Between progress and obstacles in urban climate interdisciplinary studies and knowledge transfer to society

Area of Science:

• Urban Climatology
• Environmental Science
• Urban Planning

Background:

• Cities significantly alter local climates and are vulnerable to climate change impacts.
• Effective urban climate knowledge transfer to society is crucial for adaptation and mitigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review progress and challenges in urban climate research for societal knowledge transfer.
• To enhance the urban climate research community's capability in applying local climate knowledge.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the local climate zones (LCZ) concept for neighborhood-scale climate variability.
• Integrating diverse data (land-use, morphology, architecture, social) for urban surface descriptions.
• Employing multidisciplinary approaches for multidimensional urban climate impact studies.
• Developing and applying cartographic tools for urban climate diagnosis and planning recommendations.

Main Results:

• The LCZ concept is established for urban climate representation.
• Multidimensional impact studies are increasingly adopted.
• Cartographic tools facilitate the integration of climate information into urban planning and management.

Conclusions:

• Progress in urban surface description, impact assessment, and knowledge transfer is evident.
• Obstacles remain in fully integrating urban climate knowledge into societal applications and city management.
• Further research and tool development are needed to bridge the gap between urban climate science and practice.