Developing a Sustainable City in a Tropical Area to Create a Balance between Vegetation and Water Bodies

This paper aims to investigate the effects of using natural resources that incorporates the basis of a sustainable city design in efforts to improve the urban thermal comfort in a hot and humid climate. Currently, one of the most crucial world environmental issues is urbanization in a hot and humid climate. In tropical areas, if the urban landscape is poorly designed, it will cause outdoor thermal discomfort. Natural plants and water bodies in the hot and humid landscape has a direct influence over the temperature of urban cities. Water bodies, for example, are able to lower the atmospheric temperature; whereas plants also can affect the surroundings passively. The effects of wet surfaces are increased if there is a presence of a shadow. Therefore, vegetation and water bodies are used in designing a sustainable city in order to increase the quality of outdoor thermal comfort in a hot and humid climate. This is hoped to provide a better and more comfortable human living environment.