Article by UNIC's Professor Drikakis and his team published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP), selected by Scilight for promotion
The article "Flow and heat transport effects from urban greening in a metropolitan environment" was featured by Scilight under the heading "Putting a chill on the urban heat island effect."
The research article "Flow and heat transport effects from urban greening in a metropolitan environment," by Professor Drikakis, UNIC Vice President for Global Partnerships and the Dean of the School of Science and Engineering and , and Dr Ioannis Kokkinakis, Researcher at the University of Nicosia, published in Physics of Fluids (AIP Publishing), has been selected for promotion by Scilight, the science highlights series of the American Institute of Physics (AIP), under the heading "Putting a chill on the urban heat island effect".
About the study:
The study examines how large-scale urban greening can influence local airflow and heat transport in a dense metropolitan environment, with a focus on Athens, including the impact of the greening of Ellinikon on the local microclimate. Urban heat island effects occur when built surfaces such as concrete and asphalt absorb and re-emit heat, increasing local temperatures, energy demand, and air pollution during heat events.
Prof. Drikakis and Dr Kokkinakis used computational fluid dynamics simulations with terrain-resolved topography to examine how greening interventions change near-surface temperatures and how those changes are transported by wind through the urban environment.
The Scilight feature highlights that major urban greening can reduce near-surface air temperatures by about 1°C on the hottest days, and that the cooling effect can extend several kilometres downwind under favourable conditions.
The findings underscore that greening benefits may extend beyond the boundaries of a park or redevelopment area, and that the distribution of cooling is influenced by factors such as street layout, terrain, and prevailing winds.
What is Scilight:
Scilight, Science Highlights, showcases the most interesting research across the physical sciences published in all AIP Publishing Journals. Scilight summarises newly published research, emphasising its significance to a particular field. Articles featured in Scilight are selected by AIP Publishing's journal editors. Scilight articles are written by professional science writers and are published simultaneously with the original research article.
