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1. Introduction
Urban Heat Island (UHI) is a critical problem for metropolises around the world. UHI is de-
fined as an area in a city that is warmer than its neighboring countryside, making it a direct
cause of Urban Air Pollution and thermal discomfort in the cities (Koohirostami & Abukhalaf,
2021). There are individual and urban strategies for reducing the UHI effect. Individual strate-
gies are related to residential complexes and houses, such as using green roofs, reducing waste,
vegetating courtyards, using sustainable building materials and energy-efficient applications,
installing cool roofs, and increasing shades around homes (Abukhalaf & Koohirostami, 2021;
Abukhalaf, 2021). Urban strategies are related to comprehensive urban planning, such as the
Urban Ventilation Corridor (UVC), where highways and roads are considered the main paths
of airflow in the city. Research shows that road direction and intersection angle significantly
impact wind flow and velocity (Koohirostami & Abukhalaf, 2021). So, finding the most effi-
cient direction and pattern to design roads and highways would increase the function of those
paths. The study of the airflow in urban areas is a complicated process and needs highly
technical tools such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).
Academia Letters, January 2022 ©2022 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0
Academia Letters, January 2022 ©2022 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0
Academia Letters, January 2022 ©2022 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0
Figure 1. Study Results “A Simple Method for Designation of Urban Ventilation Corridors
and Its Application to Urban Heat Island Analysis.” Wong, et al., P: 9.
Guan stated that UVC is one of the most effective ways for cooling Chinese cities. He
concludes that three levels of UVC can be applied in Guiyang, China, to provide fresh air and
a healthy environment for residents. His planning suggestion would increase the average wind
speed in winter by 8% and in summer by 6% (Guanet al., 2011). In 2016, another study was
released in China to mitigate UHI by UVC. Hsieh chose wind paths along low-density urban
paths based on Frontal Area Index (FAI) and the least-cost path methodology for his CFD
simulation study area. Results of this study identified potential cooling routes in the study
area (Figure 2) (Hsieh & Huang, 2016). The main point in this study is simplifying urban
areas to simulate the most accurate results.
Academia Letters, January 2022 ©2022 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0
A few researchers believe that CFD simulation is not accurate enough for making a deci-
sion. Thus, they prefer to compare CFD simulation results with other methods such as GIS
spatial analysis and FAI. For example, Chang used CFD simulation and GIS spatial analysis
to identify the effect of UVC on reducing UHI in Changchun, China. This study presents that
water paths, main roads, and green spaces would create an effective UVC. Furthermore, air
flowing would be beneficial for cooling cities at the height of 100 feet above the pedestrian
level of the urban area (Shouzhi et al., 2018). The literature review on UVC shows that most
studies related to this topic are focused on Chinese cities to find practical and efficient city
planning. A study by Ren reviewed UVC applications in Chinese cities since 2000 to find the
successes and failures (Figure 3) (Ren et al., 2018).
Academia Letters, January 2022 ©2022 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0
4. Summary
UHI is a direct cause of thermal discomfort in cities worldwide. UVC is an urban strategy
used to mitigate UHI, where the main paths of airflow in any city are controlled through the
design of highways and roads. The study of the airflow in urban areas is a complicated process
and needs highly technical tools such as CFD. However, this is still a relatively new field of
study and has many gaps that need to be researched, especially when considering culturally
different urban contexts.
Academia Letters, January 2022 ©2022 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0
Abukhalaf, A. H. I., & Koohirostami, M. (2021). Toward Greener Concrete for Better Sus-
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Academia Letters, January 2022 ©2022 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0