Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

A STUDY ON THE EFFICIENCY OF DESIGNING URBAN PARK AS COOLING SPOT IN THE CENTER OF BANGKOK – TARGETING RAINING SEASON

Kenta Fukagawa and Ariya Aruninta

Abstract

In recent years, researchers have focused on the urban heat island (UHI), caused mainly by the increase in artificial pavement due to development in urban areas and the increasing number of automobiles and air conditioning systems. Several mitigation techniques have been employed to reduce temperatures in the surrounding microclimate by installing green spaces in urban areas. To obtain greater benefits, it is estimated that the establishment of large-scale green spaces such as urban parks is more effective. An urban park provides not only a temperature mitigation effect but also a place for recreational activities for local residents. This study aims to understand the effect of the climate mitigation impacts of the smaller parks by conducting a survey in the raining season at the newly built Centenary Park established in the center of Bangkok where gentrification policies have been applied. However, to mitigate the UHI, the effects of different land-covering types such as fields, green roofs, pavements, and detention ponds on the surrounding microclimate must be studied. A weather observation system was installed at 12 points inside, semi-inside, and outside the park to compare the weather conditions of the different spatial characters, and data on fine-weather days were extracted. The 24-hour fluctuations in the temperature and cooling effects were analyzed. The results confirmed that the park influences the mitigation of the UHI temperature effect during both day and night time.