Coupling relationships between urban block spatial morphology and microclimate in severe cold regions

Area of Science:

• Urban climatology
• Environmental science
• Architectural science

Background:

• Urban spatial morphology significantly influences local microclimates, particularly in severe cold regions.
• Understanding these relationships is crucial for developing comfortable and sustainable urban environments.
• Existing research often lacks detailed analysis of specific morphological elements in cold climates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the quantitative relationship between urban block spatial morphology and microclimate parameters in a severe cold region.
• To analyze the impact of street conforming line ratio, interface density, aspect ratio, and roof forms on microclimate.
• To provide evidence-based design strategies for urban planning in severe cold regions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized computational fluid dynamics (CFD) theory-based numerical simulation software.
• Employed a controlled variable approach to isolate the effects of specific morphological parameters.
• Conducted a case study in Shenyang, China, a representative severe cold region.

Main Results:

• Decreasing street conforming line ratios initially increased average wind speed and temperature.
• Lower street interface densities reduced average wind speed but increased temperature.
• Higher street aspect ratios correlated with increased wind speed and decreased temperature; upward sloping roofs increased both wind speed and temperature.

Conclusions:

• Urban block spatial morphology demonstrably affects microclimate in severe cold regions.
• Specific morphological elements like conforming line ratio, interface density, aspect ratio, and roof form have distinct impacts.
• Findings offer valuable insights for optimizing urban spatial design to mitigate harsh microclimates and enhance human comfort.