Urban Form and Climate: Case Study, Toronto

Comparing the effects of urban heat island mitigation strategies for Toronto, Canada

“…Bosselmann et al back in 1995, presented an extensive study of how the change in the urban from of downtown Toronto could affects sunlight on sidewalks and open spaces as well as the wind conditions at street level. That study started by recalling the advice of Thomas Jefferson about the importance of garden squares in North American cities in order to create natural cool air circulations between the gardens and builtup city blocks [42]. Bosselmann et al focused on the wind velocities in Toronto by making wind tunnel measurements which confirmed that among several high-rise towers wind frequently and significantly accelerates above 10 m/s, creating both wind chilling effects and mechanical forces on the pedestrians that make it unsafe for them to walk.…”

Spatial Distribution of High-rise Buildings within Urban Areas: The Case of the Tel-Aviv Metropolitan Region

“…From an architectural point of view, studies have focused mainly on the design of the tall buildings and their facades (Lollini, 1988;Bonshek, 1990). Accordingly, the effects of the design and placement of the buildings in blocking light and sunshine and on the wind regime have been examined (Aregger and Glaus, 1967;Bosselmann, et al, 1995). Most of the design research deals with building towers, which are considered expressions of the architects' creativity (Goldberger, 1981).…”

The use of urban climatology in local climate change strategies: a comparative perspective

“…As such, the factors that determine human thermal comfort -solar radiation, wind, humidity, and ambient air temperature -are significantly affected by the form of the city, by its urban design. But whereas the significance of indoor environmental factors is well appreciated by building architects, town planners, and decision-makers are less accustomed to considering the implications for outdoor climate (Bosselmann et al 1995;Ali-Toudert and Mayer 2007). Erell (2008) summarizes the ways in which urban planning and design decisions impact the urban climate and can help cities to mitigate and adapt to climate change.…”