Numerical modelling of urban microclimate in a compact urban area: a case study for Rome

The urban heat island effect (UHI) and summer heat waves are likely to cause increased heat-related morbidity and mortality, demand for summer cooling and thermal discomfort in urban areas. Knowledge of urban microclimate is therefore significant for evaluating and implementing mitigation strategies to reduce heat stress and improve comfort in the outdoor and indoor built environment. To the best of our knowledge, a detailed investigation of urban microclimate for compact areas with the Mediterranean climate has not yet been performed. Therefore, in this study, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are performed to investigate urban microclimate in a compact urban area in the city of Rome, Italy. The 3D unsteady-state Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) equations are solved with the closure of the realizable k-ε turbulence model. The evaluation is based on validation of the surface temperature distribution using experimental data from high-resolution thermal infrared satellite imagery.