Combining Multi-Source Satellite Data with a Microclimate Model to Analyze the Microclimate of an Urban Park

Cities concentrate many people, and studies have shown that resultant urban heat islands can be intense. Urban parks can function as “cool islands” that mitigate heat island effects. This study used the microclimate model ENVI-met 5.1 to assess the cooling effect of Panyu Park in the center of Shanghai, China. The primary objectives were to increase the diversity of data sources and to conduct a microclimate analysis. Two scenarios were examined: the actual park and no park. The results indicated that (1) the integration of satellite technology enhanced the data sources for ENVI-met and thereby increased the efficiency of urban modeling and (2) the simulated results for the park correlated well with the actual data observed at weather stations. The presence of the park resulted in a decrease in the maximum air temperature by 0.1 °C at 1.4 m above ground, a decrease in the wind speed by 1.67 m/s, a maximum increase of 0.2% in relative humidity, and a reduction of 1.94 in the Predicted Mean Vote. The results demonstrated the applicability of multi-source satellite data in microclimate research, saved time on data collection, and provided valuable information for studies undertaken in areas where the collection of field data is challenging and/or historical data are unavailable.