The relationship of urban vegetation in microclimatic thermal behavior: a case study in a coastal neighborhood in Maceió-Alagoas

estudo de caso em bairro litorâneo em Maceió-Alagoas

Abstract

Vegetation is an important element of the urban structure, especially in low-latitude tropical cities, where the incidence of solar radiation is high at all times of the year. Thus, it was necessary to understand the influence of urban vegetation in vertical canyons. Urban canyons are characterized by the presence of two parallel building facades with a street between them. In this sense, they vary according to the buildings’ height and the street’s width and can be defined as deep or shallow. Thus, the canyons cause changes in temperature, humidity and ventilation, depending on their geometry. This study aimed to analyze the influence of urban vegetation on air temperature in vertical canyons in a low-latitude tropical coastal city, through comparative analysis of air temperature in two sample points located in the Ponta Verde neighborhood, in Maceió-AL, taken as a case study in this investigation. The monitoring campaign was carried out in the summer period, passing through the day of the summer solstice, with the aid of temperature and relative humidity meters, HOBO brand, installed on public lighting poles, at an average height of 3.5 m in relation to the soil, with continuous recordings every 1 h. The results appreciated thermal differences between the points, in the hours of greater heating of the air. Therefore, the presence of tree vegetation in canyons significantly reduced air temperature, providing more comfortable microclimatic conditions for thermal comfort in outdoor environments.