A practical mobile measurement approach for urban climate data collection: Proposing a method to investigate the cooling effect of urban green areas in Joondalup, Western Australia
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Saman Galalizadeh: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9560-2121
Angus Morrison-Saunders: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3560-0164
Richard Silberstein: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9704-782X
David Blake: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3747-2960
Pierre Horwitz: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8689-7888
Abstract
A practical mobile measurement approach was designed and implemented to collect urban climate data for studies focused on investigating the cooling effect of urban green areas (UGAs). The approach involved classifying UGAs, followed by strategic placement of transects and the selection of measurement points across diverse urban features. Data collection was conducted using a mobile weather station mounted on an e-bike along the designed transects. A fixed reference station was also used to provide consistent baseline measurements, enabling meaningful comparisons with mobile station data. Additionally, meteorological data from coastal and inland reference stations (three sites) were characterized to isolate the cooling influence of urban green areas from natural spatial and temporal temperature variability driven by land–sea interactions. A mobile measurement setup was also designed to balance the challenges of speed and data collection. Multiple measurement scenarios were then implemented to ensure data collection from all locations at different times and on varying days. Finally, a pilot mobile measurement was conducted in Joondalup, WA, over 24 days during the summer to assess the real-world performance of the proposed approach. Results showed that classifying UGAs into distinct categories facilitated the design of transects, ensuring coverage of diverse urban features and representation of all UGA classifications. Reliability testing indicated that 95% of the temperature differences between the fixed and mobile stations fell within the limits of -0.03°C and 0.4°C, with variations outside this range reflecting cooler or warmer conditions. Eight measurement scenarios were developed to ensure comprehensive data collection, with each scenario repeated multiple times to capture temporal variability, averaging 6 hours of data collection per day. The pilot measurements demonstrated that implementing the practical approach yields sufficient and reliable data for estimating the cooling effect of UGAs. This study serves as a practical resource, introducing researchers, urban planners, and postgraduate students to design and conduct an efficient field measurement in similar studies.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
5-28-2025
Publication Title
Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
Publisher
Elsevier
School
School of Science / Centre for People, Place and Planet
RAS ID
82124
Copyright
subscription content
Comments
Galalizadeh, S., Morrison-Saunders, A., Silberstein, R., Blake, D., & Horwitz, P. (2025). A practical mobile measurement approach for urban climate data collection: proposing a method to investigate the cooling effect of urban green areas in Joondalup, Western Australia. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. Advance online publication.