Abstract
Urban microclimates play a pivotal role in shaping outdoor thermal comfort and influencing building energy consumption. This microclimate is shaped by an array of factors, encompassing urban morphology and typology, vegetation cover, ground elevation, water bodies, street geometry (H/W ratio), building density, traffic density, and surface characteristics. This research investigates how the morphology of the city and the presence of water bodies impact the microclimate of Bhopal, a city located in central India. To assess the influence of urban morphology on the microclimate, this study relies on field measurements, encompassing data on ambient air temperature, humidity levels, and wind speed. These meteorological parameters were systematically recorded at nine distinct sites within Bhopal. Among these sites, three are situated within the older, historical part of the city, four are located in the newer urban developments, and two are positioned in the suburban areas. Notably, each of these site categories exhibits variations in building height-to-street width (H/W) ratios, ground cover, and proximity to nearby lakes or water bodies. In urbanized regions, the most significant disparities in air temperatures were predominantly observed during the daytime, with peak differences reaching up to 6 degrees Celsius on clear days. Within the urban zones, humidity levels remained relatively consistent, typically ranging between 25% to 30%, and exhibiting minimal diurnal fluctuations. This study also identifies several other contributing factors that influenced local temperatures, which are further elaborated upon in the ensuing sections of this research.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Urban Morphology, Microclimate, Building Design
