doi:10.3850/9789628014194_0042

ABSTRACT

As the world population grows and rapid urbanisation takes shape, larger and high density mega cities around the world, especially in the developing countries, are formed. Planners, architects and designers increasingly need to address the negative environmental impact of clusters of tall buildings in cities. In Hong Kong, the term “wall buildings” epitomises long rows of tall buildings in the city and along the waterfront blocking and weakening the available wind and urban ventilation into the cities. For hot and humid sub-tropical and tropical cities in the South East Asia, this impacts urban human thermal comfort, worsens air pollution, restricts daylight and solar access, and creates an undesirable living environment that is not sustainable. In Hong Kong, attempts to introduce guidelines to improve the design of urban air ventilation were introduced in 2006. Further policy proposals have been issued for public consultation in 2009. And research efforts have been ongoing for taking into account urban climatic issues when designing tall buildings in high density cities. This paper summarises some of the efforts.

Keywords: City environment, Daylighting, High density city, Solar access, Urban climate, Urban ventilation.

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