Urban areas are among the places where the effects of global climate change are felt most strongly. Therefore, nature-based solutions have become increasingly important for climate adaptation. This study aims to assess the Urban Cooling Effect Values (UCEV) of commonly used urban trees with different textures, ground-cover shrubs, and paving materials. Temperature measurements were carried out from the shade of 16 tree species, over 17 ground cover shrub species, and from the surface of 17 paving materials frequently used in urban open green spaces in Bursa during July–September 2024 and April–October 2025. A thermal camera and an anemometer were used for data collection, and relative humidity, wind speed, and air temperature for the study area conditions. The data were analyzed using SPSS software through normality, variance, and correlation analyses. Statistical evaluations were conducted separately for the overall period (April–October) and the summer months (June–August). The results show that, compared to the control group (open-area grass surfaces), Salix babylonica (4.39 °C) had the highest UCEV among tree species, while Albizia julibrissin (2.16 °C) had the lowest. During summer, Salix babylonica (4.88 °C) and Tilia tomentosa (4.78 °C) showed the highest cooling effect, whereas Tamarix tetrandra (0.25 °C) again exhibited the lowest values. No significant differences were observed among texture classes during the April–October period; however, in summer period, coarse- and medium-textured plants showed stronger cooling effects than fine-textured species. Among the shrub species, Euryops pectinatus exhibited the highest UCEV across all reference surfaces during the April–October period. The lowest UCEV was recorded for Festuca glauca relative to the grass reference surface (0.51 °C), whereas Abelia × grandiflora exhibited the lowest UCEV relative to the hardscape (14.14 °C) and soil (20.14 °C) reference surfaces. During the summer period, Euryops pectinatus again showed the highest UCEV relative to the grass reference surface (6.92 °C), while Euonymus fortunei exhibited the lowest UCEV relative to the grass (0.83 °C), hardscape (15.93 °C), and soil (24.92 °C) reference surfaces. Based on measurements conducted on paving materials, with soil as the control surface, water surfaces (16.72 °C) and grass areas (13.32 °C) exhibited the highest cooling effects, whereas rubber (− 18.22 °C) and artificial grass (− 15.66 °C) showed the lowest. These findings provide a basis for informed plant and material selection in climate-sensitive urban landscape design.

Assessment of urban cooling effect values of trees, shrubs, and paving materials: a case study of Bursa

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发表日期：

2026年8月1日

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Onur Aksoy,
Kamil Erken

摘要

Urban areas are among the places where the effects of global climate change are felt most strongly. Therefore, nature-based solutions have become increasingly important for climate adaptation. This study aims to assess the Urban Cooling Effect Values (UCEV) of commonly used urban trees with different textures, ground-cover shrubs, and paving materials. Temperature measurements were carried out from the shade of 16 tree species, over 17 ground cover shrub species, and from the surface of 17 paving materials frequently used in urban open green spaces in Bursa during July–September 2024 and April–October 2025. A thermal camera and an anemometer were used for data collection, and relative humidity, wind speed, and air temperature for the study area conditions. The data were analyzed using SPSS software through normality, variance, and correlation analyses. Statistical evaluations were conducted separately for the overall period (April–October) and the summer months (June–August). The results show that, compared to the control group (open-area grass surfaces), Salix babylonica (4.39 °C) had the highest UCEV among tree species, while Albizia julibrissin (2.16 °C) had the lowest. During summer, Salix babylonica (4.88 °C) and Tilia tomentosa (4.78 °C) showed the highest cooling effect, whereas Tamarix tetrandra (0.25 °C) again exhibited the lowest values. No significant differences were observed among texture classes during the April–October period; however, in summer period, coarse- and medium-textured plants showed stronger cooling effects than fine-textured species. Among the shrub species, Euryops pectinatus exhibited the highest UCEV across all reference surfaces during the April–October period. The lowest UCEV was recorded for Festuca glauca relative to the grass reference surface (0.51 °C), whereas Abelia × grandiflora exhibited the lowest UCEV relative to the hardscape (14.14 °C) and soil (20.14 °C) reference surfaces. During the summer period, Euryops pectinatus again showed the highest UCEV relative to the grass reference surface (6.92 °C), while Euonymus fortunei exhibited the lowest UCEV relative to the grass (0.83 °C), hardscape (15.93 °C), and soil (24.92 °C) reference surfaces. Based on measurements conducted on paving materials, with soil as the control surface, water surfaces (16.72 °C) and grass areas (13.32 °C) exhibited the highest cooling effects, whereas rubber (− 18.22 °C) and artificial grass (− 15.66 °C) showed the lowest. These findings provide a basis for informed plant and material selection in climate-sensitive urban landscape design.