Urban Heat Islands and Thermal Comfort: A Case Study of Zorrotzaurre Island in Bilbao

Irantzu Alvarez, Laura Quesada-Ganuza, Estibaliz Briz and Leire Garmendia
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Irantzu Alvarez: Graphic Design and Engineering Projects Department, School of Engineering, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Building I, Plaza Ingeniero Torres Quevedo s/n, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
Laura Quesada-Ganuza: Mechanical Engineering Department, School of Engineering, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Building I, Plaza Ingeniero Torres Quevedo s/n, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
Estibaliz Briz: Mechanical Engineering Department, School of Engineering, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Building I, Plaza Ingeniero Torres Quevedo s/n, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
Leire Garmendia: Mechanical Engineering Department, School of Engineering, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Building I, Plaza Ingeniero Torres Quevedo s/n, 48013 Bilbao, Spain

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-13

Abstract: This study assesses the impact of a heat wave on the thermal comfort of an unconstructed area: the North Zone of the Island of Zorrotzaurre (Bilbao, Spain). In this study, the impact of urban planning as proposed in the master plan on thermal comfort is modeled using the ENVI-met program. Likewise, the question of whether the urbanistic proposals are designed to create more resilient urban environments is analyzed in the face of increasingly frequent extreme weather events, especially heat waves. The study is centered on the analysis of temperature variables (air temperature and average radiant temperature) as well as wind speed and relative humidity. This was completed with the parameters of thermal comfort, the physiological equivalent temperature (PET) and the Universal Temperature Climate Index (UTCI) for the hours of the maximum and minimum daily temperatures. The results demonstrated the viability of analyzing thermal comfort through simulations with the ENVI-met program in order to analyze the behavior of urban spaces in various climate scenarios.

Keywords: climate change; urban planning; resilience; heat waves; thermal comfort; simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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