Analyzing the cooling effect, thermal comfort, and energy consumption of integrated arrangement of high-rise buildings and green spaces on urban heat island

The strategic arrangement of green spaces is essential to mitigating the urban heat island effect. This study comprehensively analyzed how integrating high-rise buildings and green spaces impacts the urban thermal environment and energy consumption. Simulations using ENVI-met were conducted for three scenarios in an urban renewal area in Seoul: (i) pre-development phase, (ii) high-rise building and green space development phase, and (iii) green space creation phase. Thermal comfort via the Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) and energy consumption via Urban Building Energy Modeling (UBEM) were evaluated. Results showed a mean air temperature decrease of 0.94 degrees C and a 1.80% reduction in energy consumption due to the integrated arrangement. The daytime PET improved more with the combined arrangement than with green spaces alone. Parametric analysis revealed that building shading provides more effective daytime cooling during heatwaves than green spaces, with cooling effects increasing as building height rises. This comprehensive study demonstrated the synergistic benefits of integrating high-rise buildings and green spaces for cooling and energy efficiency. These findings provide practical insights for green space development plans to enhance urban thermal environments and reduce energy consumption, particularly in dense urban settings experiencing extreme climate conditions.