The Cooling Effect of Urban Green Spaces on Land Surface Temperatures: The Case of Bornova
Abstract
This study examines the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon, arising from the combined effects of global urbanization and climate change, through the cooling influence of green spaces in the Bornova district of İzmir. The research problem is defined as the adverse consequences of rising surface temperatures -driven by the expansion of impervious surfaces- on energy consumption, air pollution, and public health. The theoretical framework is grounded in the notion that green spaces improve the urban microclimate by forming park cooling islands (PCI). To investigate the cooling effects of urban green spaces, Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 satellite images from July 2024 were analyzed for 27 urban green areas differing in size and characteristics. Surface temperatures were calculated using ArcGIS 10.8.2, PCI values were determined for three buffer distances (100, 200, and 300 m), and regression analyses were conducted with the SPSS Statistic 30 software. The results indicated that the highest surface temperature values were calculated in densely developed and industrial regions (38.20-41.01 °C), whereas the lowest values were found in areas with forest cover (24.36-27.40 °C). The maximum cooling effect of green spaces reached 5.9 °C; however, in some large-scale green spaces with vegetation loss, the expected effect was not observed. Statistical analyses indicated that the proportion of green cover is the strongest predictor of cooling performance, while area size displayed a negative and mostly significant influence, and the shape index was not a meaningful determinant. Overall, the study concludes that the cooling capacity of urban green spaces is not homogeneous. Rather, the density and spatial configuration of vegetation are more decisive than area size. This highlights that, even at smaller scales, well-vegetated and strategically located green spaces can play a critical role in mitigating UHI effects within urban planning processes.
Keywords
Urban Heat Island , Park Cooling Island , Land Surface Temperature , Shape Index , İzmir
Kaynakça
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