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JournalISSN: 2212-0955

urban climate 

Elsevier BV
About: urban climate is an academic journal published by Elsevier BV. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Environmental science & Urban heat island. It has an ISSN identifier of 2212-0955. Over the lifetime, 1469 publications have been published receiving 29794 citations.

Papers published on a yearly basis

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: There is a need for standardization and to give guidance regarding how to conduct field surveys in outdoor environments regarding the choice of measurement sites, type and positioning of instruments, appropriate methods to determine the mean radiant temperature, questionnaire design and suitable thermal comfort indices.
Abstract: In this paper we review instruments and methods used to assess outdoor thermal comfort and subjective thermal perception in 26 studies reported in the literature during the last decade, covering a wide range of climates and geographical contexts. We found a great variety of instruments and methods used to measure meteorological variables, especially with respect to the mean radiant temperature and wind speed. Moreover, many different subjective judgement scales were used to assess subjective thermal perception, thermal neutrality and thermal preference and a multitude of thermal indices were used to quantify the combined effect of meteorological variables on thermal perception. The use of a variety of methods makes it difficult to compare results of the different studies. There is thus a need for standardization and to give guidance regarding how to conduct field surveys in outdoor environments. Such standards and guidelines should give advice regarding the choice of measurement sites, type and positioning of instruments, appropriate methods to determine the mean radiant temperature, questionnaire design and suitable thermal comfort indices. These guidelines should also include advice on reporting.

308 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider progress made in studies of the urban boundary layer (UBL) in terms of a conceptual framework spanning microscale to mesoscale determinants of UBL structure and evolution.
Abstract: The urban boundary layer (UBL) is the part of the atmosphere in which most of the planet’s population now lives, and is one of the most complex and least understood microclimates. Given potential climate change impacts and the requirement to develop cities sustainably, the need for sound modelling and observational tools becomes pressing. This review paper considers progress made in studies of the UBL in terms of a conceptual framework spanning microscale to mesoscale determinants of UBL structure and evolution. Considerable progress in observing and modelling the urban surface energy balance has been made. The urban roughness sub-layer is an important region requiring attention as assumptions about atmospheric turbulence break down in this layer and it may dominate coupling of the surface to the UBL due to its considerable depth. The upper 90% of the UBL (mixed and residual layers) remains under-researched but new remote sensing methods and high resolution modelling tools now permit rapid progress. Surface heterogeneity dominates from neighbourhood to regional scales and should be more strongly considered in future studies. Specific research priorities include humidity within the UBL, high-rise urban canopies and the development of long-term, spatially extensive measurement networks coupled strongly to model development.

240 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a two-stage approach was used to calculate the Index of Thermal Stress (ITS) using detailed microclimatic input data simulated by a canyon model (CAT).
Abstract: Extensive use of high-albedo materials has been advocated as a means of mitigating the urban heat island, especially in warm-climate cities. The implicit assumptions of this strategy are that by lowering canopy layer air temperature, cities will enjoy (a) reduced air conditioning loads in buildings and (b) improved thermal comfort for pedestrians in outdoor urban spaces. The second of these assumptions is examined here by means of computer modeling, in a two-stage approach whereby thermal comfort (represented by the Index of Thermal Stress) is calculated using detailed microclimatic input data simulated by a canyon model (CAT). The analysis suggests that although use of high-albedo materials in canyon surfaces may lower air temperature, the reduction is not enough to offset increased radiant loads. As a result, pedestrian thermal comfort may in fact be compromised.

237 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Urban Climate Change Governance Survey (UCGS) as discussed by the authors provides a first look at the governance networks that municipalities are creating to address climate change, and the results show an integration of adaptation and mitigation planning, and a mainstreaming of adaptation planning into other long-range and sectoral plans.
Abstract: Three hundred and fifty municipalities across five continents participated in the Urban Climate Change Governance Survey (UCGS). Conducted at MIT in partnership with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the UCGS provides a first of its kind look at the governance networks that municipalities are creating to address climate change. Drawing from these results, this paper analyses the institutional governance structures that surround local government work on climate change adaptation. Results show an integration of adaptation and mitigation planning, and a mainstreaming of adaptation planning into other long-range and sectoral plans. Seventy-three percent of respondents stated that their local government’s are engaging with both adaptation and mitigation, and 75% are integrating adaptation into long-range or sectoral plans. However, many critical municipal agencies – including those responsible for water, waste water, health, and building codes – remain on the margins of urban adaptation efforts. Internal institutional networks of governance are inextricably linked to efforts to address a problem like adaptation, which does not fit neatly into individual institutional silos. The results of the UCGS show where these networks have so far been made, how they have been created, and which local government actors have yet to be effectively engaged.

235 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors analyzed the processes and characteristics of urbanization in Shanghai, focusing on the population and land use and land cover change, and its correlation with the evolution of climatic and ecological indicators based on the historical land use data, meteorological station data, social statistical data, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and land surface temperature (LST) data.
Abstract: This paper analyzes the processes and characteristics of urbanization in Shanghai, focusing on the population and land use and land cover (LULC) change, and its correlation with the evolution of climatic and ecological indicators based on the historical land use data, meteorological station data, social statistical data, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and land surface temperature (LST) data. The possible association between urban heat island (UHI) and urbanization indicators are also discussed. Examination of the population variation indicates a continuously increase of registered population and a rapid increase of floating population that mainly comes from neighboring provinces in recent years. With rapid urban sprawl, a large amount of cultivated lands has been replaced with building lands around urban areas and towns of Shanghai. Urbanization is correlated with the increase of air temperature, hot days and the decrease of relative humidity, wind speed and vegetation NDVI in Shanghai. The growth of UHI in Shanghai has been driven by the continuous increase of buildings, paved roads, buses, population and GDP, as well as the decrease of cultivated land. Boosting the area of green land in urban areas has to a certain extent mitigated the UHI in Shanghai in recent years.

229 citations

Performance
Metrics
No. of papers from the Journal in previous years
YearPapers
2023260
2022294
2021296
2020168
201991
201863