Mitigation of Climate Change Impact on Bioclimatic Conditions Using Different Green Space Scenarios: The Case of a Hospital in Gorgan Subtropical Climates

Abstract

Urban development and its climatic consequences have caused urban decision-makers to establish strategies to mitigate climate change. The implementation of different green spaces is one of the main strategies to reduce the environmental and climatic consequences of urbanization. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to reveal the effect of different green space scenarios on micro-bioclimatic conditions of a hospital located in Gorgan city, Golestan province. Therefore, in order to determine the position of the hospital building relative to Gorgan’s urban heat island (UHI), the location and changes in UHI intensity of Gorgan were determined as evidence of urban expansion. Since 27 July was determined as the hottest day in Gorgan city based on historical data analysis, the climatic conditions during 27 July 2021 were measured using an AR847 data logger installed in the hospital environment. Additionally, four different conditions, including actual environmental conditions of the hospital (actual conditions), along with the application of cypress trees (scenario A), plane trees (scenario B), and Buxus shrubs (scenario C), have been used to analyze the impact of different vegetation species on the bioclimatic conditions of 5 Azar Hospital during two time intervals, including observational periods (1970–2020) and the decade of the 2040s. Finally, spatiotemporal patterns of the predicted mean vote (PMV) thermal index were calculated for the observational period and during the 2040s using the ENVI-met micro-scale model. Results showed that the study site is in the UHI, which can affect the micro-bioclimatic conditions and the patient’s thermal perception. For all designed scenarios, results indicate that the average PMV index will increase by the 2040s. However, implementing different green space scenarios showed that the minimum and maximum values of PMV were found in scenario B, of 2.7. The actual PMV conditions of the studied site increased by 3.5. The scenario introduction of green spaces during the 2040s indicates that the average PMV at the hospital site will be decreased by 0.9 compared to the actual conditions. The study proves that appropriate green space strategies can reduce thermal loads occurring due to global climate change and improve the thermal conditions in the study area.