scope:

The scope of this guideline covers the areas of urban planning and architecture, housing- and urban land use planning as well as urban neighbourhood- and urban development planning.

This guideline aids the evaluation of the thermal and air quality situation and impacts of surfaces, densification, conversion measures, and urban renewal as well as individual buildings.

Consideration of climate within urban planning requires detailed knowledge of the reciprocal process between the urban factors and the atmosphere. Results are illustrated in maps of different spatial resolution depending on the scale of urban planning. Specification of research methods and the assessment for the thermal and air quality efficiency complex are dependent of the level of planning and the available data.

Concerning the level of planning, reference is made to guideline VDI 3787 Part 1. The present guideline addresses the described sectoral planning and complements those dealing with the following relevant concerns of urban climate:

• regional occurrence and frequency of air masses exchange (ventilation) and their frequencies
• regional seasonal occurrence of the thermal and air quality aspects of urban climate (stress areas, insolation rates, shading conditions)
• regional presentation and evaluation of the impact area and stress areas
• energy optimisation of location based on the urban climate analysis with regard to areas with heat load and cold air areas, building density

Issues of investigations and related planning levels, methodical progress and associated evaluation criteria always have to be considered on the basis of existing legislation. Planning levels and their relevance to climate are presented in Section 4.1 (Table 1).

The task of planning-relevant urban climatology is the improvement of the air quality conditions and the thermal conditions:

• reduction of urban heat islands (heat island being an indication of thermal comfort/discomfort), open space planning
• optimisation of the urban ventilation (air exchange, ventilation lanes), urban planning and urban development for air quality and thermal comfort
• prevention of stagnating air in stationary temperature inversion conditions, prevention of barriers against air exchange
• maintenance and promotion of fresh air or cold air generation areas to further air exchange and thus for the improvement of the air quality situation

On the basis of these contemplations, mandatory regional specifications are laid down. Specifications may include: sustaining cold air or fresh air generation areas (slopes) or of ventilation lanes, building orientation, building height and density of development.

Such specifications may be implemented according to Building Code (BauGB) § 1a in urban land use planning. In addition, mandatory regulations of areas designated as open spaces due to urban climate analyses are possible in the zoning plan. Regulations which were passed at the regional planning at regional level may also be reviewed. Climatic concerns are thus considered in regional green corridors planning.

Legal planning instruments can be found in the "Environmental Impact Assessment Act" (UVPG) and in the "strategic environmental assessment" (SUPG). General climate problems may be qualitatively evaluated with the help of urban climate maps on the described properties and then incorporated into planning.