Sustainable Urban Design and Climate

What has climate got to do with urban design?

Why is the Bureau of Meteorology interested in urban design?

What cities do to the local climate.

What city climates do to people.

Climate and urban design - the rewards!

Designing with climate.

Interested in knowing more?

What has climate got to do with urban design?

Climate is only one aspect of planning, yet it can provide answers which are not available any other way. We know that to some extent, cities create their own climate. Studies show that when a landscape of plants and soil gives way to one of bricks and concrete, the local climate changes along with the scenery. Understanding how this happens can help us to take control of the process. We can design subdivisions so as to create the best possible urban microclimate. The result:

• a more comfortable environment,
• less energy needed for indoor comfort,
• money saved; and,
• emissions of greenhouse gases reduced!

There is a fundamental link between a city's climate and the energy consumed there for heating and cooling.

Why is the Bureau of Meteorology interested in urban design?

Our climate data bank is a national asset which is funded by the taxpayer. It's the Bureau's responsibility to ensure that these resources are used to return benefits to the community. Accordingly, we invite urban designers to make use of our climate expertise - we are here to help!

References

Continue with the next topic: What cities do to the local climate.