial cooling, reducing air temperature (Ta) by 5.61 °C and mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) by 17.39 °C. Adding shrubs to the existing trees had minimal impact on Ta and Tmrt. Incorporating fountains into various vegetation configurations scenarios further lowered Ta by 3.58°C-3.66 °C and Tmrt by 2.97°C-3.27 °C. Trees primarily improved Tmrt through shading, while fountains were more effective at reduce Ta. This study offers theoretical and scientific guidance for optimizing urban street microclimate design from horizontal and vertical perspectives.