Assessing the influence of vegetation on urban air quality in Ipoh Perak

The environment plays a vital role in sustaining human life, yet rapid urbanization has significantly altered the natural balance, particularly in heritage urban areas. In densely built environments like Concubine Lane, Ipoh, Perak, the dominance of hardscapes and limited green infrastructure has led to concerns about deteriorating air quality, especially elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. This study addresses the issue by exploring the effectiveness of vegetation covers such as trees, potted plants, green walls, and rooftop greenery in reducing outdoor CO2concentrations in pedestrian-heavy urban corridors. The aim of this research is to evaluate and compare CO2 levels between high, medium, and non-vegetation coverage at Concubine Lane’s surrounding. Using a quantitative field approach, CO2 levels are measured in selected zones. A Delta OHM portable CO2 monitoring instrument is employed to collect real-time, outdoor data under same environmental conditions. The data is then analysed using descriptive statistics to assess the significance of vegetation covers on air quality performance. The findings from this research are these results clearly demonstrate that areas with more vegetation show better air quality, while traffic-heavy zones and tree-barren spaces are more prone to elevated CO2 levels.