The effect of roadside green spaces on wind speed reduction in the urban environment

Abstract

The negative influence of automobile traffic in the urban environment is manifested in emissions of various air pollutants (dust, soot. smog and other), expansion of urban heat island, decreased humidity, increased wind speed and other. Urban green spaces and especially the ones near roads with heavy traffic, covered with various plant material, can have a major role in suppressing the environmental consequences (influence on microclimate conditions, absorption of different pollutants, reduction of wind speed and other) caused by the traffic. The wind is an important environmental factor that has a direct effect on people and other environmental factors that together influence the state of the city's comfort. Strong and long-lasting winds, on the other hand, can he an important factor for city safety. In the paper, we start from the assumption that roadside green spaces have a positive effect on wind speed reduction in the nearby area and that the size of that effect depends on the cover. dendrology structure and the size of green space. The research has been conducted on five representative green spaces along the main traffic roads in the area of New Belgrade. a municipality of Serbian capital, Belgrade. Results show that: roadside green spaces. with surface areas ranging from 0.7-1.4ha. have positive impact on wind speed reduction, reducing it by 0.5-1.5rtv's in the nearby urban surroundings; amount of influence of those green spaces on wind speed reduction depends on dendrological structure and coverage of green space; intensity of wind speed reduction is not proportionate to the size of those green spaces. The results of this paper can be used for planning and establihment, as well as for maintaining this category of green spaces in the city.