Showing papers on "Urban density published in 2019"

Does block size matter? The impact of urban design on economic vitality for Chinese cities:

Abstract: The influence of urban design on economic vitality has been analyzed by a number of researchers and is also a key focus of many planning/design theories. However, most quantitative studies are base...

Urbanization and Its Impacts on Land Surface Temperature in Colombo Metropolitan Area, Sri Lanka, from 1988 to 2016

Abstract: Urbanization has become one of the most important human activities modifying the Earth’s land surfaces; and its impacts on tropical and subtropical cities (e.g., in South/Southeast Asia) are not fully understood. Colombo; the capital of Sri Lanka; has been urbanized for about 2000 years; due to its strategic position on the east–west sea trade routes. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of urban expansion and its impacts on land surface temperature in Colombo from 1988 to 2016; using a time-series of Landsat images. Urban land cover changes (ULCC) were derived from time-series satellite images with the assistance of machine learning methods. Urban density was selected as a measure of urbanization; derived from both the multi-buffer ring method and a gravity model; which were comparatively adopted to evaluate the impacts of ULCC on the changes in land surface temperature (LST) over the study period. The experimental results indicate that: (1) the urban land cover classification during the study period was conducted with satisfactory accuracy; with more than 80% for the overall accuracy and over 0.73 for the Kappa coefficient; (2) the Colombo Metropolitan Area exhibits a diffusion pattern of urban growth; especially along the west coastal line; from both the multi-buffer ring approach and the gravity model; (3) urban density was identified as having a positive relationship with LST through time; (4) there was a noticeable increase in the mean LST; of 5.24 °C for water surfaces; 5.92 °C for vegetation; 8.62 °C for bare land; and 8.94 °C for urban areas. The results provide a scientific reference for policy makers and urban planners working towards a healthy and sustainable Colombo Metropolitan Area.

The impact of urban proximity, transport accessibility and policy on urban growth: A longitudinal analysis over five decades:

Abstract: Transport accessibility is assumed to be a main driver of urbanisation. Like many other metropolitan regions, the Randstad, the population and economic core of the Netherlands has experienced significant urbanisation, transport network expansion and spatial policies aimed to channel urban growth. This paper investigates the long-term relationships between the development of railway and motorway networks, urbanisation, and spatial policies, by using a panel dataset consisting of grid cells measured at six time points from 1960 to 2010. Generalised Estimating Equations analysis was applied to model the built-up area. Predictors include proximity to and accessibility by transport infrastructure, vicinity of urban areas, and spatial policies. Results indicate that road and rail accessibility alike, stably influenced urbanisation, but less than proximity to urban areas. Spatial policies played a significant role in channelling new urbanisation, while preserving the centrally located green and mainly rural area. Remarkably, the legacy of earlier policies is still significant despite shifts in predominant Dutch spatial policies. The findings are expected to be relevant for comparable poly-nuclear areas.

Green infrastructure, green space, and sustainable urbanism: geography’s important role

Abstract: This paper is a broad review of green infrastructure theory and practice relative to urban sustainability and the space for geographers in these discussions. We use examples from various urban sustainability plans to highlight ways in which green infrastructure is being conceptualized and implemented. We explore how geography contributes research on green infrastructure as well as the emerging practices as seen within sustainability plans. We identify four areas in which geographers can influence both green infrastructure theory and practice: 1) scale; 2) mapping distribution; 3) sensitivity to place and locale; and 4) equity and access. We conclude that in these areas geographers have tremendous opportunity contribute more deliberately to sustainable urbanism.

Modelling population structure in the context of urban land use change in Europe

Abstract: Population structure and dynamics are important drivers of land use. In this article, we present the methods and outcomes of integrating population projections across multiple spatial scales with an urban growth model. By linking shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP)-specific national population projections to present-day population distributions at a sub-national scale, we describe a downscaling approach that provides input into a regional urban growth (RUG) model for Europe. The allocation of population acts as a key driver for residential urban demand especially in the SSP5-based scenario, and therefore regional (sub-national) urban growth. Sub-national population trends can deviate strongly from national averages stemming from current population age structures: this creates different urban land use patterns and demand for artificial surfaces. We see strong population dependence in the regional development of urban areas across Europe, and the effects caused by age structure and sub-national population dynamics.

Impacts of Microclimate Conditions on the Energy Performance of Buildings in Urban Areas

Abstract: Urbanization trends have changed the morphology of cities in the past decades. Complex urban areas with wide variations in built density, layout typology, and architectural form have resulted in more complicated microclimate conditions. Microclimate conditions affect the energy performance of buildings and bioclimatic design strategies as well as a high number of engineering applications. However, commercial energy simulation engines that utilize widely-available mesoscale weather data tend to underestimate these impacts. These weather files, which represent typical weather conditions at a location, are mostly based on long-term metrological observations and fail to consider extreme conditions in their calculation. This paper aims to evaluate the impacts of hourly microclimate data in typical and extreme climate conditions on the energy performance of an office building in two different urban areas. Results showed that the urban morphology can reduce the wind speed by 27% and amplify air temperature by more than 14%. Using microclimate data, the calculated outside surface temperature, operating temperature and total energy demand of buildings were notably different to those obtained using typical regional climate model (RCM)–climate data or available weather files (Typical Meteorological Year or TMY), i.e., by 61%, 7%, and 21%, respectively. The difference in the hourly peak demand during extreme weather conditions was around 13%. The impact of urban density and the final height of buildings on the results are discussed at the end of the paper.

Urbanization impact on residential energy consumption in China: the roles of income, urbanization level, and urban density

Abstract: This paper investigated the impact of urbanization on residential energy consumption (REC) in China by taking cognizance of the levels of income, urbanization and urban density. Threshold analyses were employed to investigate the nonlinear relationships based on the STIRPAT (Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology) framework using a balanced panel dataset of 29 provinces of China over the period of 1998-2014. The common correlated effects mean group estimator (CCEMG) was used to address time-series cross-section (TSCS) issues. The results confirmed the existence of the nonlinear relationship between urbanization and REC in China. The impact of urbanization on REC varied at different economic development levels and urbanization levels. Specifically, urbanization decreased REC at the stage that per capita disposable income of urban residents (PDI) less than 2615 USD, while it increased REC at the stage that PDI higher than 2615 USD. Similarly, urbanization decreased REC at the stage that urbanization rate lower than 55.31% and increased REC after urbanization rate exceeded 55.31%. This study did not find evidence to support the urban environmental transition theory, indicating there was still no region in China had stepped into the win-win stage of urbanization and energy consumption. Furthermore, the nonlinear impact of urban density on REC was estimated and the results indicated that urban density exerted a positive effect on REC when urban density was lower than 808 inhabitants per square kilometer, while it was no longer relevant to REC after that threshold point. Based on these results, the corresponding countermeasures and suggestions to achieve low-carbon urbanization were put forward.

Uneven urban metabolisms: toward an integrative (ex)urban political ecology of sustainability in and around the city

Abstract: Expanding cities present a sustainability challenge, as the uneven proliferation of hybrid landscape types becomes a major feature of 21st century urbanization. To fully address this challenge, sch...

Crowding density in urban environment and its effects on emotional responding of pedestrians: Using wearable device technology with sensors capturing proximity and psychophysiological emotion responses while walking in the street

Abstract: Worldwide urbanization in many areas leads to very high urban density living conditions, for example, in Hong Kong, there are about 40,000 people per km2 (Berlin: 4000 p/km2). Tost (2015) pointed out, mental health is impaired by two main features of high density urban environment: 1. high socio-spatial complexity and heterogeneity. 2. shortening social distance and invasion to personal space. Indeed, the empirical findings on mental load effects mainly are based on aggregate level analyses. However little is known about how high density environment with large crowding in street canyon is affecting individuals in their actual emotional responses and to what extent facilities like parks and open spaces can have a restorative counterbalance to stress experiences. Two theoretical approach are relevant for formulating specific hypothesis. 1. Prospect refuge theory (Appleton, 1984). It seeks to describe why certain environments feel secure and thereby meet basic human psychological needs. 2. Attention restorative theory (Kaplan 1995 , Ulrich 1991). It indicates that greening place would help people to recover from mental fatigue, as it could supply indirect attention resource. From this background, these research will be examined emipirically: 1. How high density urban environment is reflected in specific trajectories of casual crowd encounter and pace of walking and how does it correlate with stress perception and restorative need? 2. Does walking in a park nearby park compensate accumulated stress experience? Does park experience increase stress resilience in coping with high density urban experiences mentioned above? The sample is based on 30 students (age>18) studying and living in Hong Kong since no longer than 3 years. The study uses a within-subject and between-subject measurement design. Subjects were told to walk a selected route is in Tsim Sha Tsui of Hong Kong. The route contains of two parts: urban environment and Kowloon Park. Tsim Sha Tsui is a commerce center in Hong Kong with very high pedestrian density. There are two groups of subjects which will walk the same route but reversed walking sequence. Subject start at meeting point a and go through smartphone with specific tests and questionnaires. After walked one part of the route, they return to meeting point a and repeat it. This pre-post-measurement design is for the aim to guarantee sample homogeneity. At selected spots, there are questions need to be answered. When finished the walking, socio-demographic information will be collected. Continuous measurement of geo-position and casual people encounter is captured automatically by a wearable device combining GPS logging and ambient space cross movement detection by infra-red sensor. Besides adding knowledge to micro processes of high urban density effects on social casual encountering intervening with stress effects and their counterbalancing by park experience, the study will provide findings about reliability and validity of an integrated wearable devices which objectively and ctinuously measures crowd density and its covariation with psychophysiological emotion responses while walking in urban environment.

Critical factors for mitigating car traffic in cities

Abstract: Car traffic in urban systems has been studied intensely in past decades but models are either limited to a specific aspect of traffic or applied to a specific region. Despite the importance and urgency of the problem we have a poor theoretical understanding of the parameters controlling urban car use and congestion. Here, we combine economical and transport ingredients into a statistical physics approach and propose a generic model that predicts for different cities the share of car drivers, the CO2 emitted by cars and the average commuting time. We confirm these analytical predictions on 25 major urban areas in the world, and our results suggest that urban density is not the most relevant variable controlling car-related quantities but rather are the city's area size and the density of public transport. Mitigating the traffic (and its effect such as CO2 emissions) can then be obtained by reducing the urbanized area size or, more realistically, by improving either the public transport density or its access. In particular, increasing the population density is a good idea only if it also increases the fraction of individuals having access to public transport.

Modelling urban form: A multidimensional typology of urban occupation for spatial analysis:

Abstract: The conceptual and methodological debate on urban form has grown in the last decades to recognize that social, economic, demographic and political processes can contribute to the development of new...

Reinvestigating China’s urbanization through the lens of allometric scaling

Abstract: Cities are complex systems; we expect the dynamics of the urbanization process to follow the power law, which alludes to the scaling properties of allometry. Urban scaling as a fundamental theory has drawn abundant attention in geography and urban studies literature over the past few decades; yet, there is uncertainty about its applicability in a global context, especially in a fast-transforming urban environment such as China. More importantly, there have been very few studies on the allometric scaling of Chinese cities. This study intends to show the importance of the concept of dynamic evolution in urban systems. We examined the most significant impacts of urbanization are explicitly manifested by the scaling laws, for which the scaling exponent is the key indicator. We applied the scaling law in examining the hypothesis that the actual scaling exponent is stable at different stages of urbanization compared to the static or isometric state. We found that Chinese government-led developments may upset the power law and scaling relations among urban factors but for a short time only. Despite the driving forces in the different categories of cities alter their effects at different urbanization stages; the exponents of growth processes (urban land use area and its population density) obey the laws and rules of self-similarity and scaling coherence. Analyses of double logarithmic linear regression and quantile regression reveal the actual and observed scaling relation of urban system will always evolve to align with the theoretical assumption ( β = 2 ∕ 3 ), which provides implications on future urban development and planning in terms of city size and urban density.

Analysis on urban densification dynamics and future modes in southeastern Wisconsin, USA.

Abstract: Urban change (urbanization) has dominated land change science for several decades. However, few studies have focused on what many scholars call the urban densification process (i.e., urban intensity expansion) despite its importance to both planning and subsequent impacts to the environment and local economies. This paper documents past urban densification patterns and uses this information to predict future densification trends in southeastern Wisconsin (SEWI) by using a rich dataset from the United States and by adapting the well-known Land Transformation Model (LTM) for this purpose. Urban densification is a significant and progressive process that often accompanies urbanization more generally. The increasing proportion of lower density areas, rather than higher density areas, was the main characteristic of the urban densification in SEWI from 2001 to 2011. We believe that improving urban land use efficiency to maintain rational densification are effective means toward a sustainable urban landscape. Multiple goodness-of-fit metrics demonstrated that the reconfigured LTM performed relatively well to simulate urban densification patterns in 2006 and 2011, enabling us to forecast densification to 2016 and 2021. The predicted future urban densification patterns are likely to be characterized by higher densities continue to increase at the expense of lower densities. We argue that detailed categories of urban density and specific relevant predictor variables are indispensable for densification prediction. Our study provides researchers working in land change science with important insights into urban densification process modeling. The outcome of this model can help planners to identify the current trajectory of urban development, enabling them to take informed action to promote planning objectives, which could benefit sustainable urbanization definitely.

Changing urban form in a shrinking city

Abstract: This paper uses building footprint data in a shrinking city, Baltimore, MD, in 1972 and 2010 to achieve two primary research objectives. The first is to understand the historical patterns of housin...

Daylight Provision Requirements According to EN 17037 as a Restriction for Sustainable Urban Planning of Residential Developments

Abstract: The attempt at a more sustainable land use by increasing urban density may have a negative effect on the daylighting of residential buildings. In densely built areas, obstructions generated by the surrounding buildings can substantially reduce the available amount of daylight, causing poorly daylit spaces and a less healthy indoor environment with higher electricity consumption as a consequence of artificial lighting. European standard EN 17037, Daylight in Buildings, was established in 2018 to ensure appropriately daylit spaces. In this paper, a three-step methodology was developed to investigate the relationship between certain urban planning parameters and the daylighting of a typical room defined by specific (Slovenian) legislative restrictions about its geometry and minimum required window to floor area ratio, in order to establish the maximum densities of residential developments still fulfilling the minimum requirements for daylight provision defined by EN 17037. The results show that a relatively low urban density is required to fulfil the stipulations for minimum daylight provision for the deepest permissible room according to the Slovenian legislation. The impact of the development floor area ratio on the daylighting potential of buildings was identified as significant, followed by the site coverage, development layout, and building typology. Furthermore, the developed methodological approach clearly demonstrates a substantial potential for application in urban planning, with indoor daylight environmental conditions being linked to the planning of residential developments in the earliest stages of the project.

Dirty Density: Air Quality and the Density of American Cities

Abstract: We study whether urban density affects the exposure of city dwellers to ambient air pollution using satellite-derived measures of air quality for the contiguous United States. For identification, we rely on an instrumental variable strategy, which induces exogenous variation in density without affecting pollution directly. For this purpose, we use three variables measuring geological characteristics as instruments for density: earthquake risks, soil drainage capacity and the presence of aquifers. We find a positive and statistically significant pollution-density elasticity of 0.13. We also assess the health implications of our findings and find that doubling density in an average city increases annual mortality costs by as much as $630 per capita. Our results suggest that, despite the common claim that denser cities tend to be more environmentally friendly, air pollution exposure is higher in denser cities. This in turn highlights the possible trade-off between reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and preserving environmental quality within cities.

Sustainable urban water management and integrated development in informal settlements: The contested politics of co-production in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Abstract: Given the implications of global climate change, including higher likelihood of extreme weather events, and the increasing urban density coupled with reduction in permeable surfaces in the Global South, Sustainable Urban Water Management (SUWM) has emerged as a preferred paradigm for stormwater management. However, the implementation of SUWM, which is premised on using vegetation or engineered capture technologies to control runoff at its source in an effort to replicate natural hydrology, is limited by a lack of institutional integration, not merely between administrative organs with responsibility for stormwater management but also between infrastructure departments, planning institutions, communities, and civil society organizations. This is particularly true in informal settlements in the humid tropics, where excessive impermeable surfaces and a lack of adequate solid waste collection exacerbate municipal limitations in stormwater management. This article discusses an effort to integrate local communities, civil society organizations, and local and regional authorities to improve drainage services within the framework of integrated development in the informal settlement of Los Platanitos, Santo Domingo Norte, Dominican Republic. In order to address the drainage and flooding issues in Los Platanitos while also fostering economic development, representatives of community groups, NGOs, local government, and state agencies have developed a participatory planning structure known as a mesa de concertacion, or “cooperating table.” The mesa, which was established in 2014, has succeeded in bringing neighborhood, civil society, and government actors to the same “table” as a mechanism for addressing the community’s drainage challenges within the broader context of integrated community development.

The Mathematics of Urban Morphology

Abstract: On Urban Morphology and Mathematics.- Part I: Fractals.- Fractal Dimension Analysis of Urban Morphology Based on Spatial Correlation Functions.- Central Place Theory and Power Laws for Cities.- Distribution of Cities Size: Zipf, Gibrat, Pareto Law.- Signature of Organic Urban Growth: Degree Distribution of the City's Street Network Structure.- A Fractal Approach to Explore Australian Urban Form and Its Impacting Factors at Neighborhood Scale.- Part II: Cellular Automata.- Geographic Cellular Automata for Urban Form.- Mathematical Foundations of Cellular Automata and Complexity Theory.- Part III: Spatial Networks and Space Syntax.- Mathematics of Urban Spatial Networks.- Space Syntax: A Network Based Configurational Approach to Studying Urban Morphology.- Applied Mathematics on Urban Space.- The Morphology and Circuity of Street Networks.- Part IV: Complexity.- Emergence of Complexity in Urban Morphology.- Complexity, Darwinian Mutations, and Selection in Urban Morphology Evolution: How Mathematics Looks at Escher Metamorphosis.- A Topological Representation for Taking Cities as a Coherent Whole.- Part V: Other Forms of Quantification.- A Multiscale Classification of the Urban Morphology for Use in Quantitative Models.- An Urban Morphogenesis Model Capturing Interactions Between Networks and Territories.- Continuum Percolation and Spatial Point Pattern in Application to Urban Morphology.- Urban Compactness: New Geometric Interpretations and Indicators.- Using Google Street View for Street Level Urban Form Analysis.- Examining Spatial Structure Using Gravity Models.- Part VI: Humanistic and Multidisciplinary Commentaries.- From Morphology to Morphogenesis: Putting Mathematics in Its Place.- Not Only ... But Also: Urban Mathematical Models and Urban Social Theory.- Urban Morphology or Townscape? Wholes Made of Many Parts.- Extending Urban Morphology: Drawing Together Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches.- Mathematics and Cities: A Long-Standing Relationship Fit for the Future.- Mathematics and/as Humanities. Linking Humanistic Historical to Quantitative Approaches.- Urban Form, Agents and Processes of Change.- The Future of Streets.- Understanding and Quantifying Urban Density Towards a More Sustainable City Form.- To Not Talk Past Each Other: An Immodest Proposal for Cross-Conceptual Research in Urban Morphology.

The Ecological City and the City Effect: Essays on the Urban Planning Requirements for the Sustainable City

Abstract: Preface - the ecological city - reality and mystification. Part 1 A strategy for the modern city - research lines aimed at the identification of "optimal centrality": the definition of the current urban problem two situation typologies in western urban geography the potential alternative solutions the dossier of parameters to be transferred in terms of reference the suggested approach - searching for the optimal centrality the search for optimal centrality and the abstract theories of city economics the imperative research approach the definition of optimal centrality and its constituent parameters the components of centrality as found in the current western urban situation configuring an articulation of optimal centralities conclusion. Part 2 The degradation of the urban environment - the planological approach: general considerations on the degradation of the urban environment the degradation of the urban environemnt in relation to its factors (or causes) urban degradation in relation to any city topology urban degradation in relation to the stages of urbanization the degradation of the urban environment from the point of view of the goals of "environmental well-being" the urban eco-system evaluation the planological approach - programme structure and urban indicators. Part 3 Centralities and peripheries - a new strategy for the recovery of the urban environment: the city and its public spaces the decline of public spaces and the disequilibrium of loads two typical, inadequate responses - zoning and traffic engineering the loss of centrality in small and medium-sized towns outlines of a new policy of recovery of the urban environment the question of "modernity" in urban planning. Part 4 Urban planning and ecology - what relationship?: urban planning and ecology - a promised marriage never consummated or a case of hermaphroditism planning and ecology - some postulates the methodological prerequisites in the planning of the ecological city application to the case of a policy of urban "sustainability". Part 5 The "urban mobility integrated basin" - a prerequisite of rational planning: the "urban mobility integrated basin" (UMIB) the policy-oriented demand or urban transport general approach to the definition of urban planning objectives the UMIB accessibility system operational specification of objectives - the use of multi-criteria decision-making analysis concluding remarks. Part 6 The urban labour basin - misleading formulations: an interpretative definition of the labour market basin an operational definition of the labour market basin a definition of the labour market basin on the basis of an integrated approach the measurement of the integrated objective-function the optimal dimension of the labour basin the "urban" labour basin functional to labour management. Part 7 The land-use/resources matrix - an instrument for environmental planning: why a land-use/resources matrix (LURM)? (Part contents)

WorldView-2 Data for Hierarchical Object-Based Urban Land Cover Classification in Kigali: Integrating Rule-Based Approach with Urban Density and Greenness Indices

Abstract: The emergence of high-resolution satellite data, such as WorldView-2, has opened the opportunity for urban land cover mapping at fine resolution. However, it is not straightforward to map detailed urban land cover and to detect urban deprived areas, such as informal settlements, in complex urban environments based merely on high-resolution spectral features. Thus, approaches integrating hierarchical segmentation and rule-based classification strategies can play a crucial role in producing high quality urban land cover maps. This study aims to evaluate the potential of WorldView-2 high-resolution multispectral and panchromatic imagery for detailed urban land cover classification in Kigali, Rwanda, a complex urban area characterized by a subtropical highland climate. A multi-stage object-based classification was performed using support vector machines (SVM) and a rule-based approach to derive 12 land cover classes with the input of WorldView-2 spectral bands, spectral indices, gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) texture measures and a digital terrain model (DTM). In the initial classification, confusion existed among the informal settlements, the high- and low-density built-up areas, as well as between the upland and lowland agriculture. To improve the classification accuracy, a framework based on a geometric ruleset and two newly defined indices (urban density and greenness density indices) were developed. The novel framework resulted in an overall classification accuracy at 85.36% with a kappa coefficient at 0.82. The confusion between high- and low-density built-up areas significantly decreased, while informal settlements were successfully extracted with the producer and user’s accuracies at 77% and 90% respectively. It was revealed that the integration of an object-based SVM classification of WorldView-2 feature sets and DTM with the geometric ruleset and urban density and greenness indices resulted in better class separability, thus higher classification accuracies in complex urban environments.

Remote Sensing Applications for the Urban Environment

Abstract: Introduction Characteristics of Urban Landscape Feature in Local and Regional Scales Characterization of Urban Land Cover in a Moderate Resolution Regional and Global Urban Land Cover Characterizations Assessment of Water Quality in Urban Areas Natural Hazard Assessment for Urban Environments Air Quality in Urban-Local and Regional Aspects Air Quality in Urban Area-Global Aspects Urban Heat Island and Regional Climate Effect References

Intra-Urban Change Analysis Using Sentinel-1 and Nighttime Light Data

Abstract: This paper is devoted to detect and classify intra-urban changes by jointly exploiting Sentinel-1 (S-1) SAR data and nighttime light data. By extracting urban extents and urban density maps from SAR data, changes in nighttime lights can be used to detect changes related to the level of activity in a specific portion of each urban areas. At the same time, changes in radar backscattering are prone to reveal changes in the two- and three-dimensional structures of the built-up. The combination of these multimodal datasets has already proved to be useful to discriminate urban change patterns at the city level. In this paper, instead, SAR datasets from S-1 are exploited, allowing the recognition of different intra-urban changes. Experimental results focus on fast growing (mega) cities in East Asia, allowing us to understand in a more detailed way how they are changing and evolving in all three dimensions. Examples for Nanjing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou (China), Saigon (Vietnam), and Vientiane (Laos) are discussed to prove this statement.

Evaluation of urban surface parameterizations in WRF model using energy fluxes measurements in Portugal

Abstract: The performance of WRF model was investigated for the simulation of urban microclimate, with particular focus on energy fluxes, using different urban surface parameterizations. The model performance was evaluated using measurements carried out between August and December 2014 in Portugal. Several simulations were performed over two different areas, Porto urban area and Aveiro suburban area, for the entire measurement period. Distinct simulations were performed using different urban parametrizations: (i) the Noah Land Surface Model (LSM); (ii) a single-layer urban canopy model (UCM); and (iii) a modelling system composed by WRF and SUEWS models (WRF-SUEWS). The results showed that both UCM and SUEWS are able to simulate the energy partitioning over the low and high intensity residential. At the low intensity residential area, the majority of energy is partitioned to latent heat flux, accounting on average for 47% and 49% of the daytime available energy, for UCM and SUEWS, respectively. At the high intensity residential area, the greatest share of energy goes to sensible heat flux (42% [UCM] and 50% [SUEWS]), followed by the storage heat flux (33% [UCM] and 43% [SUEWS]). For both areas, a completely different energy partitioning was obtained when the LSM was used. The analysis performed showed that the UCM are able to provide a more accurate turbulent energy partitioning (sensible and latent heat), which contribute to enhance the urban microclimate simulation results; the systematic model biases in the LSM simulation was reduced by 1–2 °C in air temperature and by 0.5–1 m s−1 in wind speeds at near surface layer, on average, depending on the urban density. The overall results suggest that an appropriate representation of urban physical processes are crucial to improve numerical tools suited for the modelling of the urban atmospheric boundary layer.