Sustainable Cities: Options for Responding to Climate cHange Impacts and Outcomes (SCORCHIO)
Background
Aim and Objectives
The aim of the proposed research is to develop tools for analysis of adaptation options in urban areas, with a particular emphasis on heat and human comfort in the built environment. It will do so by addressing the following objectives:
- To develop a statistical climate simulator for urban areas that can be used for impact and adaptation studies, taking account of both “greenhouse” climate change and the additional influence of the urban landscape and direct heating.
- To model typical buildings and their surroundings in order to develop a new, readily usable heat and human comfort vulnerability index that accounts for the effects of building construction, form and layout.
- To estimate heat emissions from buildings, together with a set of energy-related air pollutant and greenhouse gas end user emission budgets in order to understand the implications of different building adaptation options.
- To develop GIS-based decision support tools for exploration of adaptation options for urban planning and design.
- To demonstrate the methods and tools developed in each work package through in depth case studies, working in partnership with practicing planners and designers.