Direct Numerical Simulation of a Paradigmatic Urban Heat Island

In the last decades the urban population has increased a lot making cities objects of different studies. In this context, urban climate is an expanding research field and understanding the main features of the urban heat island (UHI) effect is one of the challenges. A discrete number of neighbourhoods has been object of study for this climate effect with growing interest in recent years, especially focusing on heat mitigation. Despite this, there is a lack of knowledge due to the complex nature of the problem given by the multi-physics involved, the multiple parameters that govern it and above all, the complexity of the city’s geometries that lack generality. In this respect, and to keep results applicable in a broader context, this work proposes an innovative approach to studying UHI effects, providing a unique framework for understanding the interaction between urban geometry and heat transport dynamics while addressing the complexities of urban configurations with a novel and methodological perspective.