Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Progress in the scale modeling of urban climate: Review

  • Published:
Theoretical and Applied Climatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

This paper describes progress made in the scale modeling of urban climate. The studies reviewed are mainly indoor and outdoor experiments that use an array of urban-like flow obstacles or roughness elements such as cubes, blocks, and cylinders. Except for several important and unique studies, the many experiments that use a single obstacle, or those that use an array of elements to create a vegetation-like roughness are excluded from this review. Topics considered include turbulent flow, scalar dispersion, local transfer coefficient, radiative transfer, and the surface energy balance. More than 40 relevant studies are cited, and both significant developments and remaining problems are described. The future application of scale models to obtain a comprehensive understanding of urban climate is also examined, with the focus mainly upon the possibility of outdoor experiments.

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

  • RJ Adrain CD Meinhart CD Tomkins (2000) ArticleTitleVortex organization in the outer region of the turbulent boundary layer. J Fluid Mech 422 1–54

    Google Scholar 

  • M Aida (1982) ArticleTitleUrban albedo as a function of the urban structure – A model experiments. Bound-Layer Meteor 23 405–413

    Google Scholar 

  • DA Aliaga DE Klein JP Lamb (1993) ArticleTitleHeat transfer measurements on a ribbed surface at constant heat flux using infrared thermography. Exp Heat Transfer 6 17–34

    Google Scholar 

  • DA Aliaga JP Lamb DE Klein (1994) ArticleTitleConvective heat transfer distributions over plates with square ribs from infrared thermography measurements. Int J Heat Mass Transfer 37 363–374 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0017-9310(94)90071-X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • AJ Arnfield (1982) ArticleTitleAn approach to the estimation of the surface radiative properties and radiation budgets of cities. Physical Geography 3 97–122

    Google Scholar 

  • AJ Arnfield (2003) ArticleTitleTwo decades of urban climate research: a review of turbulence, exchanges of energy and water, and the urban heat island. Int J Climatol 23 1–26 Occurrence Handle10.1002/joc.859

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • W Baechlin W Theurer EJ Plate (1991) ArticleTitleWind field and dispersion in a built-up area – A comparison between field measurements and wind tunnel data. Atmos Environ 25A 1135–1142

    Google Scholar 

  • JJ Baik RS Park HY Chun JJ Kim (2000) ArticleTitleA laboratory model of urban street-canyon flows. J Appl Meteor 39 1592–1600 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0450(2000)039<1592:ALMOUS>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J Barlow SE Belcher (2002a) ArticleTitleA wind tunnel model for quantifying fluxes in the urban boundary layer. Bound-Layer Meteor 104 131–150 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1015555613672

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barlow J, Belcher SE (2002b) The resistance network for transfer from street canyons. Proc. of 4th Symposium on the urban Environment, AMS, Norfolk, 113–114

  • M Bottema (1997) ArticleTitleUrban roughness modeling in relation to pollutant dispersion. Atmos Environ 31 3059–3075 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S1352-2310(97)00117-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IP Castro AG Robins (1977) ArticleTitleThe flow around a surface-mounted cube in uniform and turbulent streams. J Fluid Mech 79 307–335

    Google Scholar 

  • F Caton RE Britter S Dalziel (2003) ArticleTitleDispersion mechanism in a street canyon. Atmos Environ 37 693–702 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S1352-2310(02)00830-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • H Cheng IP Castro (2002) ArticleTitleNear wall flow over urban-like roughness. Bound-Layer Meteor 104 229–259 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1016060103448

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cook NJ (1976) Data for wind tunnel simulation of the adaibatic atmospheric boundary layer. BRE Note 103/76, BRE, Garston, Watford, Herts., U.K.

  • J Counihan (1971) ArticleTitleWind tunnel determination of the roughness length as a function of the fetch and the roughness density of three-dimensional roughness elements. Atmos Environ 5 637–642

    Google Scholar 

  • WF Dabberdt WG Hoydysh (1991) ArticleTitleStreet canyon dispersion: sensitivity to block shape and entrainment. Atmos Environ 25 1143–1153

    Google Scholar 

  • MJ Davidson KR Mylne CD Jones JC Phillips RJ Perkins JCH Fung JCR Hunt (1995) ArticleTitlePlume dispersion through large groups of obstacles – a field investigation. Atmos Environ 29 3245–3256 Occurrence Handle10.1016/1352-2310(95)00254-V

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MJ Davidson WH Snyder JRE Lawson JCR Hunt (1996) ArticleTitleWind tunnel simulations of plume dispersion through groups of obstacles. Atmos Environ 30 3715–3731 Occurrence Handle10.1016/1352-2310(96)00103-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hagishima A, Katayama T, Tanimoto J, Moritake T, Ezoe N (2001) Wind tunnel experiments on airflow characteristics around the buildings of rectangular blocks with two different heights. J Archit Plann Environ Eng, AIJ, 548 (in Japanese)

  • Hagishima A, Tanimot J, Narita K (2005) Review of experimental research on the convective heat transfer coefficient of urban surfaces. Bound-Layer Meteor (in print)

  • Hall DJ, Macdonald R, Walker R, Spanton AM (1998) Measurement of dispersion within simulated urban arrays – a small scale wind tunnel study. BRE Client Report CR 244/98, Building Research Establishment

  • SR Hanna JC Chang (2001) ArticleTitleUse of the kit fox field data to analyze dense gas dispersion modeling issues. Atmos Environ 35 2231–2242

    Google Scholar 

  • WG Hoydysh WF Dabberdt (1988) ArticleTitleKinematics and dispersion characteristics of flows in asymmetric street canyons. Atmos Environ 22 2677–2689

    Google Scholar 

  • M Hussain BE Lee (1980) ArticleTitleA wind tunnel study of the mean pressure forces acting on large groups of low-rise buildings. J Wind Eng and Indust Aerodyn 6 207–225

    Google Scholar 

  • AKS Iyengar C Farell (2001) ArticleTitleExperimental issues in atmospheric boundary layer simulations: roughness length and integral length scale determination. J Wind Eng and Indust Aerodyn 89 1059–1080

    Google Scholar 

  • JC Kaimal JJ Finnigan (1994) Atmospheric boundary layer flows – their structure and measurements. Oxford University Press U.K. 289

    Google Scholar 

  • M Kanda A Inagaki OZ Marcus S Raasch T Watanabe (2004a) ArticleTitleLES study of the energy imbalance problem with eddy covariance fluxes. Bound-Layer Meteor 110 381–404 Occurrence Handle10.1023/B:BOUN.0000007225.45548.7a

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M Kanda R Moriwaki F Kasamatsu (2004b) ArticleTitleLarge eddy simulation of turbulent organized structure within and above explicitly resolved cubic arrays. Bound-Layer Meteor 112 343–368 Occurrence Handle10.1023/B:BOUN.0000027909.40439.7c

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M Kanda T Kawai K Nakagawa (2005a) ArticleTitleSimple theoretical radiation scheme for regular building array. Bound-Layer Meteor 114 71–90 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s10546-004-8662-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanda M, Kawai T, Kanega M, Moriwaki R, Narita K, Hagishima A (2005b) Simple energy balance model for regular building arrays. Bound-Layer Meteor (in print)

  • P Kastner-Klein E Fedorovich MW Rotach (2001) ArticleTitleA wind tunnel study of organized and turbulent air motions in urban street canyons. J Wind Eng and Indust Aerodyn 89 849–861

    Google Scholar 

  • Koloseus HJ, Davidian J (1969) Free-surface instability correlations. Geological survey water-supply paper 1592-C, Prepared in cooperation with the Iowa Institute of hydraulic Research, C1–C71

  • A Kover-Panskus L Moulinneuf E Savory A Abdelqari JF Sini JM Rosant A Robins N Toy (2002) ArticleTitleA wind tunnel investigation of the influence of solar-induced wall-heating on the flow regime within a simulated urban street canyon. Water, Air and Soil Pollution: Focus 2 555–571

    Google Scholar 

  • H Kusaka H Kondo Y Kikegawa F Kimura (2001) ArticleTitleA simple single-layer urban canopy model for atmospheric models: comparison with multi-layer and slab models. Bound-Layer Meteor 101 329–358 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1019207923078

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • H Liu B Liang F Zhu B Zhang J Sang (2003) ArticleTitleA laboratory model for the flow in urban street canyons induced by bottom heating. Advances in Atmos Sci 20 554–564

    Google Scholar 

  • TJ Lyons (1983) ArticleTitleComments on canopy geometry and the nocturnal urban heat island: comparisons of scale model and filed observations. J Climatol 3 95–101

    Google Scholar 

  • WH McAdams (1954) Heat transmission. McGraw Hill New York 249

    Google Scholar 

  • RW Macdonald RF Griffiths SC Cheah (1997) ArticleTitleField experiments of dispersion through regular arrays of cubic structures. Atmos Environ 31 783–795

    Google Scholar 

  • RW Macdonald RF Griffiths DJ Hall (1998a) ArticleTitleA comparison of results from scaled field and wind tunnel modeling of dispersion in arrays of obstacles. Atmos Environ 32 3845–3862

    Google Scholar 

  • Macdonald RW, Hall DJ, Walker S (1998b) Wind tunnel measurements of wind speed within simulated urban arrays. BRE Client Report CR 243/98, Building Research Establishment

  • RW Macdonald SC Schofield PR Slawson (2002) ArticleTitlePhysical modeling of urban roughness using regular roughness elements. Water, Air and Soil Pollution: Focus 2 541–554 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1021392914279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • V Masson (2000) ArticleTitleA physically-based scheme for the urban energy budget in atmospheric models. Bound-Layer Meteor 94 357–397 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1002463829265

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • I Mavroidis RF Griffiths (2001) ArticleTitleLocal characteristics of atmospheric dispersion within buildings arrays. Atmos Environ 35 2941–2954 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S1352-2310(00)00456-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ER Meinders TH Van Der Meer K Hanjalic (1998) ArticleTitleLocal convective heat transfer from an array of wall-mounted cubes. Int J Heat Mass Transfer 41 335–346 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0017-9310(97)00148-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Y Meng S Oikawa (1997) ArticleTitleA wind-tunnel study of the flow and diffusion within model urban canopies. J Jpn Soc Atmos Environ 32 IssueID2 136–147

    Google Scholar 

  • R Moriwaki M Kanda (2004) ArticleTitleSeasonal and diurnal fluxes of radiation, heat, water vapor and CO2 over a suburban area. J Appl Meteor 43 1700–1710 Occurrence Handle10.1175/JAM2153.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S Murakami K Hibi A Mochida (1990) ArticleTitleThree dimensional analysis of turbulent flow field around street blocks by means of large eddy simulation (part-1). J Archit Plann Environ Eng AIJ 412 1–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Narita K (2003) Wind tunnel experiment on convective transfer coefficient in urban street canyon. 5th Int Conf Urban Climate Lots Poland: O21.2 (CD-ROM)

  • TR Oke (1981) ArticleTitleCanyon geometry and the nocturnal urban heat island: comparison of scale model and field observations. J Climatol 1 237–254

    Google Scholar 

  • EM O’Loughlin EG Macdonald (1964) ArticleTitleSome roughness concentration effects on boundary resistance. La Houille Blanche 7 1964

    Google Scholar 

  • H Osaka S Mochizuki (1987) ArticleTitleStreamwise vertical structure associated with the bursting phenomenon in the turbulent boundary layer over a d-type rough surface at low Reynolds number. Trans Japan Soc Mech Eng 53 371–379

    Google Scholar 

  • RL Petersen (1997) ArticleTitleA wind tunnel evaluation of methods for estimating surface roughness length at industrial facilities. Atmos Environ 31 45–57 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S1352-2310(96)00154-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S Rafailidis (1997) ArticleTitleInfluence of building areal density and roof shape on the wind characteristics above a town. Bound-Layer Meteor 85 255–271 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1000426316328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MR Raupach AS Thom I Edwards (1980) ArticleTitleA wind-tunnel study of turbulent flow close to regularly arrayed rough surfaces. Bound-Layer Meteor 18 373–397 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00119495

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M Roth (2000) ArticleTitleReview of atmospheric turbulence over cities. Quart J Roy Meteor Soc 126 941–990 Occurrence Handle10.1256/smsqj.56408

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • H Swaid (1993) ArticleTitleThe role of radiative-convective interaction in creating the microclimate of urban street canyons. Bound-Layer Meteor 64 231–259 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00708965

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • RA Spronken-Smith TR Oke (1999) ArticleTitleScale modelling of nocturnal cooling in urban parks. Bound-Layer Meteor 93 287–312 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1002001408973

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • W Theurer W Baechlin EJ Plate (1992) ArticleTitleModel study of the development of boundary layers above urban areas. J Wind Eng and Indust Aerodyn 41–44 437–448

    Google Scholar 

  • K Uehara S Murakami S Oikawa S Wakamatsu (2000) ArticleTitleWind tunnel experiments on how thermal stratification affects flow in and above urban street canyons. Atmos Environ 34 1553–1562 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S1352-2310(99)00410-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • K Uehara S Wakamatsu R Ooka (2003) ArticleTitleStudies on critical reynolds number indices for wind-tunnel experiments on flow within urban areas. Bound-Layer Meteor 107 53–370 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1022162807729

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JM Veranth ER Pardyjak G Seshadri (2003) ArticleTitleVehicle-generated fugitive dust transport: analytic models and filed study. Atmos Environ 37 2295–2303 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S1352-2310(03)00086-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JA Voogt TR Oke (1991) ArticleTitleValidation of an urban canyon radiation model for nocturnal long-wave fluxes. Bound-Layer Meteor 54 347–361 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00118866

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JB Wedding DJ Lombardi JE Cermak (1977) ArticleTitleA wind tunnel study of gaseous pollutants in city street canyons. J Air Pollution Control Association 27 557–566

    Google Scholar 

  • E Yee CA Biltoft (2004) ArticleTitleConcentration measurements in a plume dispersing through a regular array of obstacles. Bound-Layer Meteor 111 363–415 Occurrence Handle10.1023/B:BOUN.0000016496.83909.ee

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of International Development Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    M. Kanda

Authors
  1. M. Kanda
    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

Kanda, M. Progress in the scale modeling of urban climate: Review. Theor. Appl. Climatol. 84, 23–33 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-005-0141-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-005-0141-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation