Numerical simulation of thermal effects of urban green enhancements in different urban environments in the city of Augsburg (Bavaria, SE Germany)

<p><span><span>The interdisciplinary research project Abc (Augsburg bleibt cool – Augsburg stays cool) – funded by the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety – deals with different aspects of heat-stress exposure and adaptation to heat-stress in </span></span><span><span>indoor and outdoor </span></span><span><span>urban environments </span></span><span><span>in the urban area of Augsburg (Bavaria, SE Germany)</span></span><span><span>.</span></span></p><p><span><span>As one essential research approach this includes the estimation of the thermal effects of vegetation enhancements in different urban environments via numerical simulations performed with the ENVI-met V4 numerical model.</span></span></p><p><span><span>For several model domains – </span></span><span><span>each of them </span></span><span><span>covering 300 m x 300 m with a 2 m x 2 m horizontal resolution - model runs have been performed utilizing observational data for a heat wave end of Ju</span></span><span><span>ly</span></span><span><span> 2019 as meteorological forcing, </span></span><span><span>thus serving as a climate analogue for thermal conditions expected to appear more frequently under future climate change conditions. For each domain model runs for the current-state and several adaptation scenarios have been performed. Adaptation scenarios thereby comprise varying measures for enhancing urban green (street and facade greening) and blue infrastructure.</span></span></p><p><span><span>I</span></span><span><span>n this contribution we present and discuss selected model settings and scenarios.</span></span></p><p><span><span>Model results indicate the general capability of vegetation enhancements to counteract heat-stress exposure in urban environments. </span></span><span><span>However, </span></span><span><span>partly also contrary effects emerge pointing to </span></span><span><span>the </span></span><span><span>complex interdependencies within the urban climate system </span></span><span><span>which have to be taken into account when projecting urban heat island adaptation strategies.</span></span></p>