Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The bioclimate in temperate and northern cities

  • Published:
International Journal of Biometeorology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Climate is a basic component of the human environment. Developments in building design and indoor climate control have contributed greatly to improving human health and comfort. By contrast, the possibilities for improving urban climatic conditions by deliberate planning have been poorly exploited. The structure and processes of the urban atmosphere in extratropical regions are briefly described. The impact of certain selected urban climates on human health is summarized. The need for relevant bioclimatological “design tools” for applications in urban planning is stressed, followed by a brief review of some recent work on human thermal comfort. It is argued that the modification of present day comfort criteria to reflect human adaptation to climate may be important for further improvements of indoor climate, as well as for deducing the emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Auliciems A (1983) Psychophysiological criteria for global thermal zones of building design. Proceedings 9th International Biometreorological congress Int J Biometeorol (Suppl) 26:69–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Auliciems A, de Freitas CR, Hare FK (1973) Winter clothing requirements for Canada. Atmospheric Environment Service, Climatological Studies No. 22, Toronto

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowler C, Brimblecombe P (1990) The difficulties of abating smoke in late Victorian York. Atmos Environ 24B:49–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Buechly RW, van Bruggen J, Truppi LE (1972) Heat island-death island? Envir Res 5:85–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Burt JE, O'Rourke PA, Terjung WH (1982) The relative influence of urban climates on human energy budgets and skin temperature. I: Modelling considerations. II: Man in an urban environment. Int J Biometeorol 26:3–35

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Caroni C, Tziafetas G, Pantoglou G (1987) Atmospheric pollution and mortality in the greater Athens area. Meteorol 37:169–172

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke JF (1972) Some effects of th urban structure on heat mortality. Envir Res 5:93–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixon JC, Prior MJ (1987) Wind-chill indices — A review. Meteorol Mag 116 (1374):1–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll DM (1971) The relationship between weather and mortality in ten major metropolitan areas in the United States, 1962–1965. Int J Biometeorol 15:23–39

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Givoni B (1976) Man, climate and architecture. Applied Science Publishers, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Glaumann M, Westerberg U (1988) Klimatplanering — vind. Statens Institut för Byggnadsforskning, Gävle

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison R, McGoldrick B (1981) Mapping artificial heat releases in Great Britain. Atmos Envir 15:667–674

    Google Scholar 

  • Horbert M, Kirchgeorg A, Stulpnagel A (1985) Umweltatlas Berlin, Technical University Berlin, Institut für Ökologie, Fachbereich Bioklimalologie, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Horbert M, Kirchgeorg A, Chornopoulou-Sereli A, Chronopoulos J (1988) Impact of green on the urban atmosphere in Athens. Zentralbibliothek Kernforschungsanalage, Julich

  • Höppe P (1984) Die Energiebalans des Menschen. Wissenschaftliche Mitteilungen No. 49, Meteorologisches Institut, Universität München

  • Jendritzky G, Sievers U (1989) Human biometeorological approaches with respect to urban planning. Proceedings 11th ISB Congress, pp 25–39, SPB Academic Publishing, The Hague

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuttler W (1984) Applied climatology in the Federal Republic of Germany since 1970. Boch Geogr Arbeit 44:20–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Landsberg H (1981) The urban climate. Int Geophys Series vol 28. Academic Press, NY

    Google Scholar 

  • Landsberg H (1984) Climate and health, In: Biswas (ed) Climate and development. Tycooly International Publishers, Dublin

    Google Scholar 

  • Leche J (1761) Tal om Luftens Beskaffenhet i Åbo samt Huru Politien i samråd med Medicin bör förekoma Sjukdomar. Reprint (1989) of Inaugural speech at Åbo University, Finland, Dept. of Heating and Ventilation, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayer H (ed) (1986) Bioklima in der Stadt. Meteorologisches Institut, Universität Munchen, Wissenschaftliche Mitteilung No. 53

  • Momiyama M, Katayama K (1972) Deseasonalization of mortality in the World. Int J Biometeorol 16:329–342

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Noack E-M, Mayer H, Baumgartner A (1986) Quantifizierung der Einflüsse von Bebauung und Bewuchs auf das Klima in der Urbanen Biosphäre. Schlussbericht (Final Report), Lehrstuhl für Bioklimatologie und Angewandte Meteorologie der Universität München

  • Oke TR (1984) Methods in urban climatology. Zurcher Geogr Schrift 14:19–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Oke TR (1988) Street design and urban canopy layer climate. Energy Buildings 11:103–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Oke TR (1989) The micrometeorology of the urban forest. Phil Trans R Soc Lond [B] 324:335–349

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson F (1984) Klimatberäkningar. Kompendium 1:2. Dept. of Heating and Ventilation, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm

    Google Scholar 

  • Pressman N (1987) Reduction of winter-induced discomfort in Canadian urban residential areas. Annual Bibliography Canadian Mortgage and Housing Co., Ottawa

  • Pressman N (1988) Developing climate-responsive winter cities. Energy Buildings 11:11–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlyter T, Bucht E (1978) Vistelsytornas Utformning i 38 nya Bostadsområden. Bulletin M78:9, The National Swedish Institute for Building Research, Gävle

    Google Scholar 

  • Svedinger B (1989) Stadens Tekniska Infrastruktur. Swedish Council for Building Research, Stockholm

    Google Scholar 

  • Taesler R (1987) Climate characteristics and human health—the problem of climate classification. Proc WMO/UNEP/WHO Sym Climate Human Health I:81–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang X-L (1990) A dynamic model for estimating thermal comfort. Climate and Buildings 2:46–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Weihe WH (1983) Adaptive modifications and the responses of man to weather and climate. Proceedings 9th International Biometeorological Congress. Int J Biometeorol (Suppl) 26:53–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Weihe WH (1986) Life expectancy in tropical climates and urbanization, Proc. WMO Technical Conference Urban Climatology and its Applications with special Regard to Tropical Areas, WMO No 652, pp 313–353 Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Weihe WH (1987) Heat balance of man in relation to health. Proceedings WMO/UNEP/WHO Symposium. Climate and Human Health, vol I:143–169. WMO, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Widegren-Dafgård K (1984) Komfort och Inomhusklimat, önskade och faktiska temperaturer i bostäder. Dept of Heating and Ventilation, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, S-601 76, Norrköping, Sweden

    Roger Taesler

  2. Department of Heating and Ventilation, Royal Institute of Technology, S-10044, Stockholm, Sweden

    Roger Taesler

Authors
  1. Roger Taesler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Taesler, R. The bioclimate in temperate and northern cities. Int J Biometeorol 35, 161–168 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01049062

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01049062

Key words

Search

Navigation