A modeling study for evaluating passive cooling scenarios in urban streets with trees. Case study: Athens, Greece

The present work investigates the causes of the variability in air temperature patterns among urban streets with trees in Athens, as obtained from in situ measurements, in a suburb area and in the city center. Urban variables studied are: the extent of tree canopy coverage, traffic load, surfaces albedo modification, street deepening aspect and the street’s ventilation. The thermal effect of each variable is estimated by simulations using the Green CTTC analytical microclimate model. The model was first validated with measurements data and consequently used to study the effect of the various urban variables in attenuating the high values of air temperature within the studied streets considering two feasible scenarios for each of the examined streets. Model results revealed that the total attenuation effect in reducing the air temperatures inside the streets may reach as much as 5 K at noontime with a daily average cooling of 3 K. Further, the study demonstrates the potential use of microclimate modeling in assessing the merits of proposed passive cooling strategies in urban streets.