Historical vegetation for microclimate amelioration: a case study for The Netherlands

Abstract Current solutions for climate amelioration require excessive amounts of energy, such as air conditioners and patio heaters. Yet, historical energy-passive climate-responsive design solutions exist that have a potential for outdoor microclimate control. Regarding these solutions, there was no overview of historical vegetation for microclimate amelioration in oceanic climate zones. We therefore explored historical vegetation types for microclimate amelioration in the Netherlands, for the example of oceanic climate zones. We identified six vegetation types: espaliered trees, tree lanes, berceaux, shelterbelts, green walls and umbrella trees. For each type we described their historical microclimatic function(s) and discussed their quantitative microclimatic effects based on available literature. Whilst tree lanes and green walls are currently applied to ameliorate urban microclimate, this seemed not to be the case for umbrella trees, espaliered trees, shelterbelts and berceaux. We therefore recommend urban designers to also consider these other historical vegetation types for passive outdoor microclimate amelioration.