Investigating the Relationship Between Urban Spaces Morphology and Local Microclimate: a study for Thessaloniki

The study investigates the impact of two different strategies on the amelioration of the local thermal environment regarding surface and air temperatures, in two urban districts of Thessaloniki, the morphology of which present rather similar characteristics. The examined strategies include the use of cool materials and additional vegetation and trees. The ENVI-met model v.4 is used for the microclimate simulation. The analysis revealed an important reduction of surface and air temperatures after replacing conventional coatings with cool materials while additional trees contribute to lower surface and air temperatures by the shading effect and leaves' evapotranspiration. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.