What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to evaluate how different canopy coverage from urban trees affects thermal comfort.

June 1, 2026Open Access

Simulating Urban Tree Thermal Comfort under Varying Canopy Coverage Using Terrestrial LiDAR-Derived 3D Models

Key Points

This research aims to evaluate how different canopy coverage from urban trees affects thermal comfort.
Used Terrestrial LiDAR data and a tree modeling toolkit to create detailed 3D tree models.
Analyzed thermal comfort with computational fluid dynamics for wind fields and solar radiation.
Examined the effects of varied pruning scenarios on tree morphology.
Tree morphology significantly affects shading and airflow, impacting microclimate regulation.
Effective pruning strategies enhance thermal comfort and reduce heat stress in urban environments.

Abstract

This study integrates Terrestrial LiDAR data, a tree modeling toolkit, and Rhino 3D modeling to create realistic tree models for analyzing thermal comfort under varying pruning scenarios. Unlike simplified voxel trees in ENVI-met, this workflow precisely captures leaves, branches, and trunks, incorporating CFD wind field and solar radiation analyses. Results reveal that tree morphology strongly influences shading, airflow, and microclimate regulation. The findings provide practical insights for pruning strategies and urban greening design to mitigate heat stress and enhance thermal comfort in urban environments.

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