Mitigation of thermal stress by a large restoration of inner-city river (Cheong-Gye Stream in Seoul)

The principal objective of this research is to clarify the mitigation effect of heat island and air pollution in Seoul city after the restoration of the Cheong-Gye Stream and green spaces which has been one of the main highway in Seoul. The authors are monitoring several meteorological parameters such as air temperature, humidity, wind speed/velocity, and heat budgets using the automated meteorological data acquisition system settled by themselves. Also they have made field meteorological observations in and around the Cheong-Gye Stream area twice before the removal of overhead highway in June and August, 2003. Most of the previous studies, which aimed to evaluate and predict the mitigation effect of urban heat island by the expansion of water surface and green spaces in a big city, applied numerical simulation using urban climate model. However, the ongoing the Cheong-Gye Stream restoration project in Seoul city will surely provide us a rare opportunity to verify the mitigation effect of heat island by monitoring the various meteorological factors during the course of this big project from beginning to completion. The results might contribute not only to the urban climatology but also to the urban planning studies.