UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS LIPA

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

Written Report No.5:

Urban Climate

For the Subject Tropical Design 1

Prepared for

Ar. Joanne Cristabel S. Bernadino

Subject Adviser

Prepared by

John Paul Y. Campued

Researcher

November 08, 2022

University of Batangas Lipa

X595+MQ6, Leviste Hwy, Lipa, Batangas
Telephone Number: 723-1671 1|Page
Fax Number: 723 – 1446 local 711
www.ub.edu.ph/UBLC
 UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS LIPA
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

TABLE OF CONTENT

University of Batangas Lipa

X595+MQ6, Leviste Hwy, Lipa, Batangas
Telephone Number: 723-1671 2|Page
Fax Number: 723 – 1446 local 711
www.ub.edu.ph/UBLC
 UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS LIPA
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

INTRODUCTION

The Background

Towns and cities are the most heavily populated areas on Earth, and most
people will continue to use these artificial landscapes the most in the future. The
health of city dwellers may be harmed by changes to urban environments, which
typically lead to a reduction in environmental quality. By 2030, more than 60% of
people would reside in urban areas. A city's environs are referred to as an urban
area. Urban dwellers generally work in non-agricultural industries. Urban areas are
highly developed, which means there are numerous human constructions present,
such as residences, commercial buildings, highways, bridges, and trains. Urban
areas might be referred to as towns, cities, or suburbs.

Greater air and surface temperatures, changed radiation balances, lower

relative humidity, and limited atmospheric exchange are characteristics of the
urban climate, which causes the build-up of pollutants from many sources. Urban
climate is a phrase used to describe the differences in climate between a city and
its environs.

Air temperature, humidity, wind direction and speed, and precipitation levels
vary between urban and rural climates. These differences are mostly the result of
the natural landscape being transformed by the building of man-made surfaces
and structures. The energy balance, runoff from precipitation, and wind movement
of a site are all impacted by factors like parking lots, paved roadways, and towering
structures.

University of Batangas Lipa

X595+MQ6, Leviste Hwy, Lipa, Batangas
Telephone Number: 723-1671 3|Page
Fax Number: 723 – 1446 local 711
www.ub.edu.ph/UBLC
 UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS LIPA
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

The Purpose

This paper seeks to provide readers with a better understanding of urban

climate. The reader will be able to comprehend and appreciate the significance of
the onslaught of climate information at this point in the paper in relation to the urban
phase. It is a fantastic tool for understanding the fundamentals of urban climate as
well as a reference for non-experts in climate change who need to use climate data
and information. The fundamentals of the urban climate system and climate
observation are highlighted.

The Scope

This study seeks to increase comprehension of structure efficiency. It seeks

to understand the use of urban microclimates, a graphical analysis of urban heat
islands or the sun path diagram, and psychometrics, including absolute humidity,
relative humidity, dry-bulb temperature, specific volume, enthalpy, and sensible
heat, along with latent heat.

University of Batangas Lipa

X595+MQ6, Leviste Hwy, Lipa, Batangas
Telephone Number: 723-1671 4|Page
Fax Number: 723 – 1446 local 711
www.ub.edu.ph/UBLC
 UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS LIPA
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

BODY/ CONTENT

Urban Microclimates

An urban microclimate is a relatively small area of land that has different

atmospheric conditions from its surroundings. An urban region's climate is
significantly influenced by human activity. An urban area is one that has a higher
concentration of man-made structures than the areas around it. The long-term
behavior of the atmosphere in a particular region is known as the climate, and it
includes elements like temperature, pressure, wind, precipitation, cloud cover,
humidity, etc. An area with these features is considered to be an urban area. The
examples below serve as illustrations.

Microclimates

There are typical microclimates in a city. For instance, proximity to significant

bodies of water and height variations frequently lead to indistinct local climates.

Urban Heat Islands

A city or suburb with a warmer climate than the surrounding area. The
tendency of cities to lose water as well as the absence of greenery may all
contribute to this. Surfaces that absorb solar radiation include pavement.

Green Infrastructure

The elements of green infrastructure can create a microclimate. For instance,

an urban forest is substantially cooler than the rest of the city.

Street Canyons

University of Batangas Lipa

X595+MQ6, Leviste Hwy, Lipa, Batangas
Telephone Number: 723-1671 5|Page
Fax Number: 723 – 1446 local 711
www.ub.edu.ph/UBLC
 UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS LIPA
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

Tall buildings focus the wind in certain places while blocking it in others.

Smog

There are usually discernible variations in air quality from one region to the
next depending on proximity to pollution and additional factors like green space
and elevation.

Light Intensity

Because of the shadows created by tall buildings, certain streets are darker
than others.

There are many distinct causes of unhealthy urban microclimates. People's

heat production accounts for a sizeable percentage of it, and fossil fuel-powered
internal combustion engines in automobiles are a major contributor. Cars also
increase the humidity and pollute the air.

The following actions are helpful at various times for enhancing urban
microclimate, reducing heat islands, and retaining water planned horizons:

 It's crucial for urban regions to maintain and develop cold-air spaces,
cold-air snowboarding places, as well as big open spaces and forest
areas. The preservation of rivers and open waterbodies, the
establishment of green spaces, linked parks, and heat-exposed
places, as well as large-scale retention/detention zones and artificial
water surfaces are essential design components.
 Decommissioning and unsealing impermeable surfaces are seen as
consistent precautions against hot spots in metropolitan regions. It is
strongly advised to shade parking lots, roadways, public areas, and
buildings. Pocket parks and the landscaping of interior courtyards
also contribute to the attractiveness of the neighborhood. Additional

University of Batangas Lipa

X595+MQ6, Leviste Hwy, Lipa, Batangas
Telephone Number: 723-1671 6|Page
Fax Number: 723 – 1446 local 711
www.ub.edu.ph/UBLC
 UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS LIPA
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

cooling benefits are provided by the design of water surfaces in

public areas, such as water playgrounds, fountains, and medium-
scale retention/detention basins. It is necessary to integrate irrigation
of the surrounding natural spaces to the ecological design of all water
is seen.
 The improvement of protection against summer heat load and the
greening of facades and rooftops for buildings are recognized as the
key components of heat reduction. It is also possible to increase
surface reflection (albedo) by using bright surfaces.

Urban Heat Island

Due to human activity, an urban microclimate is hotter than its

surroundings. Metropolitan areas are referred to as "urban heat islands" because,
in calm weather, temperatures are highest in the highly populated city center and
lower toward the suburbs and countryside. There are various causes for this
pattern. Construction materials used in urban contexts are non-reflective and heat-
absorbing. Furthermore, because of road surfaces like tarmac and concrete, with
their dark hue and high thermal capacity, absorb a lot of heat. This heat is collected
throughout the day and then gradually released at night, which raises the
temperature. Additional heat is produced by the city's growing car traffic and
factory presence via means of pollution, which causes haze and the development
of a pollution dome.

Short-wave insolation can pass through this pollution dome, however

because of its larger wavelength, it absorbs radiance from the earth, so producing
more heat. Manufacturers' presence and an increase in vehicle traffic in the city
cause pollutants to produce more heat, which causes smog and the construction
of a pollution dome. While short-wave insolation can pass through this pollution
dome, its longer wavelength retains emitted solar energy, increasing the amount
of heat produced. These variables contribute to the 1-2 degree Celsius difference
University of Batangas Lipa
X595+MQ6, Leviste Hwy, Lipa, Batangas
Telephone Number: 723-1671 7|Page
Fax Number: 723 – 1446 local 711
www.ub.edu.ph/UBLC
 UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS LIPA
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

in mean winter temperatures between urban and rural locations. The midsummer
average temperature might be 5 °C higher than in surrounding rural areas. The
Heat Island in London, which is seen below, is an example of this and has obvious
impacts on the air pressure in urban areas.

Graphical Analysis or Sun Path Diagram

Sun path diagrams may give you a lot of knowledge about the influence the sun
will have on your building and location year-round. Stereographic sunpath
diagrams may be used to read the solar azimuth and altitude for a particular
location.

University of Batangas Lipa

X595+MQ6, Leviste Hwy, Lipa, Batangas
Telephone Number: 723-1671 8|Page
Fax Number: 723 – 1446 local 711
www.ub.edu.ph/UBLC
 UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS LIPA
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

Be aware that a fish-eye image would be inverted from left to right, in contrast
to these stereographic depictions. You may simply superimpose these diagrams
over a map or a building plan without getting confused because they are made
from above, gazing down at the earth. (You can see this by going from east to west
along the hour lines on the figure.)

University of Batangas Lipa

X595+MQ6, Leviste Hwy, Lipa, Batangas
Telephone Number: 723-1671 9|Page
Fax Number: 723 – 1446 local 711
www.ub.edu.ph/UBLC
 UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS LIPA
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

University of Batangas Lipa

X595+MQ6, Leviste Hwy, Lipa, Batangas
Telephone Number: 723-1671 10 | P a g e
Fax Number: 723 – 1446 local 711
www.ub.edu.ph/UBLC
 UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS LIPA
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

University of Batangas Lipa

X595+MQ6, Leviste Hwy, Lipa, Batangas
Telephone Number: 723-1671 11 | P a g e
Fax Number: 723 – 1446 local 711
www.ub.edu.ph/UBLC
 UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS LIPA
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

The written report discusses how urban climate influences municipal

planning and policy in relation to population and excessive heat occurrences in
various climatic zones. As a result, an effort is made to show specific design forms
under noteworthy climatic situations. The significance of social, cultural, and
economic factors is mentioned.

University of Batangas Lipa

X595+MQ6, Leviste Hwy, Lipa, Batangas
Telephone Number: 723-1671 12 | P a g e
Fax Number: 723 – 1446 local 711
www.ub.edu.ph/UBLC