On the formulation of green open space planning parameters: A parametric tool

Abstract

[EN] Greenery can affect spatial characteristics such as relationship between hard and soft surfaces and activities inside open spaces. Among different types of greenery, trees have influences on summer shading and winter solar access, and hence usage patterns in open spaces. However, the relationship between tree planting and open space characteristics such as typology, proportion and height-to-width ratio in terms of shading and solar access was rarely investigated. On the other hand, there has been an increasing number of studies on using parametric tools to design urban environment recently. Despite the success in urban fabric planning by parametric tools, the utilization of these tools to design open spaces with a relatively smaller scale has not been revealed. Even worse, parameters that should be included in a parametric design tool for open space planning are still unknown. Accordingly, the primary objective of this study is to, by investigating the design characteristics and concepts of different open spaces, identify parameters for a parametric tool to design green open spaces. Specifically, the possibility of using shaded areas projected by trees and surrounding buildings as one of the parameters will be revealed. The study also aims at examining how the height-to-width ratios, proportions and typologies of open spaces will affect tree planting positions when optimizing shading or solar access of the spaces in different climate zones. Results from this study will provide designers with an additional layer of information when designing open spaces.