Compatibility of local climate zone parameters for climate sensitive street design: Influence of openness and surface properties on local climate

Abstract Streets are the fundamental elements of urban form in terms of microclimate as well as place making in cities. Microclimate itself is influenced by climate critical parameters of the Local Climate Zone Classification (LCZ) system. Therefore, a key design question is the role, if any, of LCZ classification for climate guidelines at street scale. In this paper we explore the Intra LCZ zone temperature variation at three street typologies with North- South and East-West orientation within the city core of Glasgow as a case study. We then investigate the compatibility of LCZ parameters related to openness (determined by sky view factor and aspect ratio) and surface properties (determined by albedo) with Glasgow City Council's Development Plans Policies and Proposals for street design in order to identify the possibility of using these parameters for climate sensitive street design. The results suggest that a fixed design strategy would not be applicable across all street typologies and that the identified LCZ parameters combined with form-based parameters of orientation and facade geometry can play a vital role in climate-sensitive street design.