Study On Appropriate Ground Cover Configuration of Open Spaces to Mitigate Urban Heat Island Effect Prof. Yuvraj P. Meshram 1 Ph.D. Research Scholar, Associate Professor and Principal, Radhikatai Pandav Institute of Architecture, Nagpur (M.S.), India. Prof. Shirish A. Deshpande 2 Ph.D. Guide, Retd. Professor and HOD, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur (M.S.), India. Dr. Sheeba Valsson 3 Ph.D. Guide, Professor and Principal Shri. Datta Meghe College of Architecture, Nagpur (M.S.), India. ABSTRACT Natural landscapes are continuously being built over at the cost of concrete jungle / hard surfaces as buildings, roads, paved areas act as barriers for the proper dissipation of heat energy to the retention capacities. This calls for monitoring of temperature changes, especially in urban areas. There is a steady increase in global temperature in association with climate changes in the past 150 years, and at least partially this is a direct result of mankind’s activities such as “Urban Heat Island” (UHI). UHI is characterized by amplification of temperature values, lower relative humidity values and moderation of wind velocity, can create unpleasant micro-climatic conditions for human. On the other hand, green areas within the urban space can create a cooling effect, lowering temperatures and increasing relative humidity. The cooling effect of urban park creates a “Park Cool Island” (PCI), and is most prominent in an urban area that has developed a UHI. Materials that are used within private or public spaces, included ground surfaces and building materials determine the micro-climate and affect the energy consumption, thermal and visual comfort as well as the thermal balance. Generally, utilization of high reflectivity materials in the buildings, as well as the covered urban surfaces reduces the absorbed solar radiation and preserves the coolness of the surfaces. These materials are also known as “Cool materials”. Specification of the proper structural and cladding materials in the cities and buildings is considered to be one of the most promising mitigation techniques concerning improvement of the urban micro-climate. Micro-climatic conditions in parks are influenced by both Pervious - soft surfaces and Impervious – hard surfaces and their physical properties. Vegetation and plantation, particularly in the presence of high moisture level, plays a vital role in the regulation of air temperature. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact of Cool pavements with variation in percentage of perforations, and by exploring the possibilities of vegetation configuration to maximize the cooling effect in urban open spaces of Nagpur city. Key words: - Open space, micro-climate, cool material, pervious, impervious, vegetation. -- 22 -- Conference Proceedings of 5th International Conference on Countermeasures to Urban Heat Islands (IC2UHI) 2019 December 2-4, 2019, Hyderabad, India https://doi.org/10.37285/bsp.ic2uhi.3