Wind environmental evaluation of neighborhood areas in major towns of Malaysia

This paper discusses planning guidelines of neighborhood residential areas in consideration of wind flow in Malaysia. It aims to reduce the energy consumption particularly from the use of air-conditioners. Wind flow at the neighborhood level has a large potential to promote natural ventilation in each dwelling unit. This paper reports results of the wind environmental evaluation of case study areas under respective climatic conditions in major towns of Malaysia. The results showed that the calculated mean wind velocities in most terraced houses cases did not meet required criterion under respective climatic conditions in the east coast towns and inland town of Peninsular Malaysia. This was mainly due to the weak wind conditions in these towns. It was considered that the location of towns, i.e. distance from the coastal line, had significant influence on such weak wind conditions. This paper finally suggested that the high-rise housing could be one of the effective means to utilize higher wind at the elevated floor level under weak wind conditions in urban Malaysia

Connecting the realms of urban form, density and microclimate

Av doktorgradsstudenter på norske universiteter, er det en fjerdedel som ikke fullfører innen normert tid. Det er lite forskning på hvorfor det er slik i Norge. Å øke gjennomstrømningen vil være nyttig for stipendiaten og har samfunnsøkonomisk gevinst. Denne studien har sett på faktorer som kan virke inn på engasjement og utbrenthet hos norske doktorgradsstudenter. Økt engasjement og mindre utbrenthet kan bidra til at flere fullfører innen normert tid og at færre hopper av doktorgraden. Først gjennomførte vi en kvalitativ studie hvor vi intervjuet 9 doktorgradsstudenter fra UiT Norges arktiske universitet. Vi spurte om hva de anså som stressfaktorer og ressurser i arbeidet deres. I tråd med internasjonal forskning opplevde studentene at sosial støtte fra veileder og forskningsgruppe var viktige ressurser. I tillegg var motivasjon og autonomi viktig for informantene våre. Jobb-familie-konflikt og liten tro på egen faglighet var stressorer i doktorgraden. Videre utførte vi en kvantitativ studie med et større utvalg fra til sammen fem universiteter (N = 256). For å finne krav og ressurser i arbeidet, benyttet vi jobbkrav-ressursmodellen. Våre funn var i tråd med modellen, som predikerer at høye krav gir mer utbrenthet, mens mye ressurser gir økt engasjement og mindre utbrenthet. De kvantitative resultatene bekreftet at sosial støtte og veiledning var viktige ressurser. Av krav var jobb-familie-konflikt fortsatt sentral, mens arbeidsintensitet framkom som en ny type krav. Et annet nytt funn, var at opplevd kompetanse delvis medierte effekten fra ressurser til engasjement, og den svekket i tillegg forholdet mellom krav og utbrenthet. Gjennom å styrke ressursene hos doktorgradsstudenter kan jobbengasjement øke og utbrenthet minske. Dette kan føre til økt produktivitet og mindre ønske om å slutte i jobben. Dette vil ha ekstra effekt hvis det også rettes fokus mot å styrke opplevd kompetanse hos stipendiaten. Disse tiltakene kan bidra til at flere fullfører doktorgraden innen normert tid og at færre dropper ut. Nøkkelord: norske doktorgradsstudenter, phd, jobbkrav-ressursmodellen, stress, utbrenthet, engasjement

LAI based trees selection for mid latitude urban developments: A microclimatic study in Cairo, Egypt

To study the leaf area index, LAI, based thermal performance in distinguishing trees for Cairo's urban developments, ENVI-met plants database was used as platform for a foliage modeling parameter, the leaf area density, LAD. Two Egyptian trees: Ficus elastica. and Peltophorum pterocarpum were simulated in 2 urban sites with one having no trees, whilst the second is having Ficus nitida trees. Trees LAD values were calculated using flat leaves' trees LAI definition to produce maximum ground solid shadow at peak time. An empirical value of 1 for LAI is applied to numerically introduce LAD values for ENVI-met. Basically, different meteorological records showed improvements for pedestrian comfort and ambient microclimate of the building using E elastica. About 40-50% interception of direct radiation, reductions in surfaces' fluxes around trees and in radiant temperature T-mrt in comparison to base cases gave preferability to E elastica. The lack of soil water prevented evapotranspiration to take place effectively and the reduced wind speeds concluded negligible air temperature differences from both base cases except slightly appeared with the F elastica. Results show that a flat leaves tree if does not validate LAI of 1, the ground shading would not fulfill about 50% direct radiation interception and this value can be used as a reference for urban trees selection. Further simulations were held to investigate LAI value of maximum direct radiation interception. Performing additional simulations, F elastica of LAI of 3 intercepted almost 84% of direct radiation and revealed implications about urban trees in practice and its actual LAI. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Effects of Orientations, Aspect Ratios, Pavement Materials and Vegetation Elements on Thermal Stress inside Typical Urban Canyons

The analysis of local climate conditions to test artificial urban boundaries and related climate hazards through modelling tools should become a common practice to inform public authorities about the benefits of planning alternatives. Different finishing materials and sheltering objects within urban canyons (UCs) can be tested, predicted and compared through quantitative and qualitative understanding of the relationships between the microclimatic environment and subjective thermal assessment. This process can work as support planning instrument in the early design phases as has been done in this study that aims to analyze the thermal stress within typical UCs of Bilbao (Spain) in summertime through the evaluation of Physiologically Equivalent Temperature using ENVI-met. The UCs are characterized by different orientations, height-to-width aspect ratios, pavement materials, trees’ dimensions and planting pattern. Firstly, the current situation was analyzed; secondly, the effects of asphalt and red brick stones as streets’ pavement materials were compared; thirdly, the benefits of vegetation elements were tested. The analysis demonstrated that orientation and aspect ratio strongly affect the magnitude and duration of the thermal peaks at pedestrian level; while the vegetation elements improve the thermal comfort up to two thermophysiological assessment classes. The outcomes of this study, were transferred and visualized into green planning recommendations for new and consolidated urban areas in Bilbao.The work leading to these results has received funding from COST Action TU0902, the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement No. 308497, Project RAMSES—Reconciling Adaptation, Mitigation and Sustainable Development for Cities (2012–2017) and Diputación Foral de Bizkaia Exp. 6-12-TK-2010-0027, Project SICURB-ITS- Desarrollo de Sistemas para el análisis de la Contaminación atmosférica en zonas URBanas integrados en ITS (2010–2011)

Testing time-sensitive influences of weather on street robbery

Although the relationship between weather and crime has been extensively investigated over the past century, little consensus has emerged on the directions of the relationships observed and the mechanisms through which weather might exert its influence. This paper advances an argument that the interpretation of weather, and subsequent activities based on that interpretation, leads to spatio-temporal variations in criminal opportunities, and hence crime. Two hypotheses relating to unseasonal weather and effects of weather on discretionary activities are proposed. Negative binomial regression models are used to test these at the 6-hour shift unit of analysis on street robberies in the Strathclyde region of Scotland. In line with predictions, in this temperate microclimate, more favourable weather in winter (higher temperatures and low wind speeds) was associated with increases in robbery. Partial support was also found for the hypothesis regarding time delineated for discretionary activities. Here, temperature, wind speed and humidity were seen to be significant predictors of robbery during the night shift and weekends. Notably rain was shown to have a negative relationship with robbery at the weekends. This affirms that people are less likely to venture outdoors when it is raining when travel behaviour is optional. Counter to our hypothesised effects, fog was the only variable to significantly interact with public holidays. We conclude by discussing how these analyses might be extended and briefly discuss implications for crime prevention