Urban Green Coverage as a Strategy for Mitigating High Temperatures in Cities

The strategic implementation of urban green coverage (UGC) is a significant method to mitigate urban heat island effect (UHIE). This chapter provides an answer to the following question “What is the role of urban green coverage (UGC) in mitigating UHIE?” by exploring global studies that examined the cooling effects of various UGC types such as trees, vertical greening, green roofs, and green open spaces. The objective of this chapter is to review scientific literature on UHIE and the cooling benefits that urban greening (UGC) can provide in cities. The chapter also explains the role of UGC in mitigating high temperature in cities. In addition, it presents an environmental framework for applying UGC to mitigate UHIE through four steps, which applies first on neighborhood scale, and then finally on street scale, to identify specific UGC, which fits best at certain locations in the street. At the end of the chapter, the factors influencing the cooling effect of UGC types are summarized. Lessons learned about the cooling benefits of UGC types are also highlighted based on exploring global studies to provide a reference to aid all stakeholders in effectively integrating UGC into existing urban areas.