Improving pedestrian level low wind velocity environment in high-density cities: A general framework and case study

• Published in: Sustainable cities and society 2018-10, Vol.42, p.314-324
• Main Authors: Du, Yaxing, Mak, Cheuk Ming
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Evaluation criterion; General design framework; High-density cities; Improvement measures; Pedestrian level wind environment
• ISSN: 2210-6707; 2210-6715
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2018.08.001

•A general design framework is developed for improving low pedestrian level wind environment.•The improvement measures and evaluation criteria in current studies are reviewed and summarized.•A university campus is used as case study to demonstrate the design framework.•The outcomes of this paper can assist policy-makers to establish sustainable urban planning policies. An acceptable pedestrian level wind environment is essential to maintain an enjoyable outdoor space for city residents. Low wind velocity environment can lead to uncomfortable outdoor thermal experience in hot and humid summer, and it is unable to remove the pollutants out of city canyons. However, the average wind velocity at pedestrian level is significantly lowered by closely spaced tall buildings in modern megacities. To improve the low wind velocity environment at pedestrian level in high-density cities, a general framework and detailed guidelines are needed. This study is the first time to develop such a framework, and provide detailed guidelines for improving pedestrian level low wind velocity environment in high-density cities. Additionally, a detailed review and summarisation of evaluation criteria and improvement measures are presented in this paper, which provide additional options for urban planners. To investigate the performance of the framework, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University campus was utilised as a case study. Results showed that pedestrian level wind comfort was greatly improved with the developed framework. The outcomes of this study can assist city planners to improve the low wind velocity environment, and can help policy makers to establish sustainable urban planning policies.