Mitigating the Urban Heat Island Phenomenon Using a Water-Retentive Artificial Turf System

To investigate the thermal properties of a water-retentive artificial turf system (W-ATS), we estimated hydrologic parameters including thermal conductivity, heat capacity, and surface albedo for both the W-ATS and natural grass. We used a model experiment to measure surface temperature and evaporation for both the W-ATS and natural grass. We found that the W-ATS had lower thermal conductivity than natural grass did, and it was difficult for the W-ATS to convey radiant heat to the ground. Compared to natural grass, the W-ATS also had lower heat capacity, which contributed to its larger variation in surface temperature: the W-ATS had higher surface temperatures during daytime and lower surface temperatures during nighttime. The albedo of the W-ATS was one-quarter that of natural grass, and reflected shortwave radiation from the W-ATS surface was lower than that from the surface of natural grass. These results indicate that the W-ATS caused the soil temperature to increase. Furthermore, evaporation from the W-ATS was one-quarter the value of evapotranspiration from natural grass.