The Cooling Effects of Campus Greenery at the University of British Columbia Campus

The study calculated land surface temperature from Landsat images and collected air temperature data from available sensors. Two linear regression models were built to illustrate relationships between urban greenery coverage and land surface temperature and air temperature respectively. The results revealed that with the increasing percentage of urban greenery coverage, the land surface temperature reduced.

Deciduous trees showed the strongest ability to reduce land surface temperature, followed by modified grass-herb and coniferous trees. Areas that are classified as barren had the highest land surface temperature. However, there was no significant relationship between urban greenery coverage and air temperature.

This study provides valuable information for urban planners and policymakers to design and implement effective green space strategies that can address climate change and human thermal comfort issues.