Abstract
This study aims at offering effective policies for managing local temperatures and reducing the heat island effect by identifying elements that affect local temperatures. It first selected the three elements of natural environment, land use, and land coverage and then applied control factors including season, weather, and measurement unit for wind speed. In order to analyze these factors′ relation to summer temperatures, development of an integrated model, analysis of the urban heat island reduction effect of elements impacting local temperatures, nationwide Weather System (AWS) data from July and August 2007, land coverage data provided by the Ministry of Environment, and land use area data from local governments were used after being rearranged based upon their falling within a 500 meter radius (0.79km²) of respective AWS measuring points. The study results show that natural environment, land use, and land coverage all have a relation to changes in local temperatures, with natural elements bearing a greater impact than other factors and land use having less. Specific elements which were effective in the reduction of local temperatures were altitude, wind speed, broadleaf forest, inland wetland, costal wetland, other dry land, and marine water. On the other hand, residential areas, traffic areas, and greenhouse agricultural areas all contributed to an increase in local temperatures. In the case of grassland, contrary to previous theories, its effect on the reduction of temperatures was seen to be a result of wind rather than an inherent property. Unlike its precedents, this study compared the degree of influence of each element on local temperatures. In this regard, it is meaningful in that it suggests basic data for establishing more effective policies for mitigating the heat island effect and strategies for enhancing the sustainability of cities.
