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The effects of different landscape strategies on outdoor thermal comfort in village squares: a case study in Dayuwan village in Wuhan City

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Abstract

Appropriate landscape configurations significantly mitigate rural thermal degradation. However, limited research exists on seasonal thermal comfort and the interconnections among landscape elements. Using ENVI-met software and field measurements, this study analyzed the microclimate of Dayuwan Village Square in Wuhan City. Fifteen design scenarios, including tree planting, building greening, albedo adjustment, and expanded tree coverage, were quantitatively evaluated to assess their impact on outdoor thermal comfort. Additionally, synergistic interactions between mitigation strategies were explored. The study found that increasing evergreen tree coverage by 50% has minimal impact on comfort during winter and spring. However, it significantly reduces temperatures in summer and autumn, resulting in average predicted mean vote (PMV) decreases of 0.315 and 0.643, respectively. Additionally, this strategy optimizes PMV values at 18:00 on extreme days, with a 0.102 decrease in summer and a 0.002 increase in winter. This research offers practical and sustainable guidance to designers for enhancing mitigation effects through optimal landscape configuration, providing a technical framework for rural environmental improvements.

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The data and materials used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Hubei Provincial Department of Housing and Urban–Rural Development, China ([2023]1656–095). Bailing Zhou has received research support from the Hubei Provincial Department of Housing and Urban–Rural Development, China.

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  1. Zhen Qin and Bailing Zhou contributed equally to this work and should be considered co-first authors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Urban Construction, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430065, China

    Zhen Qin & Bailing Zhou

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  1. Zhen Qin
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Zhen Qin. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Bailing Zhou, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Bailing Zhou.

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Qin, Z., Zhou, B. The effects of different landscape strategies on outdoor thermal comfort in village squares: a case study in Dayuwan village in Wuhan City. Environ Sci Pollut Res 31, 28594–28619 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-33022-5

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