The effect of urban green space on air quality and heat level in Kuala Lumpur / Nur Diana Mohd Razali, Siti Nur Sakinah Abd. Rani

The level of air quality and heat is vital to identify the effectiveness of urban green spaces (UGSs) in Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur is a tropical city that experiences rapid growth and it plays a significant role in the economic growth of Malaysia. The ambient air quality and heat parameters were chosen due to many factors that can contribute to climate change in Kuala Lumpur. Two parks were selected: Permaisuri Lake Garden to represent large park category and Manjalara Lake Garden as medium category. Particulate matter 10 (PM₁₀) was used as an air quality indicator meanwhile the temperature was used as a heat level indicator. This study aimed to compare the PM₁₀ and heat level between large park and the medium park. The sampling durations for both parks were conducted for four days which were on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Three sampling locations in the UGS were randomly selected. The collected data of PM₁₀ and heat were calculated as the mean concentrations for four days at both parks. The mean concentrations of PM₁₀ and heat level between large and medium park showed significance different (p = 0.001 for PM₁₀; p = 0.009 for heat level). The tree cover in Permaisuri Lake Garden is denser compared to Manjalara Lake Garden because Permaisuri Lake Garden was covered with high density of tree canopy compared to Manjalara Lake Garden which is only made up of shrubs and grass. Hence, the mitigation effect on air quality and heat level at Permaisuri Lake Garden was better as it has more coverage of green spaces compared to Manjalara Lake Garden. The study found that the larger coverage of green spaces has better mitigation towards air quality and heat level of the surroundings.