WP 3 - Urban Climate

Responsible Contacts

Prof. Dr. Lutz Katzschner and Dipl.-Ing. René Burghardt (University of Kassel, Department of Environmental Meteorology)

Main Objectives

The overall aim of WP 3 is the creation of climate functional maps to describe the urban climate in regards to thermal stress, climate comfort and ventilation (Gagge et al. 1986; Jendritzky et al. 1990; VDI 1998; Soligo et al. 1998). These parameters are closely connected to the urban design. It is also an objective to investigate the impacts of different building structures on urban climate. The results of this research shall be integrated into information and decisions support systems which assist climate adapted urban planning and the demands of the other disciplines.


The main objective in Urban Climate investigation is to develop an urban climate map with recommendations for urban development. In different steps, through a GIS calculation system and the information of previous measurements, an urban climatic map was drawn. Based on the information building volumes, openness and city structure a calculation was carried out, depending on the transformation of these layers to urban climate classification system.  Cooling factors, heat storage capacities and ventilation factors (roughness) forms the urban climate map characterized by thermal loads and air mass exchange quality.

Urban climate layers and classification

layersurban climate aspectdata usedclassification with weighting factors
building volumeheat storagebuilding information and land usebuilding volume in m3
built up areas and opennessheat storage and ventilationbuilding information and land use% relation of built to non-built areas
cold and fresh air production, green areas heat balance of surfaces production of fresh and cool air, influencing neighbourhoodsland use classification, surface conditions in m3 /m2*h as cooling rate
roughness, air paths and ventilationland use, openness, use of background wind and local circulationsland use and openness surface datazo derived from the wind profile