Article: An assessment to evaluate potential passive cooling patterns for climate change adaptation in a residential neighbourhood of a Mediterranean coastal city (Athens, Greece) Journal: International Journal of Global Warming (IJGW) 2018 Vol.16 No.2 pp.181 - 208 Abstract: This study investigates the potential for passive cooling patterns inside the urban fabric in the Mediterranean climate city of Athens (Greece), especially with regard to quantify air temperature reduction and thermal comfort amelioration at the neighbourhood scale. Using both field measurements and an urban microclimate simulation model, we assessed cooling and warming patterns in various sites of an Athens residential neighbourhood. Results show that, under Mediterranean climate conditions, urban design elements such as wooded courtyards and appropriately oriented urban design elements such as galleries have a considerable cooling effect and can be used as cool places inside the neighbourhood for occupants' comfort amelioration and also as passive cooling tools for buildings to reduce summer energy consumption. They may then function as passive design strategies to adapt the urban site form to different climate change scenarios. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: An assessment to evaluate potential passive cooling patterns for climate change adaptation in a residential neighbourhood of a Mediterranean coastal city (Athens, Greece)

Authors: Ioannis X. Tsiros; Milo E. Hoffman; Areti Tseliou; Vasiliki Christopoulou; Spyridon Lykoudis

Addresses: Meteorology Laboratory, Agricultural University of Athens, 75, Iera Odos Str., 11855 Athens, Greece ' Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel ' Zayed University, P.O. Box 261226, Yacht Bay Tower, Al Marsha street, Dubai Marina, UAE ' Meteorology Laboratory, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece ' Enargeia WG, Akrita 66, GR-24132, Kalamata, Messinia, Greece

Abstract: This study investigates the potential for passive cooling patterns inside the urban fabric in the Mediterranean climate city of Athens (Greece), especially with regard to quantify air temperature reduction and thermal comfort amelioration at the neighbourhood scale. Using both field measurements and an urban microclimate simulation model, we assessed cooling and warming patterns in various sites of an Athens residential neighbourhood. Results show that, under Mediterranean climate conditions, urban design elements such as wooded courtyards and appropriately oriented urban design elements such as galleries have a considerable cooling effect and can be used as cool places inside the neighbourhood for occupants' comfort amelioration and also as passive cooling tools for buildings to reduce summer energy consumption. They may then function as passive design strategies to adapt the urban site form to different climate change scenarios.

Keywords: urban microclimate; urban heat island; heat mitigation; vegetation; trees and shade; shading strategies; passive design strategies; sustainable urban design; courtyard; outdoor thermal environment; Greece.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGW.2018.094557

International Journal of Global Warming, 2018 Vol.16 No.2, pp.181 - 208

Received: 22 Feb 2017
Accepted: 31 Dec 2017
Published online: 06 Sep 2018 *

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Title: An assessment to evaluate potential passive cooling patterns for climate change adaptation in a residential neighbourhood of a Mediterranean coastal city (Athens, Greece)

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