Quantifying the influence of design and location on the cool island effect of the urban parks of Barcelona

The aim of this research is to analyze the influence of park design and location on their cooling effect during summer daytime in Barcelona. Spatial analytical methods, utilizing the land surface temperature data from the Landsat 8 satellite, were employed to assess the intensity and spatial extent of the Park Cool Island (PCI) in 86 parks over four consecutive years. The study investigated the influence of factors such as the proportion of green land cover, park shape, and surrounding characteristics on these PCI indicators using bivariate correlation and multiple linear regression analysis. Results revealed that 84 parks exhibited a positive cooling effect on their urban surroundings during the studied years, whereas the remaining parks showed no PCI. The statistical analysis indicated that these results are associated with the microclimatic uncertainty caused by the diverse relationships between the proportion of natural vegetated or pervious surfaces and the built spaces within the parks, proposed by the administration aiming to accommodate civic, cultural, and recreational usage. In conclusion, we discuss the parameters for modeling the interaction between park design and their urban surroundings in the context of climatic considerations. This information is crucial for leveraging urban parks as spaces that can mitigate the urban heat island effect while preserving their social value as community public spaces.