Kuipers, Wytske (2022) The temperate urban microclimate in a changing arctic. Bachelor thesis.
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Abstract
The increased threat of climate change is multiplied in the arctic due to arctic amplification as well as its unique environment, hence the future of cities in the far north appears more unpredictable. The urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon which currently is of little concern in these cities may therefore develop into a new area of consideration. Academically, arctic UHIs have been acknowledged, but given limited attention. Therefore the aim of this paper is to investigate the potential current and future impacts of UHI through a local scale analysis of the built environment (BE) and its planning process. Specifically, Tromsø, a Norwegian city above the arctic circle, is considered as a case study due to its current development plans of its center. The main research question is: How and to what extent is the BE planning in Tromsø resilient to UHIs in a changing arctic climate? To answer this question, 3 interviews were conducted with Troms municipality spatial planners about their approaches to the temperate microclimate. Additionally, using the program ENVI-met, microclimate simulations were set up of 3 analysis areas in Tromsø’s city considering current and predicted climate conditions, as well as current and proposed BE. It was found that the BE in Tromsø does foster UHIs, and the proposed plans which do not consider UHIs minimize the phenomenon to a small extent. This extent however is near insignificant in comparison to a worst case scenario change in arctic climate. Currently the fostering of UHIs is not a concern, as warmth during summer days is desired. However, with the expected warming of the arctic the implications of UHIs may differently impact other urban microclimate elements and hence may create new dynamics in arctic planning. Current policy makers are not expected to need to significantly change approaches, however future policies are proposed to further acknowledge how UHIs may interact with the wider environment through the BE design.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
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| Degree programme: | Spatial Planning and Design |
| Supervisor: | Ramezani, S. |
| Date Deposited: | 19 Jul 2022 14:13 |
| Last Modified: | 19 Jul 2022 14:13 |
| URI: | https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3899 |
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