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Urban parks reduce air temperatures within parks and surroundings by exerting the cooling island effect, significant for mitigating the urban microclimate. However, the park cooling effect may be influenced by the surrounding building configuration, and this needs to be studied in more detail, in particular, to explore how to maximize the cooling effect of parks by adjusting the surrounding building configuration. Thus, in this study, the effects of building height, building interval, and building orientation on the cooling effect of a small urban park were investigated using field measurements and ENVI-met numerical simulations. The results demonstrated that (1) building height, building interval, and building orientation all impact the park cooling effect, but their impacts vary. (2) Building height had the strongest effect on the park cooling intensity, and adjusting building height provided the maximum park cooling intensity (1.2 °C). (3) Building orientation had the most effect on the park cooling distance, 100 m downwind of the park. (4) The park cooling effect is best when the surrounding buildings were parallel to the prevailing wind direction, and the park cool island has the greatest intensity and range. This study can guide decision-makers in optimizing building configuration to maximize the park cooling effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil temperature plays an important role in soil respiration, which is related to the atmospheric carbon cycle. In addition to its own physical and chemical properties, soil temperature is also influenced by external environmental factors, including plants. Therefore, it is relevant to explore the relationship between plant characteristics and soil temperature. This study was conducted in Hangzhou, China. The influence of canopy structural characteristics of bamboo communities on soil temperature was investigated in detail by means of field measurements. In summer, the canopy structure of bamboo communities reduced the soil temperature by up to 3.0–3.8 °C, 2.4–3.4 °C, and 2.3–3.0 °C at 5 cm, 10 cm, and 20 cm, respectively. In winter, the canopy structure of bamboo communities increased soil temperature by up to 0.1–0.4 °C, 0.1–0.6 °C, and 0.2–0.7 °C at 5 cm, 10 cm, and 20 cm, respectively. The leaf area index and canopy cover significantly affected the soil temperature, while the effect of the sky view factor was minimal compared to other factors. We also discovered that soil temperatures at different depths interact and are influenced by the air temperature. These findings provide a more reasonable bamboo canopy plan to improve the urban environment effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Thermal behavior of living walls is both affected by modular system and plants. • LWS can improve indoor by around 0.6–1.7 ℃ on average during insulation time in a day. • Indoor thermal benefits of north-facing LWS is better than north- and south-facing LWS. • Insulation of living walls is positively correlated to plant height and leaf coverage. As eastern China rapidly urbanizes, living walls are spreading swiftly across cities and consequently resulting in its stronger influence on the urban thermal environment. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of external living wall systems (LWSs) on indoor thermal environments in winters with low temperatures and high humidity levels. Four containers with different outer facades were arranged in Hangzhou and a comparative analysis was conducted on changes in the internal and external thermal environments of these containers. Results reveal that both the soil-filled planter pots and plants positioned on the LWSs play a role in indoor insulation while pots have a more stable effect. Good thermal performance of living walls can improve the energy efficiency of buildings. When the north-facing walls of the containers were equipped with planter pots, a bamboo living wall or a living wall with other plants, the internal temperatures were 0.4 °C, 1.7 °C and 1 °C higher during the insulation period, respectively, relative to those of the reference container, and the all-day insulation period of the north-facing LWSs lasted more than 20 h a day. By contrast, thermal benefit of the north-and south-facing LWSs was weaker. Compared to more widely used plant species, dwarf bamboo increased insulation and wind resistance levels on the living walls, creating significantly higher temperatures on living wall surfaces and within containers in winter, indicating that plant features have a strong positive impact on the insulating features of living walls. This study not only makes up for the lack of research on the thermal performance of LWSs in the researched area during the winter, but also is of great significance to the development and application of living walls with better thermal benefits, such as orientation setting, plant selection, building energy saving, etc. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]