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Effect of Built Form and Vegetation on Indoor and Outdoor Thermal Comfort
Abstract
In the fast urbanizing globe, where concrete built-up is making a way through the green cover, it is imperative to study the impacts of urbanization and design the suitable counter measures vital for a sustainable development. Assessing the effect of vegetation and built forms on the microclimate of a place would help in gauging the ecological benefits of vegetation, relevance of properly planned spaces, suitable measures to optimize the urban vegetation structure, and further strengthen ecological construction. Ameliorating the microclimatic conditions of a place can be pivotal towards its thermal comfort. This paper attempts at identifying the role of built forms and vegetation towards the indoor and outdoor thermal comfort of urban areas.
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The effect of urban development on local thermal climate is widely documented in scientific literature. Observations of urban–rural air temperature differences—or urban heat islands (UHIs)—have been reported for cities and regions worldwide, often with local field sites that are extremely diverse in their physical and climatological characteristics. These sites are usually described only as “urban” or “rural,” leaving much uncertainty about the actual exposure and land cover of the sites. To address the inadequacies of urban–rural description, the “local climate zone” (LCZ) classification system has been developed. The LCZ system comprises 17 zone types at the local scale (102 to 104 m). Each type is unique in its combination of surface structure, cover, and human activity. Classification of sites into appropriate LCZs requires basic metadata and surface characterization. The zone definitions provide a standard framework for reporting and comparing field sites and their temperature observations. The LCZ system is designed primarily for urban heat island researchers, but it has derivative uses for city planners, landscape ecologists, and global climate change investigators.
Evaporation is the largest and most important hydrological component on earth. Only the amount of water that evaporates will cause rainfall. The amount of evaporation reduces significantly due to the global loss of forests, the increase in urbanization and further reduction of fertile agricultural areas. The reduction in evaporation causes higher surface temperatures and an increase of sensible heat, in urban areas this is called the "urban heat island effect". On a global scale the reduction in evaporation is mainly responsible for the climate change (Kravčík et al. 2007). In disagreement to common political and scientific opinions the emissions of CO2 and other "greenhouse gases" are physically independent to the increase in global temperatures. Rainwater harvesting measures could play a key role in further mitigation strategies against the global warming instead of carbon dioxide avoidance policy. The close up of the small water cycle requests a new water paradigm (compare www.waterparadigm.org). One cubic meter of water evaporated consumes 680 kWh. This high amount of energy transfer is used in the project "Adlershof Physik" in combining elements of decentralized water management with reduced energy consumption for cooling and ventilation. This new approach means to focus rainwater management on evaporation rather than infiltration. Rainwater is stored and used for the irrigation of the facade greening system and evaporative cooling systems for air conditioning. Some of the roof surfaces are also extensively greened to assist in retaining and detaining stormwater runoff.
The following paper details the organisation and outlines the observations made during the micro-climatological survey of Bath and district which was undertaken between October 1944 and January 1946 with the aid of a grant from the Leverhulme Research Fellowships and the assistance of numerous voluntary observers. By outlining the methods employed and some of the difficulties encountered it is hoped to assist future research workers in this field and at the same time to provide the necessary background account for subsequent specialist papers dealing with the Bath area. A summary of some of the more interesting facts which have emerged from the investigation is also given.
Planning is always involved in making choices between alternatives. In the case of designing for street climate the objectives may be mutually exclusive. For example, whilst open geometry is conducive to air pollution dispersion and solar access, a more densely clustered arrangement is favourable for shelter and energy conservation.This dilemma is investigated by reviewing the results of recent urban canyon field studies and of scale and mathematical modelling. By concentrating on quantifiable relations it appears that it may be possible to find a range of canyon geometries that are compatible with the apparently conflicting design objectives of mid-latitude cities. If this is correct, traditional European urban forms are climatically more favourable than more modern, especially North American, ones.
University of Manchester: Interreg IVC Green and blue space adaptation for urban areas and eco towns (GRaBS) project
- A Kazmierczak
A. Kazmierczak, J. C. (2010). Adaptation to climate
change using green and blue infrastructure: A database of case studies. University of Manchester:
Interreg IVC Green and blue space adaptation for
urban areas and eco towns (GRaBS) project.
Supplement to the Green Building Program
- R Morgan
R. Morgan, M. M. (2000). Supplement to the Green
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