Revealing Urban Morphology and Outdoor Comfort through Genetic Algorithm-Driven Urban Block Design in Dry and Hot Regions of China

Xiaodong Xu, Chenhuan Yin, Wei Wang, Ning Xu, Tianzhen Hong and Qi Li
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Xiaodong Xu: School of Architecture, Southeast University, Nanjing 210018, China
Chenhuan Yin: China Overseas Property, Zhengzhou 450000, China
Wei Wang: School of Architecture, Southeast University, Nanjing 210018, China
Ning Xu: School of Architecture, Southeast University, Nanjing 210018, China
Tianzhen Hong: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Building Technology and Urban Systems Division, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
Qi Li: School of Architecture, Southeast University, Nanjing 210018, China

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 13, 1-19

Abstract: In areas with a dry and hot climate, factors such as strong solar radiation, high temperature, low humidity, dazzling light, and dust storms can tremendously reduce people’s thermal comfort. Therefore, researchers are paying more attention to outdoor thermal comfort in urban environments as part of urban design. This study proposed an automatic workflow to optimize urban spatial forms with the aim of improvement of outdoor thermal comfort conditions, characterized by the universal thermal climate index (UTCI). A city with a dry and hot climate—Kashgar, China—is further selected as an actual case study of an urban block and Rhino & Grasshopper is the platform used to conduct simulation and optimization process with the genetic algorithm. Results showed that in summer, the proposed method can reduce the averaged UTCI from 31.17 to 27.43 °C, a decrease of about 3.74 °C, and reduce mean radiation temperature (MRT) from 43.94 to 41.29 °C, a decrease of about 2.65 °C.

Keywords: dry and hot areas; outdoor thermal comfort; urban morphology; urban performance simulation; genetic algorithm-driven (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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