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A Simplified Model of Urban Morphology: Application to an Analysis of the Environmental Performance of Cities

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  • Luc Adolphe

    (School of Architecture de Toulouse, 83 rue A Maillol, BP 1329, 31106 Toulouse cedex 1, France)

Abstract

The evidence for the influence of urban configuration on outdoor climate conditions, on the energy balance of buildings, and on diffusion of pollutants is quite conclusive. But the exact characterization of this complex link remains critical, especially because of the extreme morphological heterogeneity at a fine granularity level: the building and its close environment. In this approach I try to cope with this difficulty, by working at the district or city scale, by assimilating the urban fabric into a porous medium with a rigid solid skeleton, and by proposing a simple spatial model based on a set of original morphological indicators of environmental performance: density, rugosity, porosity, sinuosity, occlusivity, compacity, contiguity, solar admittance, and mineralization. This system of indicators has been embedded in a shell of development of GIS and applied to various urban fabrics. The possible applications of this model are diverse: simplified analysis of outdoor microclimate tendencies, sustained environmental evaluation of a neighborhood, interdistrict or intercity comparisons, or modelling of the climate effect on future urban amenities.

Suggested Citation

  • Luc Adolphe, 2001. "A Simplified Model of Urban Morphology: Application to an Analysis of the Environmental Performance of Cities," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 28(2), pages 183-200, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirb:v:28:y:2001:i:2:p:183-200
    DOI: 10.1068/b2631
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    Cited by:

    1. Wang, B. & Cot, L.D. & Adolphe, L. & Geoffroy, S. & Sun, S., 2017. "Cross indicator analysis between wind energy potential and urban morphology," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 989-1006.
    2. Pingying Lin & Zhonghua Gou & Stephen Siu-Yu Lau & Hao Qin, 2017. "The Impact of Urban Design Descriptors on Outdoor Thermal Environment: A Literature Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-19, December.
    3. Zhang, Ji & Xu, Le & Shabunko, Veronika & Tay, Stephen En Rong & Sun, Huixuan & Lau, Stephen Siu Yu & Reindl, Thomas, 2019. "Impact of urban block typology on building solar potential and energy use efficiency in tropical high-density city," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C), pages 513-533.
    4. Dimitra Tsirigoti & Katerina Tsikaloudaki, 2018. "The Effect of Climate Conditions on the Relation between Energy Efficiency and Urban Form," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-29, March.
    5. Yasha Wang & Qingming Zhan & Wanlu Ouyang, 2017. "Impact of Urban Climate Landscape Patterns on Land Surface Temperature in Wuhan, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-16, September.

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