Local climate zones in the city of Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan) and their connections with urban heat island and thermal comfort

Abstract

Nowadays, under the conditions of modern development, an increase in population leads to a significant increase in urban settlements with their specific characteristics, which in turn may have a significant impact on the formation of special microclimatic conditions within cities. Due to territorial expansion of cities, most of them are developed at a significantly high speed, which may lead to dramatic changes both for the residents and for the environment within the cities. Since urban planning has been developing for a rather long time, there are many ways to regulate this process by taking into account local physical and geographical features. This work is devoted to relationships between various microclimatic indicators of changes in the structure of buildings. It is shown that an increase in the share of compact high-rise (local climate zone (LCZ)-1) and mid-rise (LCZ-2) buildings is reflected in an increase in the intensity of the urban heat island, both in average annual (+0.4…+0.5°C) and seasonal variations (+0.75°C for summer). This in turn causes an increase in the PET (Physiological Equivalent Temperature) thermal index (increasing of frequency of strong and extreme heat stress conditions) and a decrease in the UTCI (Universal Thermal Climate Index).