Comparative cognition of microclimate of different types of open spaces

An urban center area is usually a zone filled with high-rise buildings, which not only block the sunlight, but also influence the air flow. This phenomenon is extremely easy to lead to the “heat island effect” and “dry island effect”, which could result in the deterioration of microclimate and environment quality. Facing this situation, open spaces could not only provide the place for citizens to use but also improve the environment effectively by reducing local building density. Different proportions and layouts of pavement and vegetation of the opening spaces have different microclimate effects. Laddy Plaza, the typical paved square in the central business district of Nanjing, and Gulou Square, a typical square full of grass and trees in an urban center, were selected for the study. Data obtained by site survey were converted to graphic information, which is convenient to analyze. Through Geographic Information System, basic description of urban open space could be built based on the analysis of the graphic information, the open spaces can be partitioned to discuss the relationship between the form of the open space in high-density urban center and the microclimate. Based on this analysis, unfavorable microclimate regions in the paving plaza space could also be purposefully improved.