The Influence of Urban Heat Towards Pedestrian Comfort and the Potential Use of Plants and Water as Heat Ameliorator in Kuala Lumpur City Centre Area
Kuala Lumpur, like other cities in a tropical environment faces serious environmental degradation of urban heat island, atmospheric pollution, traffic congestion and high energy consumption due to its rapid development and urbanisation. Unlike cities with a cool temperate climate and made worse b...
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Format: | Thesis |
Language: | English English |
Published: |
2004
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Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/22/1/1000548960_t_FRSB_2004_2.pdf http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/22/ |
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Summary: | Kuala Lumpur, like other cities in a tropical environment faces serious environmental
degradation of urban heat island, atmospheric pollution, traffic congestion and high
energy consumption due to its rapid development and urbanisation. Unlike cities with
a cool temperate climate and made worse by being in a valley set up, Kuala Lumpur
outdoor living comfort is seriously affected by accumulation of heat and generation of
dust and smoke. All these have resulted in a decrease in outdoor living comfort and
quality, making outdoor life quite miserable, deterioration in public health and is even
life threatening.
This thesis aims to provide a basis for understanding and create awareness on the
importance of comfortable outdoor living environment for comfortable human life
and living with serious attention on issues of urban heat and the effective use of
natural elements such as plants and water as heat ameliorator. This will hopefully be a
new tool to the city managers, planners, architects, engineers and even landscape
architects to integrate the concern of their built environment with sustainable natural
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landscape development toward sustainable and comfortable outdoor living
environment.
This thesis is based on data obtained from survey questionnaires, site observations,
field measurements and professional interviews. The data were analysed as to
determine the needs and preferences of the outdoor users towards their outdoor
comfort. Interviews were being justified through site observations and field
measurements. Relevant professional groups were interviewed to gauge their
understanding and views on their current approaches in planning, designing and
managing the city outdoor environment.
The results showed that the temperature and humidity readings taken at vegetated and
densely built-up areas in Kuala Lumpur city, showed a difference of an increase of
5°C to 8°C temperature and a reduction of 10% to 14% humidity. The general public
displayed a lack of understanding and awareness on the impact of heat to their
outdoor comfort. The professionals gave priority to requirements and guidelines in
their own professional area rather than looking at the urban environment in total
during the designing and implementation stage.
The research recommends continuous massive tree-planting programmes,
encouragement of more vertical landscape or rooftop gardens and more moving water
features to be the basis to ameliorate the urban heat while the professionals should
integrate the their built environment with sustainable natural eco system. Political
leaders, policy makers and the public need to understand and be more aware of the
issue of the outdoor living comfort and how nature can help to comfort mankind and
sustain a good outdoor living environment. |
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