Ninth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

Rapid unplanned urbanization has created pressures on urban land use in India, leading to deterioration in green cover and an increase in urban temperatures due to the urban heat island (UHI) effect. With India’s urban population set to double from 400 million in 2011 to 800 million by 2050, it becomes critical to understand the role of urban green spaces (UGS) in mitigating the UHI effect. Studies on the thermal impacts of UGS in India are limited and have focused mostly on temperature decreases within UGS themselves. In this study, we use high-resolution Landsat and Google Earth data to quantify the cooling effects provided by UGS beyond their boundaries. We integrate remote sensing and spatial statistical analysis to link land use and temperature patterns at the city level. Our study analyses the cooling effects at the level of individual UGS themselves. In this study, we use high-resolution Landsat and Google Earth data to quantify the cooling effects provided by UGS beyond their boundaries. We integrate remote sensing and spatial statistical analysis to link land use and temperature patterns at the city level. Our study analyses the cooling effects at the level of individual UGS themselves. For the case of Bengaluru, we study 249 green spaces to quantify their cooling effects and identify the characteristics of UGS and their surroundings that influence these effects. The findings inform urban land use policy, especially in the context of India’s Smart Cities Mission, that has been criticized for inadequate focus on urban greening.