Mountain valley cold air flow interactions with urban morphology: A case study of the urban area of Changwon, South Korea

Abstract

The formation of urban heat islands (UHIs) is accelerated due to reckless development in urban areas; hence, continuous improvement is required in urban planning. In particular, in urban areas with basin topography, air circulation is not smooth and hot air is stagnant, resulting in a vicious cycle of aggravating the UHI phenomenon. To improve air circulation in an urban area with a basin topography, a study was conducted to prepare a wind corridor strategy considering urban spatial types and cold air flow in Changwon, South Korea. The cold air was discharged from mountain valleys on the outskirts of the city and moved from the valleys through connected rivers. In certain areas with high building density, the mountain valleys were not connected to rivers, resulting in the stagnation of cold air. Therefore, to create urban wind corridors, it is necessary to build low- and mid-rise residential areas along rivers to facilitate the drainage and movement of cold air based on urban spatial types. This study identified the main drainage, movement, and stagnant areas of cold air for the creation of urban wind corridors, which is expected to serve as a reference for urban planning strategies for wind corridor implementation in urban areas with basin topography and mitigate the impacts of UHIs.