Simulated Effects of Long-Pile Artificial Turf on the Thermal Environment of Existing Residential Neighbourhoods in Shenyang

Previous experiments showed that long-pile artificial turf insulates well and releases heat quickly. In theory, the application of long-pile artificial turf on buildings could reduce urban heat. However, its actual cooling effect remains unclear. This study compared the cooling effects of artificial turf on roofs and on the ground. A residential neighbourhood in Shenyang was simulated using Dragonfly-UWG. Nine roof–ground combinations were tested. The results indicated that placement had a clear effect on cooling performance. Specifically, artificial turf on roofs lowered summer canopy air temperature by about 0.05 °C. In contrast, artificial turf on the ground raised it by about 0.04 °C. Among all combinations, two cases showed the most consistent cooling: “AT roof + NT ground” (S8) and “NT roof + NT ground” (S9). These two combinations cooled the selected summer window by 0.068 and 0.064 °C, respectively; corresponding cooling during the selected mid-autumn window was 0.099 and 0.070 °C. Their main benefit was a reduction in high-temperature hours. AEDH28 decreased by about 12.12 °C·h and 8.69 °C·h. H30 also fell by about 4 h. Overall, artificial turf is not a universal cooling material. The contrasting roof- and ground-level responses may reflect differences in ventilation and the height of heat release, but this physical interpretation requires confirmation by finer-scale modelling or field measurements. S8 should therefore be viewed as a potential alternative to S9 where natural turf roofs are constrained, rather than as a superior cooling option.