Atmospheric dispersion and urban planning: an interdisciplinary approach to city modeling

Abstract

Geometry modeling is a common approach in pollutant dispersion studies. Block typology is a key element for representing geometries closer to real city environments. However, urban pollutant modeling studies and urban planning processes have different approaches regarding block typology and applied metrics. Therefore, the objective of this work is to compare urban block typologies and urban metrics used in literature studies with those found in real cities. The methodology combined a literature review with an empirical analysis of sample areas in selected cities. The results showed that more than 50 % of the studies applied idealized building arrays. Nonetheless, the idealized array tends to underestimate real densities, often misrepresenting urban planning indices. On the other hand, derived geometry reduces modeling complexity and increases the applicability of studies in urban planning. Based on our findings, we suggest an urban block parameterization derived from real urban areas (representative of the densest cities in Asia, Europe, and America). This study selects five block typologies derived from actual cities (single block, detached buildings, courtyard, inner courtyards, and row buildings) with estimated values of the floor area ratio (FAR) and surface coverage (SC) that, when combined, provide a more precise representation of density.