Influence of Building-Height Variability on Urban Ventilation and Pollutant Dispersion Characteristics
Urban densification associated with rapid urbanization has weakened horizontal ventilation in cities. Previous studies point out that building-height variability can enhance vertical ventilation, while most of them rely on idealized models that overlook the complexity of real urban environments. Thi...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/5/614 |
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| author | Taotao Shui Lili Cao Tieqiao Xiao Shaojie Zhang |
| author_facet | Taotao Shui Lili Cao Tieqiao Xiao Shaojie Zhang |
| author_sort | Taotao Shui |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Urban densification associated with rapid urbanization has weakened horizontal ventilation in cities. Previous studies point out that building-height variability can enhance vertical ventilation, while most of them rely on idealized models that overlook the complexity of real urban environments. This study analyzes 20 actual urban blocks using CFD simulations, considering average building height, building density, and height standard deviation. The results show that areas with low-rise, uniform buildings exhibit superior pollutant dispersion, while mid- and high-rise zones experience complex turbulence and pollutant accumulation. Ventilation performance peaks when the height standard deviation ranges between 35 and 40. These findings underscore that optimizing urban form for vertical ventilation requires a combined strategy of density control and height variation. Realistic building group models more accurately capture airflow dynamics and provide valuable insights for the design of effective vertical ventilation corridors and the enhancement of urban pollutant dispersion. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-75d4b698a02a4a31be5cb03e7af91a87 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj-art-75d4b698a02a4a31be5cb03e7af91a872025-08-20T03:14:35ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332025-05-0116561410.3390/atmos16050614Influence of Building-Height Variability on Urban Ventilation and Pollutant Dispersion CharacteristicsTaotao Shui0Lili Cao1Tieqiao Xiao2Shaojie Zhang3School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230601, ChinaSchool of Environment and Energy Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230601, ChinaSchool of Architecture and Planning, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230601, ChinaSchool of Architecture and Planning, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230601, ChinaUrban densification associated with rapid urbanization has weakened horizontal ventilation in cities. Previous studies point out that building-height variability can enhance vertical ventilation, while most of them rely on idealized models that overlook the complexity of real urban environments. This study analyzes 20 actual urban blocks using CFD simulations, considering average building height, building density, and height standard deviation. The results show that areas with low-rise, uniform buildings exhibit superior pollutant dispersion, while mid- and high-rise zones experience complex turbulence and pollutant accumulation. Ventilation performance peaks when the height standard deviation ranges between 35 and 40. These findings underscore that optimizing urban form for vertical ventilation requires a combined strategy of density control and height variation. Realistic building group models more accurately capture airflow dynamics and provide valuable insights for the design of effective vertical ventilation corridors and the enhancement of urban pollutant dispersion.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/5/614height-asymmetric building clustersurban ventilationpollutant diffusionCFDporous media |
| spellingShingle | Taotao Shui Lili Cao Tieqiao Xiao Shaojie Zhang Influence of Building-Height Variability on Urban Ventilation and Pollutant Dispersion Characteristics Atmosphere height-asymmetric building clusters urban ventilation pollutant diffusion CFD porous media |
| title | Influence of Building-Height Variability on Urban Ventilation and Pollutant Dispersion Characteristics |
| title_full | Influence of Building-Height Variability on Urban Ventilation and Pollutant Dispersion Characteristics |
| title_fullStr | Influence of Building-Height Variability on Urban Ventilation and Pollutant Dispersion Characteristics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influence of Building-Height Variability on Urban Ventilation and Pollutant Dispersion Characteristics |
| title_short | Influence of Building-Height Variability on Urban Ventilation and Pollutant Dispersion Characteristics |
| title_sort | influence of building height variability on urban ventilation and pollutant dispersion characteristics |
| topic | height-asymmetric building clusters urban ventilation pollutant diffusion CFD porous media |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/5/614 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT taotaoshui influenceofbuildingheightvariabilityonurbanventilationandpollutantdispersioncharacteristics AT lilicao influenceofbuildingheightvariabilityonurbanventilationandpollutantdispersioncharacteristics AT tieqiaoxiao influenceofbuildingheightvariabilityonurbanventilationandpollutantdispersioncharacteristics AT shaojiezhang influenceofbuildingheightvariabilityonurbanventilationandpollutantdispersioncharacteristics |