11 1 The Urban Environment Summary by Nada Tarkhan | Session chair: Christoph Reinhart Panel Introduction by Prof. Les Norford The session highlighted the growing importance of addressing heat stress, particularly in urban areas. Cities tend to be warmer than their surroundings due to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, primarily at night. The availability of extensive data allows for detailed measurements of urban temperatures within city environments, such as in urban canyons. Environmental modeling tools such as the Urban Weather Generator (UWG) and the measurement of the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) are essential in assessing outdoor thermal comfort levels. Our discussion also emphasized the mortality risks associated with extreme heat and the need for precise data tailored to specific analyses. Modeling the Urban Environment (Prof. Amir Aliabadi) Prof. Aliabadi's presentation focused on the significance of modeling the urban environment to better understand and address urban challenges. Various modeling tools – from white box models to data-driven approaches – offer differing levels of applicability and precision. Multidomain modeling, including sequential, co-simulation, and integrated methods, facilitates complex system analysis. EnergyPlus has been pivotal in the co-simulation domain, emphasizing flexibility, scalability, and modularity. The Urban Weather Generator (UWG) is increasingly used for weather file predictions to adjust for micro-climatic conditions. Towards the end of his overview, Prof. Aliabadi focused on the need for new, hybrid tools that incorporate modern data-driven methods and the potential for models to inform socioeconomic factors. This also includes an exploration of AI's role in modeling and the integration of social behavior and equity into models. Discussion The discussion addressed Artificial Intelligence's (AI) potential in modeling, emphasizing challenges such as trust and representing local context. Different approaches include co-simulation with various methods that can enable inter-model comparisons. Key questions involved model interfacing, required resolutions, and integration into existing tools. Opportunities exist to Fig 1.2 The urban environment (Design: Nada Tarkhan)
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