Urban heat island effects (UHI) account for the most challenging causes of increased energy consumption and carbon emissions. Among others UHI significantly impacts the overall energy performance of urban building stock and indoor-outdoor thermal comfort, especially, in the mediterranean areas.

Significant effort has taken place in the last decade to mitigate UHI island effects by manipulating material surface albedo. Reflectance of materials is mainly affected by factors such as color, roughness, the aging of materials. However, it is the actual impact of aging to materials’ surface albedo that is investigated in the current research. This might also include the practical benefits of intervening through maintenance at the surfaces of structural materials to mitigate UHI urban effects to energy efficiency and thermal comfort.

There seems to be agreement that the use of materials with high albedo offers a reduction of outdoor and indoor temperatures which is considered as the most important strategy in the mitigation of UHI. However, it has been also claimed that high albedo during heatwaves deteriorates sensed thermal comfort leading to a general complexity of how exactly material albedo interacts with the ambient environment and building stock.

While there is a significant amount of research that has been conducted on the relationship between albedo in building materials and energy consumption, temperature, and thermal comfort, there is limited research on the correlation between aging of urban surface coatings and albedo. The current study was conducted for 18 different locations in Xanthi, Greece. Experimental campaigns have been carried out and analysis of collected data employed to identify the relation between material surface physical properties (albedo, slope, surface temperature) and meteorological conditions (solar radiation, air temperature) as the main factors influencing UHI. It is also claimed that a “novel” function between physical parameters could be introduced to describe the impact of aging of materials.

How to cite: Sotiriadis-Tselektsidis, F.-E., Zoras, S., Toumpoulidis, P., and Dimoudi, A.: Urban Morphology Albedo and Physical Parameters Connection: Development of Material Aging Correlation with Ambient Conditions in a Mediterranean City, Greece, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-700, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-700, 2025.

Urban street canyons significantly influence the microclimate within an urban area, impacting factors such as solar radiation, wind flow, and air temperature. Vijayawada, ranked as the second most heat stressed city in India, where microclimates in street canyons can increase the urban heat island effect due to reduced ventilation, heat accumulation, and discomfort in outdoor spaces, especially in densely built areas. The present street design guidelines in India primarily focus on mobility, safety, and accessibility while overlooking the role of thermal comfort of pedestrians. Therefore, the study aims to bridge this gap by evaluating the impact of urban design parameters on outdoor thermal comfort within an urban street canyon in Vijayawada and examining how factors like street geometry, aspect ratio (height-to-width ratio), orientation, materials and vegetation interact with the local microclimate. Street canyons in LCZ 3, LCZ 5 and LCZ 6, in N-S orientation were selected to capture varying urban morphologies and microclimatic conditions. Air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and solar radiation were measured using mobile weather station. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 198 respondents to record their thermal perception. The subjective perceptions were analyzed against the on-site measurements to identify the adaptive comfort range. Further, the urban design parameters and their impact on thermal comfort were analyzed using EnviMET simulations.The findings indicate that urban morphology, material choices, and the presence of greenery significantly affect pedestrian comfort levels, with vegetation and shading emerging as critical mitigation strategies against heat stress. Pedestrians found LCZ 6 (open low rise) to be the most comfortable since it provides for better air flow and ventilation, featured more vegetation and pervious land cover, and reduced heat accumulation due to less paved area and low building density. The comfort range found was 23 °C – 32 °C for the pedestrians.

How to cite: Fulwani, K., Amirtham, L. R., Basheer, W., and Muthupalani Selvam, D.: Integrating Thermal Comfort Considerations into Urban Street Design Guidelines in a hot and humid climate , 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-761, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-761, 2025.

Building façades are not merely uniform surfaces but spatial elements shaped by shading devices, balconies, and other architectural features. While the impact of façade materials on outdoor thermal environments is well studied, the influence of morphology remains underexplored. Most research focuses on indoor climate regulation, overlooking effects on exterior microclimates.

This study addresses this gap by employing a 1:10 scaled model of an ideal street canyon in Guangzhou, a hot and humid city, to evaluate how façade morphology, specifically external shading devices, affects the urban thermal environment. Three experimental groups were tested:

• (1) façades with or without shading devices,
• (2) façades with shadings at different angles (45° and 90°).
• (3) façades with varying numbers of shadings (10 and 30 cm).

Measurements were conducted over two days per group in winter (Nov. to Dec. 2024), recording surface temperature (Ts), air temperature (Ta) and black globe temperature (Tg) within the canyon at different heights, and both long-wave and short-wave solar radiation for calculating albedo (see following Fig.).

The results indicate that: (1) External shading devices increased the street canyon’s albedo by 2%, reducing Tg at pedestrian-level by 2.5°C (10%) and Ta by 0.5°C (2%). (2) Horizontal shading at a 45° angle increased albedo by 55%, leading to a 7°C (20%) rise in Tg at the top and a 2°C (7.4%) increase in Ta in the middle section. At pedestrian-level, the differences in Tg and Ta were minimal. (3) Increasing the density of shading devices had a negligible impact on the urban thermal environment.

This study confirms the potential of building façade morphology to regulate urban thermal conditions. Future research will focus on establishing guidelines for climate-responsive design strategies.

How to cite: Yin, S., Yu, B., Wang, Z., Lin, Z., and Xiao, Y.: Mitigating Urban Thermal Environment through Building Façade Morphology Design: Evidence from Scaled Experiments, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-296, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-296, 2025.

The rapid growth of high-rise buildings in urban areas, driven by population growth and urbanization, significantly contributes to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. Most high-rise structures, designed as symmetrical canyons, absorb heat during the day but fail to reradiate it at night due to the reduced sky view factor, raising nighttime temperatures. In contrast, asymmetrical canyons with varying building heights improve thermal comfort by enhancing air circulation and shading, which helps reduce heat buildup and promotes cooling. In Ahmedabad, India’s seventh-largest metropolis, the UHI effect is exacerbated by rapid urbanization and increased high-rise housing in its hot and dry climate. This research investigates the impact of asymmetrical canyons with varying building heights on outdoor thermal comfort in high-rise housing in Chharodi, Ahmedabad. A preliminary study found that typical high-rise housing in Ahmedabad has an aspect ratio between 2 and 3. For the study, a high-rise neighbourhood with four 30-meter blocks and an aspect ratio of 2 was chosen. Field measurements were collected to assess thermal comfort, and the neighbourhood was simulated in ENVI-met. Six scenarios were developed considering orientation, varying heights, and shading between blocks, and these were compared with the base case scenario for the summer and winter months. The results revealed that asymmetrical canyons offer better thermal comfort than symmetrical ones. Shading was identified as a crucial factor in improving Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT) and Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET). A 3:2 aspect ratio with an NW-SE street orientation provided the best year-round thermal comfort. This suggests that improving outdoor thermal comfort in high-rise housing in Ahmedabad is possible by relaxing the height and ground cover restrictions while maintaining the permissible Floor Space Index (FSI).

How to cite: Amirtham, L. R. and Pandey, N.: Enhancing Outdoor Thermal Comfort in High-Rise Housing: The Impact of Asymmetrical Canyons and Building Heights in Ahmedabad, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-717, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-717, 2025.

Streets serve as the most prevalent form of urban open space, accommodating important physical and social activities. However, extreme summer conditions, particularly intense solar radiation during daytime hours in various climates, significantly compromise outdoor thermal comfort such as East–West-oriented streets in hot arid climates. These streets are more exposed to solar radiation throughout the day compared to other street orientations. Despite existing research emphasizing implementing climate-responsive design interventions aimed at heat stress prevention in urban open spaces, there is still no standardized methodology for defining representative street typologies (i.e., testbeds) suitable for testing such design interventions.

This research introduces a new methodology for defining representative East–West street typologies—referred to as testbeds—using geospatial data analysis. The novelty lies in the systematic extraction and categorization of street canyons based on street orientations and height-to-width (H/W) ratios, derived from geospatial datasets including GIS shapefiles. Five rapidly urbanizing cities in the Arabian Peninsula are selected as case studies due to their shared hot arid climate, geographical location (i.e., coastal cities), contemporary urban forms, and regional significance. These five cities are also different based on the location of the sea/gulf, presence of foothills, and the direction of prevailing winds.

The core research question guiding this study is: How can representative street typologies (i.e., testbeds) be systematically defined to reveal street patterns relevant to climate responsive design? By answering this, the study aims to establish a replicable methodology that can be used to define testbeds to develop relevant climate responsive design interventions.

This study addresses the lack of systematic testbed identification by developing a new methodology to systematically defining geometric characteristics of certain street orientations. This methodology can be replicable in other climate and urban contexts to define testbeds of representative street typologies. Evidence-based testbeds can inform thermal simulation studies, design guidelines, and policies aimed at improving the quality of life in increasingly urbanized cities.

How to cite: Alharthi, M., Lenzholzer, S., Nickayin, S., Owsley, B., and Milosevic, D.: Defining Representative Street Typologies for Climate-Responsive Design: A Case-Based Approach in Hot Arid climates, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-388, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-388, 2025.

Global warming, urbanisation, and anthropogenic activities increase urban populations’ exposure to heat, affecting walkability and outdoor activity patterns. Urban greenery has been seen as an effective strategy to reduce heat burdens in cities. Yet, cities often do not provide sufficient tree shade for heat relief. Recent research has highlighted the heat vulnerability factors at the city scale. However, urban morphology and greenery synergistically affect outdoor thermal comfort at the neighbourhood level. Therefore, this study examines the effects of built environment factors and urban vegetation on outdoor thermal comfort at the neighbourhood scale.

The team developed a novel trolley system with GPS for mobile measurements of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and global temperature. FLIR thermal cameras were attached to the trolley to measure surface temperatures. Moreover, fisheye photos were taken to calculate the sky view factor (SVF) at points of interest on our walking routes. Mobile monitoring campaigns occurred during May and June 2024. The mobile transect spanned built and natural environments, including high-density university buildings, a museum precinct, medium-density dwellings, highways and parks. Additional mapping data was introduced to develop a geospatial model. The study shows large variations in pedestrian-level air temperature, with unshaded, mid-density built-up areas reaching up to 10 °C higher than shaded parks around 3 pm. The Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) shows intra-city differences of up to 20 °C, which is consistent with higher PET values in streets with higher SVF. This intra-urban PET difference could also be due to surface temperature variations captured in thermal images, with the lowest ground surface temperature recorded under dense tree cover. In summary, the novel trolley system demonstrates the extent to which urban greenery improves thermal comfort depends on tree canopy density, SVF and the time of the day, highlighting key neighbourhoods that require urban planning interventions.

How to cite: Lam, C. K. C., Alnaqshabandy, H., Lewin, S., Morewood, J., Xie, X., and Goodhew, S.: Effects of urban morphology and greenery on intra-urban outdoor thermal comfort using mobile transect measurements in Plymouth, UK , 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-480, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-480, 2025.

Urban overheating, driven by the increasing frequency of extreme heat events, poses significant challenges to public health and thermal comfort in densely populated areas. Factors such as inadequate building thermal design, and a lack of accessible outdoor heat shelters further intensify these challenges, underscoring the urgent need for urban adaptation strategies.

Green infrastructure, particularly continuous tree cover in parks, effectively mitigates heat stress in urban environments through shading and evapotranspiration processes. Urban design elements, such as building layouts and shading devices, also improve thermal comfort by providing shade and reducing radiant heat exposure. However, projections suggest that by the end of the century, during peak summer conditions in cities like Lyon, France, only the cores of urban forests may offer effective heat shelters.

The AbriCoCoDA project introduces the concept of bio-analogous climate shelters—structures designed to replicate the thermal benefits of continuous tree canopies. These shelters provide complementary solutions in urban areas where vegetation is constrained. Key features include insulated roofs and a specific design that minimizes the exposure to reflected solar radiation, thereby compensating for the lack of evapotranspiration in the shelter roofs.

To determine optimal design parameters, the project developed a dedicated microclimatic model, addressing limitations in existing tools like ENVI-met or SOLWEIG, which are not fully adapted to simulate such shelters. This model enables simulations to assess critical factors such as height-to-land-cover ratios and thermal insulation properties. Preliminary results indicate that these parameters are essential for effective shelter design.

Focusing on the Lyon metropolitan area, the project identifies strategic locations for implementing these shelters. By establishing design guidelines and addressing implementation challenges, the AbriCoCoDA project contributes to the development of resilient urban environments, enhancing thermal comfort and public health in the face of climate change.

How to cite: Gresse, T., David, D., Lefevre, F., Galtier, M., Bogdan, M., Salles, M., Picazo Guerrero, M., Sun, Y., Morlé, E., and Lapray, K.: AbriCoCoDA: A Novel Approach to Urban Heat Mitigation Through Bio-Analogous Climate Shelters, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-90, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-90, 2025.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. The various efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are not yet sufficient to limit global warming to below 1.5 K, and the increase is likely to reach 2.6 to 3.1 K in the global average by the end of this century [1]. Urban areas increase night temperatures further compared to their surroundings (3 K (summer climate average) to 10 K (certain situations)) [2].  As urban areas with their high population and infrastructure density are particularly vulnerable to climate change, adaptation is essential to reduce or at least limit the negative consequences of climate change.

The Federal Climate Adaptation Act, in force since 1^st of July 2024, states that adaptation to climate changes that already occurred or are foreseeable must be considered in planning and decisions by public institutions. The law specifies several sectors to act on, including local heat island effects. It also states that recognized standards that already consider climate change can be used for planning. Thus, standardisation organisations like the VDI – The Association of German Engineers – now face the challenge of considering a changing climate in their 2200 standards.

The approach pursued by the VDI is briefly presented, and it is explained how uncertainty in long-term climate change is considered. Examples are given that are relevant for urban areas, e.g. standards for calculating climate indicators, urban areas in climate change, heat action plan and recommendations for modelling the urban climate or dealing with conflicting objectives in urban planning (climate change, air quality and health, in particular pollen allergies).

[1] UNEP: Emissions Gap Report 2024. https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2024, last used 13.01.2025

[2] WMO (2023): Guidance on Measuring, Modelling and Monitoring the Canopy Layer Urban Heat Is-land (CL-UHI). K.H. Schlünzen, S. Grimmond, A. Baklanov (edts.). WMO-No. 1292, pp.88. https://library.wmo.int/idurl/4/58410 last used 12.04.2024.

How to cite: Schlünzen, K. H., Fröhling, C., Heesen, R., Nickel-Kuhn, J., and Rutz, A.: Consideration of climate change in standards – facilitating adaptation to climate change for communities, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-35, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-35, 2025.

How to cite: Mitterhauser, J., Schneider, M., Berg, R., and Tschannett, S.: Urban Climate Adaptation Metrics: Development of District-Scale Assessment Indicators , 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-76, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-76, 2025.

Commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG), this ongoing research (March 2023–present) focuses on embedding urban climate knowledge into planning policy. The work is structured across three stages and has informed the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), (Spring 2025) and the development of supplementary planning guidance for climate-responsive urbanism.

Stage 1 Reviewed the environmental impacts of urban density and identified planning gaps, between Density, Urban Climate, and Planning.

Stage 2 Advanced this by demonstrating links between urban density, intra-urban climates, and urban climate outcomes.

The current Stage 3 builds on these insights, developing a planning policy supplement that integrates current neighbourhood street scale urban climate research findings into a framework to guide urban planning decisions.

Current planning policies primarily focus on development at the building scale, often overlooking the independent urban climate outcomes microclimate interactions within urban environments. This research underscores the critical role of built form in shaping two fundamental urban climate processes:

1) Thermal Effects - involving the energy balance of the urban surface, and

2) Airflow Dynamics — governing exchanges between urban surfaces and the atmosphere.

By integrating these principles, this research advances the development of a Preliminary Planning Framework, which evaluates built form typologies, canyon geometry, and density variations aim to guide climate-responsive urbanism. The framework systematically assesses how urban configurations modify thermal and airflow dynamics, providing insights for optimizing ventilation, mitigating overheating, and enhancing microclimate resilience.

This work represents a pioneering integration of urban climate science, planning, and design, offering practical guidance for achieving balanced urban density. By embedding climate-responsive strategies within national policy, it supports the creation of resilient, adaptive urban environments that address both abiotic and biotic  factors.

How to cite: Futcher, J.: The Development of an Interdisciplinary Planning Framework to Support Climate-Responsive Urbanism, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-663, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-663, 2025.

Climate mainstreaming requires the planning sector to consider policies and directives to enhance climate-resilient urban planning. In several cities of Germany and Austria, urban climate maps (UCM) provide substantial scientific information for city administration, containing two key components: an urban climatic analysis map (UC-AnMap) and a planning recommendation map (UC-ReMap). While based on the VDI (Association of German Engineers) directive 3787, many existing methodologies suffer from significant limitations: (1) lack of standards and comparability, (2) high development costs, and (3) insufficient trust in the provided data and maps for planning decisions due to poor documentation or lack of understanding of approaches and results applied.

The research project "OSCAR - Objectifying and Standardizing Urban Climate Analyses for Climate-Resilient Urban Planning" (funded by the Climate and Energy Fund and carried out under the program "Austrian Climate Research Programme (ACRP)") addresses critical challenges and aims to provide solutions through a comprehensive approach. By engaging stakeholders including urban climate modeling experts, consulting agencies, and city representatives through expert interviews and workshop formats, the research unites a theoretical foundation with practice-oriented expertise.

A central objective is the creation of an objectified model for UC-AnMaps to (i) accelerate urban climate condition assessments, (ii) enable quantifiable climate adaptation measures, (iii) facilitate comparative urban climate analyses and (iv) provide robust climate analyses for planning recommendations. The proposed methodology leverages publicly available data and open-source software, utilizing weighting of static input data sources (e.g. imperviousness density), a rudimentary cold air flow algorithm, logical spatial data combinations and subsequent assignment of climatopes.

The approach focuses on a VDI-conformal, transparent method for mapping urban climatic conditions. Preliminary findings demonstrate promising potential for scaling and expediting UC-AnMap developments. Importantly, stakeholder-engagement emphasizes that while the method provides crucial quantified urban climate information, it should complement—not replace—consultative processes in developing planning recommendations.

How to cite: Schneider, M., Formanek, S., Hochebner, A., Pfattner, S., Reinwald, F., Thiel, S., Tötzer, T., and Wentz, J.: Bridging Gaps in Urban Climate Mapping: An Open-Source based Framework for Climatope Identification , 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-113, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-113, 2025.

The Third Assessment Report on Climate Change and Cities (ARC3.3) by the Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN), with contributions from over 300 global experts, provides state-of-the-art knowledge, tools, and case studies that emphasize the need for cities to serve as laboratories for scalable and inclusive climate solutions through multi-disciplinary, multi-scale, and multi-stakeholder approaches for climate-resilient urban transformation.

The presentation will discuss key messages and findings from the ARC3.3 element “Planning, Urban Design, and Architecture for Climate Action” (Raven et al., 2025), which outlines paradigm shifts necessary for climate-resilient urban transformation across sectors and scales.

Highlights include:

• Research-Practice Synergy: Examining how local challenges drive climate research and how research informs practical solutions, fostering problem-solving strategies for climate resilience.
• Urban Transformation & Innovation: Advocating for non-linear, systemic change through engagement with urban practitioners, decision-makers, and communities, prioritizing human needs and well-being.
• Climate-Resilient Urban Transformation: Analyzing the return on investment for climate policies, highlighting co-benefits in public health, economy, and job creation, while integrating climate justice and equity considerations.
• Mitigation & Adaptation Synergies: Exploring integrated approaches that align GHG reductions with heat stress and flood management, ensuring more effective climate strategies.
• Environmental Justice in Planning & Design: Embedding equity in decision-making, economic opportunities, and resilience strategies to address climate hazards affecting vulnerable communities.
• Capacity Building for Decision-Makers: Enhancing collaboration among stakeholders, fostering knowledge-sharing, and balancing top-down and bottom-up approaches.
• Metrics & Performance Tools: Presenting assessment frameworks, digital modeling tools, and climate-based design guidelines for evaluating urban climate actions.
• Urban Design Climate Workshops (UDCWs) methods and tools: Showcasing case studies from US, Europe, Latin America, and Africa, demonstrating cross-sectoral climate action in cities, with a focus on the activities carried out within the Horizon Europe project “UP2030”. 

How to cite: Leone, M. F., Raven, J., Visconti, C., and Dombrov, M.: Planning, Urban Design, and Architecture for Climate Action: insights from the UCCRN Third Assessment Report on Climate Change and Cities, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-763, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-763, 2025.

Urban areas must meet CO₂ emission reduction targets while also enhancing thermal comfort, increasing resilience to urban flooding, and addressing other climate challenges. However, limited space is further strained by future urban growth, creating additional constraints for implementing mitigation and adaptation strategies. A holistic approach that integrates resilient urban design, climate adaptation, and renewable energy solutions is therefore essential. This principle forms the core of our urban climate design-focused course.

Our MSc course in the Landscape Architecture & Planning program embraces this challenge by integrating energy fluxes and (micro)climate design strategies, emphasizing the synergies between mitigation and adaptation. Students engage in hands-on calculations to assess renewable energy potential—solar radiation, wind, hydropower, and tidal energy—and explore how their availability shifts across seasons. Just as urban thermal comfort fluctuates between day and night, these variations require adaptive urban design strategies. Through real-world case studies in Dutch neighborhoods, students apply their insights to climate-vulnerable communities with specific socio-economic characteristics.

Our didactic methodology provides two key scientific foundations: Climate Science and Energy Science. These areas of knowledge equip students to develop urban design strategies that optimize energy harvesting, enhance thermal comfort, and reduce wind nuisance, effectively bridging climate and energy science with practical applications in urban areas. A key element of our didactic approach is the interaction with municipalities and practitioners, fostering a dynamic learning exchange. This "win-win" setup encourages students to think beyond conventional solutions, while professionals engage in lifelong learning, applying cutting-edge climate strategies in practice.

This presentation will showcase the course outcomes and our innovative didactic methodology, illustrating how this framework fosters synergies between mitigation and adaptation. It aims to inspire stakeholders and policymakers to embrace interdisciplinary lifelong learning programs that bridge research and real-world climate action.

How to cite: Nickayin, S., Steeneveld, G.-J., Lenzholzer, S., and Oudes, D.: Urban Climate-Responsive Planning & Design: A Didactic Approach to Mitigation and Adaptation Synergies, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-855, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-855, 2025.

In response to the escalating challenges posed by climate change in subtropical urban areas, this work utilises the Research Through Design (RTD) methodology for promoting resilience and sustainability in urban environments. Based on urban microclimate modelling using advanced ENVI-met simulations, this work identified hot urban areas and informed the subsequent design process for improving urban climate outcomes. The study is focused on a local government area in South-East Queensland (Australia) and unfolds in three stages. The first stage involves evaluating the existing site’s thermal characteristics and communicating the results to professional consultants. Aligning with local council requirements and community engagement outcomes, consultants then use these insights as a foundation for drafting a new public open space and main street conceptual masterplan. In the second stage, the proposed masterplan undergoes urban climate analysis through ENVI-met simulation to assess the impact of the proposal on the resulting urban microclimate and the thermal comfort of public space users. The results from this stage guide subsequent iterative improvements, identifying areas for enhancement and further consideration. In the third and final stage, consultants incorporate these findings into a refined masterplan that aligns with council guidelines and community requirements while prioritising thermal comfort, resilience, and sustainability. This work contributes to evidence-based urban design and planning, emphasising the importance of integrating climate-responsive strategies into the early stages of the consultation, design, and urban planning processes. It demonstrates the benefits of a dynamic and iterative approach, where computer-based simulations guide each design stage, ensuring that the final urban design and planning outcome complies with regulatory frameworks and enhances the overall well-being of users of public spaces and surrounding urban environments. Using the RTD methodology, this work presents a solid and replicable framework for addressing climate challenges in various urban contexts.

How to cite: Tavares, S. and Abuseif, M.: Evidence-Based Strategies for Climate Resilience in Subtropical Urban Environments: A Research Through Design (RTD) Collaboration, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-887, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-887, 2025.

Rising urban temperatures and the push for densification have intensified the need for robust climate adaptation measures. In partnership with the federal state of Hesse, we developed a participative, data-driven framework to identify and address locations requiring heat mitigation and the protection of cool zones. Our approach begins by pinpointing universal hot spots and cold spots across a 100 m grid, using harmonized temperature metrics to capture both diurnal and nocturnal temperature patterns. This combines heat stress metrics with land surface temperatures as an indicator of an unbalanced heat exchange at the surface. Based on a transdisciplinary approach with local and state-level stakeholders, we generated a simplified version of the local climate zones, ensuring that the universal hotspots are grounded in realistic urban morphology patterns.

Building upon this spatial assessment, we first prioritize locations for mitigation actions based on selected metrics such as vulnerable populations. Then we evaluate the capacity of each location to implement climate adaptation measures by analyzing multiple contextual indices. High-resolution (20 cm) aerial imagery is used to quantify land cover, while green volume, NDVI, and other green-indicators offer deeper insights into the specific nature of each site’s climate vulnerability. We again incorporate our simplified local climate zones as well as a newly developed city structure classification to refine our understanding of how these environmental characteristics interact with urban structures.

Throughout the process, continuous engagement with local and regional authorities has been key, ensuring that the method reflects real-world priorities and constraints. By aligning rigorous, multi-scale data analyses with participatory decision-making, this framework not only locates areas in urgent need of adaptation but also guides the selection of tailored, actionable measures for long-term climate resilience.

How to cite: Benz, S. A., Jehling, M., Krikau, S., Wursthorn, S., and Keller, S.: From Temperature Observations to Targeted Action: Data-Driven Climate Adaptation Strategies in Hesse, Germany, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-453, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-453, 2025.

As climate change impacts intensify, traditional urban designs based on historical weather patterns are becoming less effective. This paper explores the pivotal role of urban planning and strategic densification in creating climate-resilient communities, and how the Built Environment (BE) can mitigate climate change impacts, such as higher summertime air temperatures, promoting prolonged use of outdoor spaces, and lowering heat-related health hazards.

The waterfront development of Silk Towers in Batumi (Georgia) encompasses various building typologies, from tall and large to human-scale schemes, and extensive public grounds. It is designed to enhance the quality of everyday life for residents and offer a new public area for the local community and the entire city.

Despite Pedestrian Wind Comfort (PWC) and Daylight, Sunlight, and Overshadowing (DSO) assessments identified areas that were not suitable for their intended uses compared to industry standards, further de-coupled steady-state Outdoor Thermal Comfort (OTC) analyses showed that these weaknesses could be transformed into opportunities.

These analyses informed the proposed schemes' massing, siting, and orientation by accounting for past and current weather conditions, and future projections following a Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) of 8.5.

The findings demonstrate how strategic densification in temperate climates, guided by comprehensive urban planning, through the creation of ventilation corridors and localized shadow patterns alongside passive and adaptive measures, can alleviate the negative impact of a changing climate, reducing the risks of heat strokes and the need for active cooling systems. This research provides valuable insights for creating livable and resilient cities for today and the future by addressing these critical aspects of urban development and climate resilience.

How to cite: Donato, M., Souza, P., Tibuzzi, E., Guichard, N., and Ikeguchi, Y.: Strategic Densification and Urban Planning: Enhancing Climate Resilience in Temperate Climates, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-946, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-946, 2025.

São Paulo, the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere, has increasingly integrated temperature data into its environmental planning, particularly since 2020. This paper examines how the Municipal Secretariat for Environment (SVMA) has incorporated surface temperature data from academic institutions into policy.

The Municipal Plan for Green Areas, Protected Areas, and Open Spaces draws on MODIS land surface temperature (LST) data from academic research on the metropolitan region and intends to use it to prioritize vegetation expansion in high-temperature, high-vulnerability areas. The plan mandates annual temperature updates and public dissemination. To advance this effort, in 2023, SVMA partnered with the Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics, and Atmospheric Sciences (IAG-USP) to develop the Municipal Temperature Atlas, analyzing surface and air temperatures using Landsat data (1985–2025). Preliminary results are presented for 2017–2023. Additionally, a collaboration with the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities (UCCI) enabled the use of microclimate simulations (ENVI-met) to assess both current and future scenarios.

Despite these advances, urban planning sectors remain disconnected from climate considerations. While the environmental agency incorporates temperature and vegetation data into decision-making, zoning regulations—such as building height and occupancy rates—continue to neglect climatic factors, potentially undermining environmental progress. São Paulo’s urban model, which promotes dense development and verticalization along transit corridors to reduce car use and emissions, heightens risks in areas with low vegetation cover. Robust thermal data is crucial for revising urban planning tools, supporting environmental education, informing licensing, and strengthening structural measures against heat waves. However, weak institutional coordination across sectors and the persistent misalignment between research timelines and the urgency of political decision-making continue to hinder the full integration of climate-sensitive urban planning.

How to cite: Ferreira, L., Lustosa, R., de Jesus, L., Duarte, D., and Rocha, H.: Integration of temperature data in environmental planning: advances and challenges in São Paulo, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-528, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-528, 2025.

In the last two decades, Uskudar, Istanbul, has undergone significant spatial transformations through numerous urban redevelopment projects. This historical district, characterized by its aging and non-resilient building stock, has seen widespread urban renewal efforts aimed at improving the urban fabric. However, despite these interventions, the impact of such projects on urban climate conditions, particularly urban heat island effects and microclimate dynamics, has been largely overlooked. Consequently, Uskudar—a key urban center in Istanbul—faces growing challenges in maintaining environmental quality and resilience.

This study proposes a novel redevelopment framework tailored to Uskudar’s unique urban and climatic context. The framework integrates urban climate considerations into the renewal planning process, addressing the dual objectives of revitalizing the built environment and enhancing livability through optimized microclimate conditions. Key strategies include leveraging sustainable urban design principles, incorporating urban microclimate measures, and increasing green and blue infrastructure to mitigate heat stress and improve air circulation.

The article presents a comparative analysis of existing renewal projects in Uskudar, identifying deficiencies in addressing climate resilience (Uskudar Sahili, Uskudar Mimar Sinan Square, Nevçarşı – Uskudar Belediyesi and surrounding, Residential Project. It also outlines practical guidelines to embed urban microclimate measures into future redevelopment efforts (Brown, 2011; Erell et al, 2012; Katzchner, 2009; Mauree et al, 2018; Pijpers-van Erch, 2015; Wong et al, 2001; Zhou et al, 2025). The findings aim to inform policymakers, planners, and stakeholders involved in urban renewal, contributing to a more sustainable and climate-sensitive transformation of Uskudar.

By emphasizing the interplay between urban design and climate, this research underscores the importance of integrating environmental considerations into urban renewal projects. It aspires to establish Uskudar as a model for resilient urban redevelopment, balancing historical preservation, contemporary needs, and environmental sustainability.

How to cite: Bakovic Ergun, M. and Kap Yücel, S. D.: Integrating Urban Microclimate into Redevelopment Frameworks: A Case Study of Uskudar, Istanbul, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-1019, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-1019, 2025.

The development and implementation of climate action plans and adaptation strategies are crucial for addressing climate-induced disasters and crises in cities. However, the complex and heterogeneous morphological structure of large as well as medium-sized cities in developing countries which leads to micro-scale variations in urban meteorology, makes implementation of the adaptation strategies complicated and challenging. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of widely adopted heat adaptation strategies to mitigate the urban heat island (UHI) intensity in two Indian cities, Kolkata and Guwahati; which lie in a similar climatic regime, but differ in their built-up profiles and spatial characteristics. The WRF (Weather Research and Forecast) model, coupled with 3D urban canopy models BEP+BEM (Building Effect Parameterization/Building Energy Model), is used to evaluate variations in the meteorological profiles of both cities. Accurate representation of urban morphology is crucial to enhance the capability of mesoscale climate models like WRF to simulate urban microclimates with higher precision. Thus, finer-scale LCZs (Local Climate Zones), which capture variations in urban complexity, were derived from high-resolution satellite images using advanced machine learning techniques and integrated into the model. Three different strategies – green roofs, cool and super-cool materials, to mitigate urban heating during the hot and dry pre-monsoon season were tested by reconfiguring the model accordingly. The results demonstrated the efficiency of these adaptation measure in significantly lowering the 2m air temperature in both cities, particularly in the afternoon when UHI intensity peaks. However, performance of the different measures varied notably across the different LCZ classes and between both cities. This highlights the importance of micro-scale analysis in detecting internal variations within urban meteorological profile. This could guide especially cities with restricted resources to implement targeted mitigation measures in the different parts ensuring their effectiveness, cost-efficiency, and feasibility, for systematic urban planning.

How to cite: Bhattacharjee, S. and Bharti, R.: Effectiveness of heat adaptation strategies in developing cities, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-1055, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-1055, 2025.

As the built environment continues to face increasing climate challenges – threatening physical and natural assets as well as human health and well-being with significant hazards such as heatwaves, flooding, and drought – targeted adaptation measures are essential to reduce climate impacts, safeguard built assets, and enhance the resilience of buildings, infrastructure, and communities. However, the lack of a systematic collection of adaptation measures and criteria for evaluating their resilience underscores the need for a comprehensive catalogue to support planning and design processes.

The MULTICLIMACT (MULTI-faceted CLIMate adaptation ACTions) Horizon Europe project addresses this gap by developing a framework and tool to support public stakeholders and citizens in evaluating the resilience of the built environment and its people at multiple scales (territorial, urban, and building) against natural and climate hazards. The study, conducted within MULTICLIMACT project, introduces a novel catalogue of adaptation measures designed to guide policy-makers and public administrations to the actions they can take to improve the resilience of the built environment. 

Drawing from the National Adaptation Plans of the four demo sites countries (Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, and Spain), and complemented by additional EU guideline and database, the catalogue is based on the European Environmental Agency’s Key Type of Measures (KTMs) classification. It focuses on Physical and Technological options (KTM C), and Nature-Based Solutions and Ecosystem-based Approaches (KTM D), comprising 44 adaptation measures (27 for KTM C, 17 for KTM D). Each measure is outlined in a factsheet detailing its relevance to climate hazards, processes, functions, benefits, and scale of intervention, while also evaluating resilience contributions across six key dimensions covered by MULTICLIMACT: physical, human health, well-being and quality of life, technical, economic, environmental, and organizational.

How to cite: Apreda, C., Ricciardi, G., Reder, A., Mercogliano, P., Christoforou, R., Moayyadi, M., Schweiker, M., Palmieri, E., Gavrouzou, M., Sfetsos, A., and Vlachogiannis, D.: Adaptation measures to support decision-making in delivering a resilient built environment , 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-497, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-497, 2025.

Beside that there is a strong process of urbanization globally, we can also witness depriving regions, specifically areas with vernacular architecture but not developing as other contemporary regions of the city. Usually a shift in industry, economy, or big political changes, and centralization also lead to a despair of a region, causing a loss of jobs, and population.
Working with a range of small village municipalities (with a population between 30 and 900 inhabitants) in Hungary, we also realized the rich heritage of high-quality vernacular architecture. Vernacular architecture has been discussed and examined to be more resilient to climate change due to the usage of natural materials as clay and wood. The question arises: is it possible to build a future and strengthen resiliency to climate change to these regions based on their vernacular building stock? Similarly, Indian cities have always developed around core heritage area and further expanded around due to urbanisation need in contrasting contemporary materials and elements of architecture, leaving the core areas in deprivation.
Depriving regions or old city areas can be characterized by elderly, therefore non-resilient population, municipalities face economic difficulties, social deviancy, a lack of professionals in spatial planning, concluding to a high exposure and low resilience in terms of institutional system and population as well, causing a low ability to adapt to climate change as well.
This study examines the question in detail, by conducting investigating local climate data, building stock, materials, environment components, social indices etc and will also take into consideration possible ways of escaping forward. The research is conducted in cities of heritage importance in Hungary and India and analysed for their adapting capabilities to climate change.

How to cite: Szkordilisz, F. and Mehrotra, S.: Climate adaption and shrinking cities, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-1064, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-1064, 2025.

Heat related risks have gained increased attention in science and urban planning due to their already visible impacts on human health, quality of life, and infrastructure services. However, local risk management and climate adaptation strategies focussed on heat stress often do not fully consider all determinants of urban climate risks. In addition, urban transformation processes and individual behaviour, responses to heat stress, and their capacities in different urban structures are often not sufficiently integrated into urban adaptation plans to heat related risks. Considering these research gaps, this study, as part of the urbisphere project, presents a multi-faceted approach to address the complex interplay between urban transformation, socio-demographic changes, and climate adaptation needs using urban structure types (USTs) in Berlin, Germany. We first explore the temporal dynamics of urban physical and socio-demographic structures using USTs. Then, we assess the effectiveness and acceptance of the adaptation measures by different households in selected USTs. This assessment is based on statistical data and a large household survey in Berlin encompassing more than 560 households. While the statistical data allows to classify the transformation of urban and demographic structures within the city, the household survey is used to explore how USTs and socio-demographic variables (e.g., age, income, ownership) influence residents’ behaviour (e.g., ventilation and mobility) and their willingness to implement coping and adaptation measures (structural and non-structural). The findings underscore that policy frameworks and practical urban planning approaches for climate adaptation need to better account for city transformation processes and coping and adaptation measures of different households differentiated by human vulnerability and USTs. Urban planning can build on this information, for example in terms of actively monitoring the impacts of planned adaptation on the physical and social structure within different USTs.

How to cite: Iqbal, N., Ravan, M., Birkmann, J., Hertwig, D., and Lisa Mack, S.: Assessing heat adaptation measures of different households across urban structure types in transforming cities: case study of Berlin, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-405, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-405, 2025.

Using three examples of different scales, we illustrate how we implement tangible adaptation of our cities to the rapidly progressing warming in practice.

Urban Planning:

Last year, the Frankfurt am Main urban planning office developed the new high-rise development plan “HEP 2024”. This plan aims to ensure that new high-rise projects are designed sustainably and with high quality. Our task was to preserve the valuable climate-moderating effects of local and regional wind systems. In particular, the “Wetterauwind” regional wind system, which supplies the entire city with fresh and cool air, needed to remain unaffected by the new high-rises. Individual fact sheets for each new high-rise location, provides analyses and recommendations for future developers. The goal is to maintain this quality throughout the entire planning process all the way to the completed building.

Neighborhood Planning:

In Hamburg, we demonstrate how climate-relevant influences can effectively shape planning decisions in the “Innovationspark Altona”. A new research campus is currently planned for a site identified in the city climate analysis as a cold air corridor. Through our interactive participation in a workshop process with architects and landscape planners, we were helping to lay the foundation for ensuring continued cold air supply to a nearby residential district.

Public Space Design:

On one of Vienna’s most important central historical squares, “Heldenplatz”, we were conducting measurements of summer thermal comfort. Using our mobile measurement unit, we recorded all the parameters needed for PET calculations. This allowed us—supported by microclimate simulations using ENVImet—to create a spatial representation of heat stress conditions on a hot summer day. The aim is now to develop cooling measures that can be utilized by both tourists and locals.

These examples highlight the need for action on multiple levels to ensure that adaptation is truly effective—that is, genuinely perceptible to people.

How to cite: Ratheiser, M., Gepp, W., Auer, I., and Tschannett, S.: Adaption to rising temperatures in practise: Examples of three different scales from Hamburg, Frankfurt am Main and Vienna, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-671, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-671, 2025.

This research presents two projects, Collaborative Systems and On the Rocks, situated in Madrid's metropolitan area—an arid highland home to six million people. Historically, the region relied on two primary water sources: the River Tagus, which supported agriculture, and the Guadarrama Mountains, which supplied urban water needs.

The River Tagus and its tributaries suported agriculture through communal irrigation systems (acequias de careo) introduced during Moorish times. These watercourses infiltrated water into the soil, enabling cultivating high water-demand crops like strawberries, fruit trees, alongside the olive groves. However, deforestation, lack of maintenance, and high evaporation rates have rendered these systems ineffective, causing a critical drop in water tables.

Urban expansion since the 19th century forced the introduction of a separate water supply sourced from newly built reservoirs in the Guadarrama Mountains, flooding entire valleys emaciated after supplying the region for centuries with stone, timber and dairy products. Though this system supported Madrid’s population boom in the 20th century, global warming today exacerbates water shortages, combining reduced precipitation, increased evaporation, and wildfire-related deforestation. Summer water restrictions loom closer each year.

The two projects tackle these issues by reinterpreting dehesas—traditional Spanish agroforests that function as water buffers, slowing down evaporation and promoting reforestation. The project Collaborative Systems revives the acequias de careo, for irrigation, while the project On the Rocks repurposes abandoned quarries as water reservoirs. Both emphasise engaging communities through governance structures that balance clear rules with adaptability, ensuring the sustainability of these interventions.

These projects highlight the interdependence of cities and their surrounding regions and the necessity of practical collaborative efforts to combat climate change.

How to cite: Sanchez Jimenez, J., Wueng Kee, J. O., Bobbink, I., and Nijhuis, S.: Quite A Lot in Commons: Two Adaptation Climate Strategies in the Greater Madrid Area, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-318, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-318, 2025.

Climate change has been globally recognised as an existential threat requiring urgent action to avoid catastrophic consequences, this includes not only the elimination of net emissions of green-house gases by 2050 but also the urgent need to adapt to unavoidable impacts. In this context, the objective of KNOWING project (https://knowing-climate.eu/) is to develop a modelling framework to help understand and quantify the interactions between impacts and risks of climate change, mitigation pathways and adaptation strategies. The framework is used to assess the interrelations between public and private adaptation and mitigation strategies to identify mitigation pathways along optimised combinations of interventions in different climate impact contexts (CICs).

One of the demonstrators of the flooding and infrastructure CIC is Granollers (Spain), a Mediterranean inland municipality facing flooding (fluvial and pluvial) and heatwaves risks. The main objective of this demonstrator within KNOWING project is to co-create a feasible adaptation pathway to decrease flooding risks and ensure that the mitigation objectives are met. To do so, a co-creation process, based on 4 collaborative workshops (WS) has been developed with the objectives of: (WS1) engaging local stakeholders to ensure successful set-up and implementation of pathways; (WS2) formulating adaptation hypothesis and setting challenges; (WS3) establishing vision scenarios, setting priorities and defining the actionable adaptation and mitigation pathways (based also on the results of advanced modelling tools supporting the prioritization of actions and the identification of trade-offs and interactions) and (WS4) presentation of pathways and engagement of strategic regional partners and follower regions. In parallel, an interactive demonstrator dialog has been also conducted to co-create and test the communication tools resulting from KNOWING project and integrating them within local policy/planning processes. 

How to cite: Martinez, M., Soler, J., Leone, M., and Domingo, V.: Co-creation of climate adaptation and mitigation pathways in Granollers. The KNOWING project, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-285, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-285, 2025.

Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects pose a significant challenge in rapidly urbanizing cities, particularly in hot-dry climates like Ahmedabad, India. This study presents a data-driven approach to UHI mitigation by utilizing a Heat Risk Index (HRI) to prioritize areas based on their vulnerability. The research utilizes ward-level data for the year 2020-21, incorporating population density, yearly averaged land surface temperature, and percentage of area lacking green cover.

The Heat Risk Index (HRI) is computed by summing the normalized scores of the selected parameters. HRI ranges from 3 to 15 and classifies urban heat risk into four categories: low (3-6), medium (6-9), high (9-12), and very high (12-15). The methodology involves normalizing the ward-level data on a scale of 1-5, followed by the computation of HRI through summation of the normalized values. The final output is a ward-level HRI map of the city, identifying high-priority areas for intervention. The results of the present study for Ahmedabad city (where more than 8 million people resides) reveals that of the total 48 wards, 8 are under very high risk category followed by 23, 13 and 4 in High, Medium and Low risk category respectively.

This study provides a scientific basis for targeted UHI mitigation efforts, enabling policymakers to prioritize urban cooling strategies such as nature based solutions like green wall, green roofs, green cover, water bodies and water fountains; reflective surfaces, and many more. By integrating a data-driven methodology, the research contributes to strengthening the city’s Heat Action Plan, reducing heat-related mortalities, and enhancing outdoor thermal comfort for residents. The findings underscore the necessity of evidence-based urban climate policies to build heat-resilient cities, especially in climate-vulnerable regions. This approach serves as a replicable framework for other cities facing similar UHI challenges, ensuring efficient resource allocation and proactive climate adaptation strategies.

How to cite: Kela, S., Kandya, A., and Patel, V.: A Data-Driven Approach to Urban Heat Island Mitigation: Prioritizing areas based on Heat Risk Index for Ahmedabad city, India, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-743, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-743, 2025.

Urban heat is a growing concern as climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of heat waves, disproportionately impacting socially vulnerable groups and urban areas with pronounced heat island effects. The emerging literature on urban heat focuses on either the physical determinants of urban heat islands or the socio-demographic factors that contribute to a person's susceptibility to climate hazards, usually neglecting the multidimensional and multiscale nature of heat in urban areas. This separation is problematic since it hinders the development of tailored heat strategies integrating social, physical, and political dimensions. Therefore, insufficiently targeted adaptation strategies only reinforce the role of heat in amplifying climate injustice.

This paper develops a comprehensive framework to understand the various dimensions influencing vulnerability to urban heat across scales, from the individual to the city level. This study focuses on the city of The Hague, The Netherlands, due to its high levels of social inequalities and significant urban heat island impacts. Through a mixed-methods approach, this research integrates quantitative and qualitative analyses to highlight heat-vulnerable neighbourhoods and develop tailored resilience strategies. The quantitative results reveal patterns of vulnerability in terms of exposure and sensitivity. These patterns guide the identification of heat-vulnerable neighbourhoods, which are further analysed using qualitative methods such as interviews and observations. A governance analysis complements these findings, assessing existing adaptation strategies and identifying gaps.

The outcomes of this research include policy recommendations and an adaptation toolkit designed for municipalities and local organizations addressing urban heat. This toolkit emphasizes building adaptive capacity through targeted, multi-scale strategies, enabling communities to enhance their resilience to urban heat. By integrating a multidimensional framework and adopting a holistic approach, this research offers valuable insights for creating inclusive and effective heat adaptation measures.

How to cite: Mulder, M., Gonçalves, J., and van Esch, M.: More than Just Heat Vulnerability: A Multidimensional Approach to Urban Climate Resilience, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-862, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-862, 2025.

Indian cities have been experiencing rapid urbanisation over the past years that led to uncontrolled urban expansions and surges of informal settlements. Recent extreme heat events -- like the 2024 Indian heatwaves with temperatures above 50°C -- have importantly affected urban populations, particularly in informal settlements, and led to important heat-related mortality epidemics.  

To inform future urban planning, urban climate modelling can be used to estimate the potential impact of different urban heat adaptation strategies on local urban climates. Nevertheless, running urban climate models for real-case scenarios over large cities and for multiple adaptation scenarios comes at a great cost. Urban climate data scarcity in India also prevents prior model evaluation to support the evidence provided by model outputs. Therefore, we design a set of idealised simulations that use the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) model with its Building Effect Parameterization and Building Energy Model (BEP-BEM) urban climate model activated (BEP-BEM) to estimate which adaptation strategies are expected to have the greatest impacts on heat reduction. Our simulations are run for extreme hot inland and coastal tropical days characteristic of two major Indian cities: Jodhpur (Rajasthan), and Bhubaneshwar (Odisha).

By relying on the definition of archetypes of urban forms affected by typical urban adaptation strategies (e.g., street level greening) we aim at providing a useful understanding of how each adaptative strategy starts becoming interesting for heat mitigation in the two climate contexts of Jodhpur and Bhubaneshwar. The use of archetypes of urban forms allows our results to be transferrable to other cities in similar climate contexts potentializing future decision making in similar cities. It also allows us to revise our knowledge on the expected impact of typical adaptation strategies (e.g., street ventilation, cool roofs, urban greening, urban watering…) in tropical inland and coastal climates through simple and easily understood urban climate models.

How to cite: Brousse, O., Martilli, A., Dasgupta, P., and Heaviside, C.: Modelling archetypes of heat adaptation strategies to prevent maladaptation of Indian cities to climate changes, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-232, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-232, 2025.

How to cite: Erwin, S., Schramkó, S., Ouweneel, B., and Kluck, J.: Planning equitable cool networks: identifying and prioritising impactful solutions for urban heat adaptation, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-233, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-233, 2025.

As urban overheating intensifies under climate change, cities are urgently seeking strategies to reduce heat-related risks. While fixed weather stations provide regional data, they often fail to capture the localized heat exposure in daily urban life. In this study, we adopt a co-production approach to assess real-world heat exposure among urban residents in Suwon, a highly urbanized city in South Korea, with the aim of informing the selection of effective adaptation strategies.First, we integrate transportation big data with citizen participation to identify key activity patterns such as commuting and leisure walking. Next, we use the SOLWEIG micro-climate model to simulate Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT) across diverse urban settings. We propose two cumulative heat exposure indicators: time spent above a temperature threshold and total temperature accumulation. These metrics are then used to compare model outputs with in situ data collected through low-cost sensors carried by participating citizens. Additionally, we evaluate the effectiveness of urban adaptation strategies such as green infrastructure for cooling and behavioral measures in reducing heat exposure.Our findings suggest that reliance on fixed weather stations alone may underestimate the heat exposure of urban residents, particularly due to localized overheating and behavioral patterns that amplify risk. Furthermore, the effectiveness of adaptation measures varies significantly depending on residents’ activity patterns and exposure duration, highlighting the need for behavior-sensitive adaptation planning.By demonstrating the potential of a co-production approach that integrates local knowledge and modeling to capture residents’ heat exposure characteristics, this study advances knowledge by enhancing the actionability of climate information. Identifying when and where urban residents are most vulnerable allows for the development of more targeted and equitable adaptation strategies. Our findings also emphasize the importance of integrating local knowledge with scientific modeling to bridge gaps in urban climate risk assessment, ultimately supporting more effective, evidence-based decision-making.

How to cite: Park, S., Park, C., Shin, J., Baek, S., and Kim, E.: Bridging Local Knowledge and Microclimate Modeling: A Co-Produced Approach to Assess Heat Exposure Across Citizen Activity Patterns and Adaptation Strategies, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-974, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-974, 2025.

The authors, in collaboration with Kobe City, have been continuously conducting feasibility studies on the introduction of heat countermeasure technologies such as water sprinkling, misting, sunshades, and water tables in areas such as station plazas, bus stops, and urban streets. This presentation reviews the history of these efforts and discusses how to identify areas where heat mitigation measures should be prioritized, how to predict the effectiveness of such measures, and how to verify the implementation results. As a specific example, Kobe City renewed two parks in the downtown area with consideration for heat countermeasures. Sunshades, water basins, misting, cool benches, grass, trees, gardens, etc. were installed. We conducted measurements to evaluate the thermal environment improvement by each technology and also captured infrared images of the entire park by using a drone. We are also discussing with Kobe city officials how to disclose the results of the effectiveness verification to the public. We also verified the effectiveness of the misting system in the plaza in front of the station, bus stops, parks, etc. Unfortunately, the system was not effective when the wind was strong. Therefore, we have developed a system to evaluate the feasibility of mist installation based on the reproduction of wind environment by CFD.

How to cite: Takebayashi, H., Kittaka, K., and Moriyama, M.: Research and Implementation of Heat Countermeasure Strategies in Downtown Area of Kobe City, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-125, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-125, 2025.

As climate change and urbanisation intensify urban heat stress, ensuring outdoor thermal comfort is essential for sustainable and climate-resilient cities. However, decision-making is often hindered by gaps in methodology, data accessibility, and the integration of research into urban planning practice. This research addresses these challenges through a comprehensive approach that combines a systematic review of thermal comfort research, the development of a novel low-cost monitoring device, and the creation of an interdisciplinary methodology for climate-adapted urban design.

The systematic review identifies key methodological gaps and the barriers that prevent thermal comfort research from effectively informing urban planning. It highlights the need for integrated approaches that bridge empirical data collection and real-world applications. 

To address this gap and the lack of accessible high-resolution climate data, UrbanMobiClim was developed - a low-cost, user-friendly, mobile meteorological device. UrbanMobiClim was compared to high-cost, established devices to demonstrate its suitability for precise thermal comfort mapping and the identification of critical areas for intervention.

To translate this data into actionable urban planning strategies, an interdisciplinary methodology is proposed, integrating mobile climate measurements with pedestrian thermal comfort surveys. By capturing both objective meteorological data and subjective human experience, this framework provides a holistic understanding of urban heat exposure. A prioritisation method was developed to systematically identify intervention areas, while targeted design strategies were explored to enhance outdoor livability.

Building on these findings, this research is now being applied beyond academia to enhance real-world urban adaptation efforts. By making climate data more accessible and actionable, these insights empower urban planners, policymakers, and local stakeholders to implement evidence-based strategies for mitigating urban heat and improving outdoor thermal comfort in cities.

How to cite: Gallacher, C., Goldberg, V., Ziemann, A., and Boehnke, D.: Pedestrian thermal comfort mapping for evidence-based urban planning; an interdisciplinary, low-resource, and user-friendly approach, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-631, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-631, 2025.

Leading scientific agencies, including the European Union’s Copernicus Earth Observation Programme, have confirmed that 2024 was the hottest year on record. The consequences are dire: Extreme heat is the leading climate-related driver of human mortality in cities.

One problem is that urban built environments consist primarily of low-albedo materials that absorb the sun’s energy and radiate it as heat, amplifying the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Research over nearly four decades has demonstrated that high-albedo cool surfaces (cool roofs, walls, and pavements) offer multiple cooling benefits. They reflect more of the sun’s energy back to space, reducing local UHI effects and increasing global climate change mitigation through negative radiative forcing. In these ways, cool surfaces are unusual because they offer benefits for both climate adaptation and mitigation. By lowering ambient temperatures, cool surfaces can also reduce heat stress and improve air quality, directly translating to public health benefits such as decreased heat-related illnesses and improved respiratory health.

In this presentation, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit Climate Resolve will share California policies and projects to advance cool surfaces. It will present peer-reviewed research from its community cooling project in an 18-block neighborhood in Los Angeles and the work of its Shine On research initiative on cool surfaces. Climate Resolve invites policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to join this session.

How to cite: Jacobson, S.: Cool surface solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-969, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-969, 2025.

As the climate crisis intensifies, cities worldwide are increasingly adopting heat mitigation strategies to manage heat risks. Among these strategies, cool roofs have gained significant attention due to their ease of implementation and demonstrated efficiency. However, most existing research has been limited to small-scale field experiments that primarily focus on the physical cooling effects of cool roofs in outdoor and indoor environments or modeling studies that conduct ex-ante evaluations based on adjusted albedo values. Few studies have performed comprehensive ex-post evaluations across multiple sites, leaving a critical gap in evidence-based knowledge. This gap undermines decision-makers' confidence in the long-term effectiveness of cool roofs, leading to delayed implementation and hindering sustainable urban development.

To address this issue, we propose a universal satellite imagery monitoring methodology, combined with a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) design, to evaluate and compare the cooling effectiveness of cool roofs across various scales and locations. Additionally, we quantitatively analyze the degradation of cool roof albedo values over time and provide actionable recommendations for policymakers and practitioners. These findings enrich the existing body of knowledge by offering robust ex-post evaluation results, equipping decision-makers with practical guidelines for more effective heat mitigation and enabling researchers to enhance ex-ante modeling predictions by incorporating realistic assumptions.

This work was supported by Korea Environment Industry &Technology Institute (KEITI) through "Climate Change R&D Project for New Climate Regime.", funded by Korea Ministry of Environment (MOE) (RS-2022-KE002102)

How to cite: Kim, S. and Park, C.: Assessing Cool Roof Performance and Albedo Changes Across Multiple Sites Using Satellite Imagery, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-135, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-135, 2025.

Background: Outdoor Thermal Comfort (OTC) is a critical factor in urban sustainability, particularly in hot-arid climates where excessive heat exposure affects human well-being and urban livability. In the wake of increased urbanization and climate change, ensuring comfortable outdoor environments is essential. This study investigates secondary mitigation strategies to enhance OTC in low-rise settlements, focusing on Elazığ, Türkiye, a city with a distinctive climate and pre-earthquake urban structure.

Objectives: The main objectives of this research are:

• To analyze outdoor OTC using secondary mitigation strategies through microclimate simulations using ENVI-met.
• To determine which urban design parameters in low-rise settlements, including green elements, building surface albedo, and urban geometry, significantly impact Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT) values.

Methodology: This study employs a four-stage methodology to assess the impact of secondary mitigation strategies on OTC across four different low-rise urban settlement geometries. (1) Urban Geometry Analysis: Identifying and categorizing low-rise urban structures based on orientation, aspect ratio, and Sky View Factor (SVF) to establish baseline conditions. (2) Baseline Modeling: Simulating the existing urban layout using ENVI-met with a 2x2 m grid resolution, allowing a detailed evaluation of microclimatic conditions and MRT variations. (3) Scenario Development:  Creating different mitigation strategies by integrating variations in orientation, reflective surface materials, and shading configurations with different levels of canopy cover to assess their impact on OTC. (4) Statistical Evaluation:  Applying ANOVA Tukey HSD tests to quantitatively assess the effectiveness of these strategies in reducing heat stress and identifying how MRT changed under different mitigation scenarios.

Expected Outcomes: After the earthquake, Elazığ has experienced a shift toward low-rise settlements, leading to unplanned urbanization. This study is crucial for guiding climate-responsive urban planning and preventing uncontrolled urban sprawl. 

Keywords:  Outdoor Thermal Comfort (OTC), Hot-Arid Climate, MRT, PET, ENVI-met, Urban Heat Mitigation

How to cite: Unal, M. and Gulten, A.: Secondary Cooling Strategies for Low rise Urban Settlements in Hot-Arid Elazig City, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-1032, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-1032, 2025.

The rapid growth of urban populations and the scarcity of living space have necessitated the construction of high-rise buildings in most cities. However, the impact of these structures on vertical thermal environments remains inadequately understood, posing risks to urban dwellers. While high-rise buildings are typically equipped with central air conditioning systems, their outdoor environments still influence energy consumption and natural ventilation. 

This study assessed vertical urban bioclimatic conditions on the Taipei 101 Tower using Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) and modified PET (mPET), analyzing a decade-long dataset (2012-2021) collected from balcony measurements at two heights (150 m and 350 m), with PET showing a wider range (-3.8 ºC to 46.4 ºC) than mPET (0.3 ºC to 42.8 ºC), indicating more extreme thermal sensations.

Winter thermal perceptions were significantly influenced by variations in meso-scale weather systems, with cold patterns leading to colder thermal perceptions at both elevations. In contrast, warmer weather conditions resulted in warmer thermal perceptions. In addition to large-scale atmospheric influences, the observed homogenization of hot thermal perceptions at both elevations during the summers of 2020 and 2021 may largely be attributed to the influence of increasing high-rise buildings through urban development.

This study highlights the significant impacts of large-scale weather patterns and climate change on vertical thermal perception in cold seasons. Furthermore, global warming likely contributes to increasing hot thermal perceptions during spring and autumn. These findings have important implications for urban planning and climate adaptation strategies in high-rise urban environments. The dense high-rise developments may negatively expand the vertical scope of heat island effects, and future policy initiatives will require unprecedented approaches in urban planning and design of climate adaptations with serious considerations. 

Keywords: Physiologically Equivalent Temperature, modified Physiologically Equivalent Temperature, Taipei 101 Tower, Vertical Thermal Perception

How to cite: Chen, Y.-C., Matzarakis, A., Lin, P.-H., and Cheng, C.-K.: Long-term vertical thermal bioclimate based on measurements on Taipei 101 Tower, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-182, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-182, 2025.

As occupants spend about 90% of their time indoors, it is important to develop design strategies on building scale that contribute to comfort. Due to strong interactions between indoor air, thermal comfort, daylight, acoustics, it is logic to study these factors comprehensively. One of the complexities is that occupants with diverse preferences use buildings at the same time, particularly large buildings such as hospitals. Furthermore, needs can change over time, e.g. because of changing outdoor conditions due to climate change.

Therefore, nor custom made design for specific occupants’ needs, neither generic design for average needs seems optimal in building design. While consultation of actual users during the design process to better understand their specific needs is useful, a tool that provides in-depth insights into needs of a representative group of occupants can enhance customization.

Segmentation studies, grouping representative groups of occupants with similar comfort preferences, provide insights into diverse occupants’ preferences. A segmentation study in six hospitals showed that health and building characteristics varied between groups of occupants, diversified by their preferences for comfort. To support architects and engineers during the design process, the differences between the diversified groups were visualized into a tool, i.e. a paper cube.

We evaluated the paper cube (Figure 1) in a workshop with four groups of each four to five architects. Using layout drawings, the architects specified which rooms were suitable, considering the diverse preferences for comfort. The workshop showed that such a tool can support design decisions; e.g., the architects agreed about the suitability of rooms for specific preferences. Further study including also other disciplines, such as facility managers, healthcare workers, and building engineers, is required to develop a tool that enables to include different occupants’ needs effectively and efficiently into design.

Figure 1

How to cite: Eijkelenboom, A.: A tool to include different occupants’ comfort needs in design, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-1069, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-1069, 2025.

Rooftop mitigation strategies (RMSs) have been extensively implemented worldwide to reduce urban heat. However, the effectiveness of different RMSs varies under diverse climatic conditions. In this study, we conducted RMSs observation experiments in Guangzhou, a subtropical city in China, to assess their cooling potential during heatwaves and explain it using the physiological characteristics of vegetation. We found that there is a temperature threshold for the cooling of green roofs to follow the transpiration of vegetation. When the temperature is below 33°C, transpiration gradually increases, and the cooling effect is significant. However, when the temperature exceeds 33°C, transpiration gradually decreases, and the dragging effect of vegetation leaves on wind speed leads to an increase in temperature at 0.3~0.6 m near the ground. Considering the high temperature and humidity environment of the subtropical region, cool roofs may be a better option due to their lower cost and more significant cooling effect. Based on observational data and existing literature, we modified the physical parameterization scheme of RMSs within the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. This included incorporating mixed vegetation green roofs, bifacial photovoltaic panels, and their coupled roofs with cool and green roofs. The improved model was then used to estimate the urban climate impacts of various RMSs when applied to the urban agglomeration of the Pearl River Delta region in China.

How to cite: Wang, W., Chen, B., and Wang, X.: Assessing the Urban Climate Effects of Roof Strategies in a Subtropical Urban Agglomeration, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-267, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-267, 2025.

Rapid urbanization in the 21st century presents critical challenges for the adequacy and planning of urban green open spaces (UGOS), particularly in regulating local climate functions. The study of UGOS is insufficient to account for and link the broader climatic factors and outdoor environmental variables, especially concerning heat stress phenomena in recent years. This study evaluates UGOS integrating spatial analysis and microclimate assessment to identify their role in climate regulation. The findings contribute to the development of quality indicators for climate-responsive UGOS design and planning.

The study accesses two UGOSs, Hospital park (institutional) and Festival park (public) in Glasgow on record hottest days. The methodology is created with four main themes: (1) spatial and ecological relations, (2) administrative expert opinion integration, (3) key performance indicators (KPI) and (4) micro-climate indices comfort range. Three scenarios were analysed at warmest hour (16:00), and at sunset (22:00) with ENVImet to find Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) and Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET). The base case scenario represents the current condition and the 2nd scenario reflects past and existing trends of UGOS. The 3rd scenario highlights the integrated KPI of UGOS with recommended green infrastructure.

The result reflected reduced air temperature due to increased vegetation cover and permeable surfaces in the model. The UTCI value was lower than the PET value and the 3rd scenario achieved a comfortable UTCI range. The comparison depicts that the hospital park had less thermal comfort due to larger building footprint and incohesive planning. 

An improved micro-climatic environment obtained in the case studies through design recommendation eventually contributed to the list of high prioritised KPI for the vulnerable UGOS. The research draws on inclusive UGOS with long term climate-proof strategies for the city makers to promote good health and well-being.

How to cite: Tasnim, Z.: Assessing Local Climate Functions of Urban Green Open Spaces: A Case Study on Public and Institutional Open Spaces in Glasgow , 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-469, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-469, 2025.

In cities, climate hazards continue to escalate due to the impacts of a changing climate. This poses growing risks to both ecosystems and human populations. Urban resilience depends on the capacity of cities to respond to climate-related pressures such as rising temperatures and extreme flooding. To address these challenges, urban planners must adopt strategies that reduce climate hazards while improving the well-being of residents and urban ecosystems. Traditional ecological practices and historic blue-green infrastructure (BGI) can provide climate-proof strategies to increase urban climate resilience. Throughout history, humans have learned to understand, interpret, interact and adapt to their biophysical environments. This has generated a body of knowledge and traditional wisdom about nature-based solutions to manage environmental change. Colonization, industrialization, and urbanization have transformed spatial relationships, resulting in fragmented blue-green networks within the landscape. A study of traditional BGI practices is presented that explores and documents common forms of historical BGI and traditional ecological practices across global contexts, examining their relevance in nature-based decision-making for sustainable and climate-proof cities. As part of this study, mapping of a common form of historical BGI is undertaken across geographies to examine historic and contemporary functions in climate resilience, in addition to modern challenges and threats. This study characterizes historical BGI and traditional ecological practices as complex interventions to support localization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, underscoring the necessity for conservation, adaptation, and integration of traditional blue-green infrastructure practices within modern urban planning. 

How to cite: Anderson, V.: Nature-based evolution: Traditional ecological practices in the application of blue-green infrastructure for climate resilience, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-982, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-982, 2025.

Green and blue spaces (GBS) are widely recognized as natural solutions for mitigating climate change-related hazards. However, within urban settings, these solutions may also have unintended adverse effects. For example, trees may block the wind, trap heat and pollution, or increase the likelihood of allergenicity, while water bodies can contribute to nighttime heat stress by releasing stored heat. Therefore, the extent to which small-scale GBS design balances trade-offs and synergies is not yet clear. Addressing these challenges requires an integrative approach to selecting and designing green and blue elements at the micro-scale.

This study aims to provide design guidelines by developing and testing different design solutions for GBS. Drawing on existing evidence from the literature, we formulated the preliminary design solutions for different defined prototypes of urban canyons (testbeds) in three cities in the Netherlands. We employed ENVI-met software to model and simulate microclimate and pollutant dynamics across various urban scenarios. We then tested the strategic selection and arrangement of elements in different settings for cooling efficiency, pollution absorption, and allergenicity potential.

We expect that this approach will provide an integrative view of the selection and design of urban GBS while refining context-specific design guidelines for the Netherlands, with potential applications in other temperate urban settings. Our findings will offer new insights into the effectiveness of different design strategies, helping landscape and urban designers optimize their designs and mitigate the potential environmental harms while providing climate-responsive, health-promoting urban environments. Additionally, these results help policymakers make informed decisions and assess design alternatives for sustainable urban development.

How to cite: Khosravipoor, Z., Patuano, A., Nickayin, S., and Lenzholzer, S.: Mitigating Urban Heat and Enhancing Health through Integrative Green and Blue Space Design, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-1004, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-1004, 2025.

The rapid expansion of urban heat zones, now extending beyond central districts into semi-central and peripheral areas, intensifies thermal anomalies and stress conditions in cities. This study explores the effectiveness of Green-Blue-Grey Infrastructure (GBGI) solutions in mitigating positive thermal anomalies and improving outdoor human comfort in a public square in Florence (Italy). The study area was characterized by extensive asphalt pavements and influenced by nearby commercial-industrial zones.

As part of the “Climate Change & Biodiversity” project, funded by the Capellino Foundation, this research aims to develop an interdisciplinary analysis approach to comprehensively study urban biodiversity and mitigate positive thermal anomalies in Florence.

Using geospatial tools like QGIS, ENVI-met and I-Tree, urban-climate modeling and microclimatic simulations were performed for the summer and winter solstices of 2023.

A comparison between the current thermal situation (ex-ante) and a proposed scenario (ex-post) was conducted, incorporating various elements such as vegetation, high-albedo surfaces, and permeable pavements to assess the impact on the local microclimate and relative thermal comfort.

Summer simulations revealed reductions in mean air temperature (up to 1.3 °C) and surface temperature (up to 13 °C), particularly during peak daytime hours. Outdoor thermal comfort, measured by the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), improved by an average of 3 °C in summer daytime, lowering heat stress from “strong” to “moderate” or “very strong” to “strong”. Winter simulations showed minimal adverse effects, preserving favorable conditions.

These findings highlight the GBGI’s effectiveness in reducing thermal stress and enhancing favorable microclimatic conditions, particularly in summer, while supporting biodiversity and multiple ecological benefits. This research offers actionable insights for urban planners and policymakers seeking sustainable solutions to address urban heat islands and improve the resilience of public spaces. Future research will focus on validating the simulated findings through in-situ post-implementation data to further refine and optimize urban cooling strategies.

How to cite: Guerri, G., Albini, G., Crisci, A., Ferrini, F., Marradi, A., Gioli, B., Giuntoli, A., and Morabito, M.: Design scenarios to mitigate positive thermal hot-spots in urban areas. The combined effect of green-blue-grey infrastructure in a public square in Florence (Italy). , 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-457, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-457, 2025.

Urban trees provide positive ecosystem services (ESS), including mitigating urban heat islands. However, climate change and the increasing frequency of heatwaves and droughts in Central Europe have intensified stress on urban trees, threatening their vitality. While European-scale research has extensively focused on common urban tree species, the drought resilience of less common species remains underexplored. This study evaluates the growth rate and drought resilience of rare urban tree species to assess their suitability for future dry climates. It investigates the growth performance and drought resilience of 11 urban tree species, comprising five rare species (Corylus colurna, Gleditsia triacanthos, Populus nigra 'italica', Styphnolobium japonicum, Sorbus intermedia) and six common species (Acer platanoides, Fagus sylvatica, Platanus acerifolia, Quercus robur, Robinia pseudoacacia, Tilia cordata), to evaluate their adaptability to increasingly arid future urban climates. A total of 450 trees were sampled and cored across two German cities with contrasting climates: Munich (wet) and Würzburg (dry). The initial results of the rare tree species showed lower tree vitality for all studied species in Würzburg compared to Munich. Dendrochronological analyses revealed that P. nigra 'italica' exhibited the highest annual growth, while S. intermedia had the lowest. Linear mixed models demonstrated significant growth declines across all species after 2000 compared to earlier decades. Superposed Epoch Analysis (SEA) indicated growth reductions during Germany’s major drought years (1976, 2003, 2015), particularly for C. colurna, P. nigra 'italica', S. japonicum, and G. triacanthos. Notably, S. intermedia displayed a delayed growth response, suggesting a potential legacy effect.

These findings highlight the importance of further research on less commonly planted tree species to deepen our understanding of their long-term resilience and support the design and planning of cities better adapted to climate change.

How to cite: Parhizgar, L., Moser-Reischl, A., Franceschi, E., Yazdi, H., Pretzsch, H., and Rötzer, T.: The Hidden Strength of Urban Trees: Growth Patterns, Drought Resilience and Climate Change Adaptation, 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-375, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-375, 2025.