The Variance of the Urban Microclimate in the City of Vienna, Austria

Abstract

Metropolitan areas worldwide display highly diverse microclimatic conditions that are believed to be influenced by a variety of parameters: morphologies, structures, materials (particularly urban surface properties), and processes (mobility, industry, etc.). The density of urban structures and sealing of urban areas may lead to higher heat storage, thus increasing the daily urban air temperatures. In order to understand some of the relationships between the microclimates of urban neighborhoods, human activity and thermal environments that regulate microclimates, this paper investigates the intra-city microclimatic variance in several locations in the city of Vienna, Austria, which effectively portray urban and suburban climatic conditions. Specifically, we explore possible deviations of local (site-specific) microclimatic conditions from those captured by near-by stationary weather stations.