Urban Climates in Latin America


Book Description

This book describes the observation of urban climates in Latin-American and their relationships with urban sprawl, the economic emergence of Latin American countries, social segregation, urban ecology, disasters and resilience. The chapters include contributions dealing with urban heat islands, local climate zones, thermal comfort, air pollution, extreme climate index, green infrastructure, health issues and adaptions based on the socio-economic background of urban areas. This book revises the role of urban planning and environmental governance, highlighting the singularities in climate adaptation policies in developing countries.




Urban Climates


Book Description

The first full synthesis of modern scientific and applied research on urban climates, suitable for students and researchers alike.




Urban Heat Island (UHI) Mitigation


Book Description

This book discusses the concepts and technologies associated with the mitigation of urban heat islands (UHIs) that are applicable in hot and humid regions. It presents several city case studies on how UHIs can be reduced in various areas to provide readers, researchers, and policymakers with insights into the concepts and technologies that should be considered when planning and constructing urban centres and buildings. The rapid development of urban areas in hot and humid regions has led to an increase in urban temperatures, a decrease in ventilation in buildings, and a transformation of the once green outdoor environment into areas full of solar-energy-absorbing concrete and asphalt. This situation has increased the discomfort of people living in these areas regardless of whether they occupy concrete structures. This is because indoor and outdoor air quality have both suffered from urbanisation. The development of urban areas has also increased energy consumption so that the occupants of buildings can enjoy indoor thermal comfort and air quality that they need via air conditioning systems. This book offers solutions to the recent increase in the number of heat islands in hot and humid regions.​




Water and Cities in Latin America


Book Description

Approximately 80 per cent of the population of Latin America is concentrated in urban centres. Pressure on water resources and water management in cities therefore provide major challenges. Despite the importance of the issues, there has been little systematic coverage of the topic in book form. This work fills a gap in the literature by providing both thematic overviews and case study chapters. It reviews key aspects of why water matters in cities and presents case studies on topics such as groundwater management, green growth and water services, inequalities in water supply, the financing of water services and flood management. Detailed examples are described from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru, and there is also a chapter comparing lessons which might be learnt from US cities. Contributing authors are drawn from both within and outside the region, including from the Inter-American Development Bank, OECD and World Bank to set the issues in a global context.




Coping with Urban Climates


Book Description

While 20th century architecture learned to control the climate of a building, the architecture of the 21st century needs to learn to cope with the climate of cities. Problems such as urban heat and air pollution need to be included in planning and design. Based on empirical realities in Cairo, Chongqing, Geneva and Santiago de Chile, the book underlines that the materiality and social practices attached to room heating, compound greening, street alignment or climate policies together form the tissue for contemporary urban climates. It interweaves socio-cultural with meteorological data and pioneers the new concept of "thermal governance" by linking architectural and technological as well as legal and economic dimensions of climate control in urban environments.




Urban Resilience to the Climate Emergency


Book Description

This volume sheds light on urban resilience strategies in times of climate emergency and social and economic crisis by reflecting on related social vulnerabilities and inequalities within cities and showing the potential of participatory governance approaches for socio-environmental transformation. The book compiles critical research documenting the articulation of urban resilience strategies dealing with climatic changes, as well as the understanding of the unexpected implications of top-down resilience plans to address the impacts of climate change in cities, especially on the most vulnerable urban populations, and the transformative capacities of bottom-up and socially innovative resilience strategies. The book especially focuses on co-produced and grassroots transformative processes that are concerned with social equity in urban planning for climate change. Although several publications cover the topic of urban resilience, this book provides a more nuanced exploration of urban climate governance and citizen engagement in urban climate resilience policies through the lenses of political ecology, environmental justice and co-production. In this regard, the volume moves beyond the approach of multilevel urban climate governance by critically addressing the unexpected impacts of top-down strategies of urban resilience with the goal of expanding the reflection on citizen engagement. The book also explores the emerging possibilities behind the co-production of urban resilience as well as the critical role of grassroots and citizens in promoting such alternative strategies. While the primary target audience is scholars from different disciplines (e.g. geography, urban studies, planning, political ecology, architecture, urban sociology, environmental studies) focusing on urban resilience, the editors also aim to reach urban resilience practitioners from local, national and international organisations as well as environmental grassroots and climate activists.




Global Urban Heat Island Mitigation


Book Description

Global Urban Heat Island Mitigation provides a comprehensive picture of global UHI micro-thermal interaction in different built environments. The book explains physical principles and how to moderate undesirable consequences of swift and haphazard urban development to create more sustainable and resilient cities. Sections provide extensive discussion on numerous UHI mitigation technologies and their effectiveness in cities around the globe. In addition, the book proposes novel UHI mitigation technologies and strategies while also assessing the effectiveness and suitability of UHI mitigation interventions in various climates and urban forms. - Adopts a multidisciplinary approach, bridging theoretical and applied urban climatology with urban heat mitigation - Compiles disparate urban climate research concepts and technologies into a coherent framework - Includes contributions from leaders in fields from around the globe




Urban Forestry and Arboriculture in Malaysia


Book Description

This book represents the latest research on urban forestry in a Malaysian context. It demonstrates that urban forestry is concerned not only with environmental enhancement, but also other aspects, such as recreation, health and well-being, and government policies. This edited collection provides a comprehensive overview of urban forestry studies from various researchers in Malaysia, and includes rich historical perspectives of urban forestry in the country. It also tackles related issues in policy. The greening of urban Malaysia in the 1970s focused primarily on beautification and was primarily the province of horticulturists, landscapers, nursery workers, town planners, and architects, with negligible inputs from foresters, particularly urban foresters. Perhaps for that reason, the term “landscaping” has been used more widely than “urban forestry” by government and private institutions, politicians, stakeholders, academicians, and the public. Nevertheless, the authors show that the concept of urban forestry is not new for developing countries such as Malaysia, where urbanization is increasing at a rapid rate. The book unpacks this demographic shift from a predominantly rural to a principally urban society. As the only unified body of work on urban forestry and arboricultural studies in Malaysia, this volume presents an important interdisciplinary reference for students, researchers, and scholars in physical geography, forestry and urban forestry, arboriculture and landscape architecture, both in Malaysia, and in other developing urbanizing countries, particularly in Southeast Asia. It is also an important resource for those working in environmental policy and practice, excavating the vital connection between the environment and well-being.







The Role of Design, Construction, and Real Estate in Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals


Book Description

This edited book brings together insights from scholars and practitioners from many different fields to uncover the role of the construction and real estate sectors and how they align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It follows a lifecycle-based approach to the topic, addressing the design, construction, management, investment, and regulatory dimensions of projects in the area. It expands the reader’s understanding of the built environment beyond the design and construction phases, which enables the collection to explore the links and transitions between different project phases and uncover new methodologies that aim to tackle systemic sustainable development challenges. The chapters’ comprehensive coverage allows the collection to capitalize on the strengths and weaknesses of the building industry, highlight emerging trends, and uncover some critical gaps that need to be addressed to attain the 2030 vision. This puts into perspective the interconnected nature of the SDGs and highlights the importance of multi-stakeholder collaborations in achieving them.