Urban Form and Microclimatic Conditions in Urban Open Spaces at the Densely Built Centre of a Greek City

The paper presents an experimental investigation of the microclimatic conditions in selected open spaces in the city centre of Volos, a medium-sized coastal city in Greece. It presents the results of systematic field measurements that took place in three urban sites; a public open space and two typical urban blocks. The measurements were carried out during the summer of 2013 and concerned air temperature and relative humidity recordings. Data collection was used to assess the formation and the eventual differentiation of microclimate on a restricted local scale in the urban environment, such as that of a typical urban block or/and a typical public square in the centre of Greek cities. Additionally, research has taken into account buildings construction materials, the predominant paving materials and the key parameters determined by urban geometry in the selected sites, i.e the Aspect Ratio (H/W) and the Sky View Factor (SVF). The measurements revealed microclimatic differences within the inside open space of two of the urban blocks, i.e the courtyard generated of the different building ownerships, the various street canyons and the recordings of the local meteorological station.

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Above the debris

10.26686/wgtn.17067719.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Anthony Mak

Keyword(s):

Urban Form ◽

Open Space ◽

Public Spaces ◽

Economic Resources ◽

Open Spaces ◽

Catastrophic Risk ◽

Space Networks ◽

High Concentrations ◽

Evacuation Routes ◽

Spatial Resources

<p>At an accelerating rate, over half of the world’s population is living in urban centres. The catastrophic risk to environmental, cultural, and economic resources amidst these high concentrations of livelihoods upon the wake of a disaster has the potential to be devastating. A city’s urban form consisting of its open space networks and street structures are important spatial resources that provide affected communities with efficient evacuation routes, assembly areas, temporary market spaces, and room for temporary shelters in the aftermath of a disaster. Open public spaces are especially important during these scenarios as they provide large volumes of space that can be adapted to a variety of different functions. However, these spaces are seldom designed with resilience in mind. This thesis investigates how open spaces are able to contribute to the disaster resiliency of urban centres, ensuring that the needs of the present are in light of the needs of the future.</p>

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Policies for Smart and Sustainable Renovation of Urban Blocks

10.4018/978-1-7998-7785-1.ch007 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 132-150

Author(s):

Dimitra Tsirigoti

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Energy Efficiency ◽

Urban Form ◽

Green Roofs ◽

Low Energy ◽

Building Stock ◽

Greek City ◽

Urban Geometry ◽

Passive Design

The objective of this chapter is to recognize the fundamental issues for the low levels of efficiency of the strategies for the energy renovation of the building stock in Greece. The regulatory framework for the energy efficiency and energy renovation is analysed, and the main policies that have been adopted for upgrading the building stock are summarized. Strategies for the energy renovation of buildings have often led to the further deterioration of the built environment as the Greek city is still characterized by the low quality of life and the low energy efficiency of buildings. A tool for assessing the overall benefits of renovation strategies at the urban block scale is presented as a means for the optimization of the efforts and profits. A smart strategy of renovation including thermal insulation, passive design, and green roofs should be context based considering urban form, urban geometry, and climate.

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ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS FOR CAMPUS OUTDOOR SPACE: A MICROCLIMATE ANALYSIS OF THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN UNIVERSITY (EMU) CAMPUS

Journal of Green Building ◽

10.3992/jgb.16.3.217 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 217-236

Author(s):

Kamyar Fuladlu

Keyword(s):

Urban Form ◽

Field Survey ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Leeward Side ◽

View Factor ◽

Extensive Literature ◽

Open Spaces ◽

Building Orientation ◽

Outdoor Space

ABSTRACT Open spaces—whether public, urban, or part of a campus—offer a variety of activities and opportunities to people. Therefore, open spaces should be considered a vital component of any built-up area and designed to meet the needs and address the comfort of potential users. Because of their presence in daily life and their preponderance of characteristics, open spaces have drawn the attention of many researchers, designers, and planners with varying perspectives. The current study takes a scientific approach to analyzing the environmental parameters of the Campus Outdoor Space (COS) in the case of the Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU). An extensive literature review supported the identification of seven important environmental parameters effective in the microscale analysis of a COS: geographical location, meteorological situation, urban form, surface materials, amount of vegetation and watershed, and anthropogenic pollution. Analysis of the environmental parameters called for a hybrid method that included a detailed field survey and the following set of simulations: sun-path, radiation, sky view factor, and turbulence analysis. The accuracy of the field survey directly contributed to the effectiveness of the simulations. Grasshopper® 3D software and Computational Fluid Dynamics were used to simulate the conditions of the EMU study area. The outcomes show that the spatial organization, building forms, and building orientation negatively affect the COS of EMU. In the Mediterranean climatic region of EMU, shade and flowing breezes greatly enhance comfort and usability of outdoor spaces from April to October. The massive form of buildings and minimal planning for effective building orientation to the sun increased heat storage capacity and neglected prevailing winds, resulting in flow separation and formation of eddies on the leeward side of buildings. These negatively influenced the microclimate, and thereby user comfort, at the core of the EMU’s main COS.

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Evaluation of Microclimatic Data on Localities with Different Ratio of Vegetation in Urban Environment

Ekológia (Bratislava) ◽

10.2478/eko-2014-0028 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Soňa Keresztesová ◽

Ján Klein ◽

Zdenka Rózová

Keyword(s):

Urban Environment ◽

Air Temperature ◽

Open Space ◽

Significant Contribution ◽

The Other ◽

Air Humidity ◽

Open Spaces ◽

Heat Islands ◽

Relative Air Humidity ◽

Microclimatic Conditions

AbstractMany authors (Akbari, Taha, 1992; Čaboun, 2008; Klein, 2013; Keresztesová, 2013) proved the influence of vegetation on microclimate as well as on the decrease of heat islands. We were interested in how different ratio of vegetation and open spaces influences microclimatic factors. From April to July 2012 microclimatic factors of two different localities with respect to various ratios of vegetation and open spaces were observed in Nitra, Slovakia. More specifically we observed the air temperature, relative air humidity and surface temperatures of four selected points in both localities. We have found out that in the park, i.e. in the locality with a higher portion of vegetation than open space was the course of temperatures more balanced, thanks to the attribute of vegetation to keep a stable microclimate. We have not observed any major Differences between the monitored points variously located in the vegetation in one locality, but on the other hand, we have observed remarkable differences between the two monitored localities. We may allege that the ratio of vegetation and open spaces makes significant contribution to microclimatic conditions of urban environment.

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Above the debris

10.26686/wgtn.17067719 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Anthony Mak

Keyword(s):

Urban Form ◽

Open Space ◽

Public Spaces ◽

Economic Resources ◽

Open Spaces ◽

Catastrophic Risk ◽

Space Networks ◽

High Concentrations ◽

Evacuation Routes ◽

Spatial Resources

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ANALISIS PENGARUH PEMBANGUNAN JALAN LAYANG JANTI TERHADAP PERKEMBANGAN TATA RUANG KAWASAN JANTI STUDI KASUS : KAWASAN JANTI, DESA CATURTUNGGAL, KABUPATEN SLEMAN, D. I. YOGYAKARTA

Jurnal Arsitektur KOMPOSISI ◽

10.24002/jars.v10i4.1089 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 255

Author(s):

Jeky El Boru

Keyword(s):

Road Network ◽

Open Space ◽

Qualitative Description ◽

Analysis Method ◽

Open Spaces ◽

The Road ◽

Before And After ◽

Linkage Method ◽

The Impact ◽

Parking Place

Abstract: This research aims to analyze the impact of Janti Flyover Construction toward the growth of layout at Janti Urban Area, including structured space, open space, and linkage. Method used for data collecting are observation, air photograph monitoring, and interview, whereas the analysis method is qualitative description, which is the superimposed method of two layers, that are the layout condition before and after flyover construction. The result shows that the impact of Janti Flyover construction can be seen on building mass (solid), the increasing number of open spaces, including the road network, parking place, and park, whereas the relation between spaces, visually and structurally, can be seen on the growth of buildings which have new shapes and styles, therefore the performance of the overall building does not have a proportional shape. Considering Janti Street at the collective relation, its role is getting stronger as the main frame road network.Keywords: Flyover construction, layout changing, Janti AreaAbstrak: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh pembangunan Jalan Layang Janti terhadap perkembangan tata ruang Kawasan Janti, meliputi ruang terbangun, ruang terbuka, serta hubungan antar ruang (“linkage”). Metode pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui observasi, pengamatan foto udara, dan wawancara; sedangkan metode analisis melalui deskripsi secara kualitatif yang berupa “superimposed method” dari dua lapisan kondisi lahan, yakni kondisi tata ruang sebelum dan sesudah pembangunan jalan layang. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pengaruh pembangunan Jalan Layang Janti terdapat pada massa bangunan (“solid”), pertambahan ruang terbuka yang berupa jaringan jalan, parkir, dan taman; sedangkan pada hubungan antar ruang ̶ secara visual dan struktural ̶ yakni tumbuhnya bangunan dengan bentuk dan gaya baru, sehingga bentuk tampilan bangunan secara keseluruhan tidak proporsional. Pada hubungan kolektif, Jalan Janti semakin kuat perannya sebagai kerangka utama jaringan jalan.Kata kunci : Pembangunan jalan layang, tata ruang, Kawasan Janti

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Social Evaluation of Public Open Space Services and Their Impact on Well-Being: A Micro-Scale Assessment from a Coastal University

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13084372 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 4372

Author(s):

Abdullah Addas ◽

Ahmad Maghrabi

Keyword(s):

Open Space ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Social Evaluation ◽

Open Spaces ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Public Open Space ◽

The Impact ◽

Public Open Spaces

Public open spaces services have been shown to be profoundly affected by rapid urbanization and environmental changes, and in turn, they have influenced socio-cultural relationships and human well-being. However, the impact of these changes on public open space services (POSS) remains unexplored, particularly in the Saudi Arabian context. This study examines the socio-cultural influence of POSS on the King Abdulaziz University campus, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and the impact of these services on well-being. A field survey and questionnaire were used to collect data. Non-parametric tests (Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney tests) were used to find significant differences in the importance of POSS as perceived by stakeholders based on socio-demographic attributes. Factor analysis was performed for 14 POSS to identify those that are most important. The study showed that (i) university stakeholders are closely linked to services provided by public open spaces (POS) and dependent on POSS, (ii) there were significant differences in the perceived importance of POSS according to gender, age, and social groups, and (iii) 70 to 90% of stakeholders reported POSS as having a positive impact on well-being. Thus, the findings will help design and plan POSS to meet the needs of society and promote well-being.

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The Contribution of Urban Morphology to the Formation of the Microclimate in Compact Urban Cores: A Study in the City Center of Thessaloniki

Urban Science ◽

10.3390/urbansci5020037 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 37

Author(s):

Georgios-Rafail Kouklis ◽

Athena Yiannakou

Keyword(s):

Field Study ◽

Urban Form ◽

Simulation Method ◽

Urban Morphology ◽

Green Spaces ◽

City Center ◽

Outdoor Spaces ◽

Microclimatic Conditions ◽

The Relationship ◽

The City

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the contribution of urban morphology to the formation of microclimatic conditions prevailing within urban outdoor spaces. We studied the compact form of a city and examined, at a detailed, street plan level, elements related to air temperature, urban ventilation, and the individual’s thermal comfort. All elements examined are directly affected by both the urban form and the availability of open and green spaces. The field study took place in a typical compact urban fabric of an old city center, the city center of Thessaloniki, where we investigated the relationship between urban morphology and microclimate. Urban morphology was gauged by examining the detailed street plan, along with the local building patterns. We used a simulation method based on the ENVI-met© software. The findings of the field study highlight the fact that the street layout, the urban canyon, and the open and green spaces in a compact urban form contribute decisively both to the creation of the microclimatic conditions and to the influence of the bioclimatic parameters.

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Cloud Computation Using High-Resolution Images for Improving the SDG Indicator on Open Spaces

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs12071144 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 1144

Author(s):

Rosa Aguilar ◽

Monika Kuffer

Keyword(s):

High Resolution ◽

Open Space ◽

Local Planning ◽

Open Spaces ◽

High Resolution Imagery ◽

Coarse Spatial Resolution ◽

Multi Temporal ◽

High Resolution Images ◽

Cloud Computation

Open spaces are essential for promoting quality of life in cities. However, accelerated urban growth, in particular in cities of the global South, is reducing the often already limited amount of open spaces with access to citizens. The importance of open spaces is promoted by SDG indicator 11.7.1; however, data on this indicator are not readily available, neither globally nor at the metropolitan scale in support of local planning, health and environmental policies. Existing global datasets on built-up areas omit many open spaces due to the coarse spatial resolution of input imagery. Our study presents a novel cloud computation-based method to map open spaces by accessing the multi-temporal high-resolution imagery repository of Planet. We illustrate the benefits of our proposed method for mapping the dynamics and spatial patterns of open spaces for the city of Kampala, Uganda, achieving a classification accuracy of up to 88% for classes used by the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL). Results show that open spaces in the Kampala metropolitan area are continuously decreasing, resulting in a loss of open space per capita of approximately 125 m2 within eight years.

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Implementation of Open Space: The Need for Uniform Policy?

Open House International ◽

10.1108/ohi-01-2014-b0009 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 39 (1) ◽

pp. 82-91

Author(s):

Melasutra Md Dali ◽

Safiah Muhammad Yusoff ◽

Puteri Haryati Ibrahim

Keyword(s):

Open Space ◽

Peninsular Malaysia ◽

Space Policy ◽

Local Planning ◽

Open Spaces ◽

Local Authorities ◽

Planning Profession ◽

Federal Department ◽

The Government ◽

Uniform Policy

The provision of open spaces within a residential development is often seen as unimportant. The Malaysian Government targeted to provide 2 hectares of open space per 1000 population to be achieved as a developed nation status by the year 2020. This vision can be seen as the Government attempt to ensure the sustainability of open spaces in Malaysia. The Federal Department of Town and Country Planning, Peninsular Malaysia (FDTCP) has produced a planning standard guideline to supervise the implementation of the open space policy in Malaysia. According to FDTCP; until December 2009, Malaysia has achieved a percentage of 1.19 hectares of open space per 1000 population. Achieving the standard requires commitment of local authorities to implement the open space policy. However, the adoption of open spaces policy differs among local authorities, from a simplistic general approach of land ratio techniques to an ergonomics method. The paper examines the local allocation practices using 5 different approaches and it argues that implementation of open space by local planning practices requires the knowledge of and understanding by planning profession towards a long term sustainable green objectives.

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