Street Orientation, Aspect Ratio, and Tree Species Interactions on Heat Exposure in Temperate Monsoon Climate

Rapid urbanization has intensified microclimatic deterioration in temperate monsoon cities, directly affecting human thermal comfort. This study investigates the regulatory effects of common street tree species under varying street aspect ratios (H/W) and orientations in Shenyang, China, a representative temperate monsoon city characterized by cold winters. Field surveys and questionnaire data were combined with ENVI-met simulations to quantify thermal comfort responses using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). Results demonstrate that street geometry strongly constrains microclimate regulation: streets with H/W = 1.2 and a SE–NW orientation achieved the most favorable balance between shading and ventilation, yielding the lowest UTCI values. Significant interspecies variability was observed: Golden Elm and Chinese Willow provided the greatest cooling benefits, whereas Ginkgo exhibited limited adaptability, particularly in enclosed or highly open canyons. A comparison with subjective thermal comfort votes confirmed strong model reliability, though discrepancies emerged in dense commercial areas due to non-meteorological factors. Based on these findings, a spatially driven, species-adaptive, and human-centered framework is proposed to optimize street greening strategies in a temperate monsoon city characterized by cold winters. This research provides quantitative evidence for urban greening design, highlights the necessity of integrating spatial form with tree-species selection, and offers practical guidance for resilient thermal comfort management in rapidly urbanizing cold-region cities.