Abstract
There is a two-way interaction between the climate and the city. Significant thermal differences may appear between one area and another in big urban areas with diverse urban fabric. This research determines the bioclimatic characterisation of all city neighbourhoods, focusing on the case study of the city of Málaga (Spain) using the definition of urban bioclimatic areas (UBA). The methodology used is based on selecting key factors (geographic and climatic) and in multi-criteria analysis, applied at territorial and urban scale, by geographic information systems (GIS). The results obtained show the microclimatic thermal differences in the city that may help to develop specific urban proposals to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals: SDG.3-Health and well-being, SDG.11-Sustainable cities and communities, and SDG.15-Life of terrestrial ecosystems, within the framework of action proposed by the New Urban Agenda 2030 and heathier neighbourhoods.
TopBackground
Cities are located in places with specific geographical and climatic conditions, which influence the thermal comfort of the people who live there. Likewise, and mainly in medium and large cities, there is an urban microclimate that is differentiated from its surroundings, characterised by a decrease in relative humidity, higher temperatures and a complex wind system in its analysis. (Oke, 1987)
Key Terms in this Chapter
Sun Exposure: The relief conditions where a city is located and the solar radiation of the city at each time of the year. This can be used as a factor in urban design through the bioclimatic design of the city.
Climate Change Scenario: Knowledge of the changes in temperature, winds, rainfall patterns and periods of drought that will occur in cities and take them into account in order to establish adaptation and mitigation strategies for urban areas.
Bioclimatic Urbanism: Planning by knowing the sun and wind conditions of a place in order to establish recommendations to improve the peoples´ thermal comfort in outdoor spaces.
Wind: Relief conditions and the presence of the coastline determine the wind regime of a place. This circumstance can be used to improve the thermal comfort of cities through bioclimatic urban planning design.
Urban Bioclimatic Areas: Are defined as homogeneous urban areas where the same urban microclimate conditions are found. These areas are affected by conditioning factors ranging from the territorial scale (geomorphology, wind, sun, and green structure) to urban conditioning factors (as density, street geometry, and presence of vegetation).
Healthy Neighbourhoods: Addressing health problems that are concentrated in urban areas due to the presence of pollution, poor accessibility to green spaces and sedentary urban lifestyles, by urban regeneration
Urban Thermal Comfort: Thermal comfort of most people in a city. It is a subjective feeling, but it is possible to determine a degree of satisfaction of 80% of people in both hot and cold weather.
Spatial Algebra Analysis: Use of map algebra to establish a multi-criteria sectorial analysis to make an integrated synthesis map for complex decision making.