1,- 1Department of Architecture and Master of Architecture and Urban Design Program, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan (ckc@mail.ntut.edu.tw)
- 2Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- 3Program of Landscape & Recreation, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung City, Taiwan
The high density of urban population and development has been posing extensive challenges for adaptation strategies of climate change. However, the impacts of urban density and its direct effect - energy usage - upon the thermal environment have remained inadequately explored, resulting in insufficient evidence-based reasoning towards the development of climate adaptation strategies in urban areas.
This study connects the data of urban microclimate, neighborhood electricity usage, urban density for such exploration. It was empowered by the analytical mapping of GIS (geographical information system) data. It also applied statistical tests to confirm the connections in question.
This study examines: (1) The electricity usage data at community level is applicable to reflect the practical (de facto) urban land use, especially considering the complex nature of urban development associated with climate change. (2) The detailed process of GIS layering analytical mapping and multivariate statistics to formulate a connective approach for temporal-spatial analysis.
It is statistically established in this study, a human biometeorological indicator of the connections between microclimate and practical land use. In winter the effect of energy usage with the mPET (Modified Physiologically Equivalent Temperature) is negatively correlated (p<0.05) of the 4-year span (2011-2014) in central Taipei. In the summer comparable measurement is positively correlated (p<0.1).
This study highlights that, for highly densed urban areas, density would inter-interfere not only with the practical land use and development (represented by energy usage) but also with the thermal microclimate. These findings have important implications for urban planning and climate adaptation strategies in Taiwan, which is the upcoming policy of building modification embedded with net-zero and energy saving approaches. Future policy initiatives will seriously have the built environment and the inclusiveness of residents in unprecedented considerations.
Keywords:
Adaptation strategies for urban sustainability
Urban density
Urban microclimate
Modified Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (mPET)
Power usage
How to cite: Cheng, C.-K., Chen, Y.-C., and Tung, C.-H.: Climate adaptation strategies in urban areas – Enlightened by the connections of urban density, energy usage and urban microclimate in Taipei, Taiwan, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-470, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-470, 2025.
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