Analysing outdoor airflow and pollution as a parameter to assess the compatibility of mass-scale low-cost residential development

Abstract

Land use compatibility has always remained an integrally crucial factor for city development. Traditional contentious theories integrating land use planning principles, demand-oriented market development and industry-induced air pollution regulations have debated the adjacency of residential and industrial land uses. However, in the event of inevitable and unprecedented urbanization, where land shortage has compelled cities to expand towards the industrial peripheries, low-income resettlement planning turns evident. However, this process turns detrimental when land use incompatibility affects newly settled population. Adjacent industrial pollution degrades health and liveability, ultimately forcing the population to vacate the housing and recur poverty recycling phenomenon. This study aims to assess micro-level land-use compatibility from health and liveability viewpoint using environment-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis as a surrogate measurement technique. It is assumed that if site-based ventilation potential and airflow assessment can be performed at early design for site-selection and post-construction stages for rational retrofitting, it would deliver a liveable environment to the low-income inhabitants. While industrial development is irresistible, this study focused on environment-sensitive built-environment planning, utilising aerodynamically potential morpho-metrics of urban form density, inter-building gaps and integrated open spaces. Simulated results demonstrated that while existing built-environment planning failed to deliver improved ventilation, the simulation-based approach of iterated built-environment designs created air channelling and pollutant transport paths, thus reducing the air pollution stagnancy quotient. This study, by applying a system-driven methodological approach aided in bridging the knowledge gaps of micro-level land use compatibility assessment from environmental perspective and health viewpoint.