Mitigating Extreme Summer Temperatures with Vegetation
Recently, Dr Dong Chen and the team from Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and NGIA modelled the potential benefit of vegetation in reducing extreme summer temperatures in Melbourne CBD under different climate scenarios. Results showed that the cooling benefit of various urban forms and vegetation schemes may be in the range of 0.3°C to 2°C. The team also found that although Melbourne is projected to be warmer in 2050 and 2090, the relative benefit of urban vegetation will not change significantly. In this Nursery Paper, Dr Dong Chen details the rationale to this research and the results to date.