Reducing Heat and Improving Thermal Comfort through Urban Design – A Case Study in Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), in the south of Vietnam, is undergoing rapid urbanization and is one of the world’s cities most affected by climate change. A comparative analysis among different scenarios for a case study located in a re-development area in HCMC revealed how urban design can contribute to reduce heat and improve thermal comfort in urban areas. Isoline mappings made with the climate modelling software ENVI-met have provided evidence that enhanced street greenery has the most remarkable impact on urban thermal comfort.