Urban Densification in the Context of Climate Change

Against the backdrop of climate change issues and the increase in urban population, the conflict between housing needs and urban green spaces has become more acute. Therefore, the contribution of green spaces to climate adaptation and that of buildings to climate protection as well as resource efficiency within this context must be quantified. Within this project the focus lies on the simulation and visualisation of environmental and densification factors within an urban planning decision-support tool. The initial phase of the project demonstrates the potentials of these analyses (WP1). Following this the effects of different densification scenarios within selected urban typologies with regards to climate protection (energy demand, GHG emissions) and climate adaptation (microclimate, outdoor) are quantified (WP2 and WP3), before the 3D tool is specified (WP4). In parallel, the transferability into practice is discussed within workshops with municipal representatives (WP5).

Objectives:
Simulation for quantification: Practice relevant estimations are determined for the effects of densification projects on indoor and outdoor comfort and resource requirements are taken into consideration regarding:

the effectiveness of green infrastructure, and
the resource-efficient use of materials in buildings over the entire building lifecycle.
The conception of digital tools for decision-support in urban densification projects.