Bentley Systems’ Post

Our UK Urban Environmental Quality (UKUEQ) partnership overview article ’The urban emergency’ has just been published by the CIBSE Journal. The partnership is a collaboration between CIBSE Resilient Cities Group and UK Wind Engineering Society. You can now also download the White Papers with full length features on wind, thermal environment, air quality and acoustics on the CIBSE Resilient Cities Group / UKUEQ website. A big thank you to the authors and contributors who supported the publications. Our industry is inundated with challenges. Now is the time to respond to the urban emergency. #climatechange #airquality #CIBSE #CIBSEResilientCitiesGroup #UKWindEngineeringSociety https://lnkd.in/eEGHFNU9

In the evolving landscape of urban development, the need for #sustainable, efficient, and productive cities is more pressing than ever. Rob Thornton, President & CEO of International District Energy Association, emphasizes the importance of innovative approaches like integrating #districtenergy with transit-oriented development to address these challenges. A prime example of this is Cordia's district energy system in #SanFrancisco, that not only recovers over 30 million gallons of water annually but also mitigates flooding in BART subway stations. This synergy between energy and transportation is a model for the cities of the future, showcasing how infrastructure can be reimagined for greater urban #sustainability. Read the full Medium article to learn more: https://lnkd.in/eVpqkiP4

🌳 Road traffic represents the dominant source of air pollution in urban street canyons. Local wind conditions greatly impacts the dispersion of these pollutants, yet street trees complicate ventilation in such settings. This case study adopts a novel modelling framework to account for dynamic traffic and wind conditions to identify the optimal street tree configuration that prevents a deterioration in air quality.  Read more here: https://lnkd.in/d2xnDBYf Meng-Yi Jin, Le Ying Zhang, Zhong-Ren Peng, Hong-Di He, Professor Prashant Kumar and John Gallagher

This article provides an overview of GAO Tek’s anemometers and their application in environmental monitoring. Anemometers, also known as wind speed gauges, airflow meters, and other names, are critical tools in assessing environmental conditions. They have diverse applications, including meteorological research, air quality assessments, climate studies, and the evaluation of air pollution dispersion and urban microclimates. GAO Tek’s anemometers are known for their precision and reliability, providing essential data for environmental monitoring. They are used to assess the effects of wind patterns on air quality, greenhouse gas dispersion, and weather phenomena. These instruments offer remote data collection capabilities, which aid in real-time monitoring and informed decision-making.#viralpost #gaotek

NEW PAPER ALERT!!! Title: Experimental assessment of the heat mitigation potential of an urban cooling shelter: combining water misting with solar shading, wind shield, and smart control Published in Energy and Buildings (IF=6.7) and authored by myself and Michele Zinzi Link: https://lnkd.in/dqpQQGuw This publication forms part of a suite of studies dedicated to water misting, as an effective, controllable, and resource-friendly technology for local cooling in cities. While being a valid ally in dealing with heat islands and extreme heat events, a limited number of setups are explored in literature. In this study, an urban cooling shelter fitted with a misting system is experimentally tested in combination with i) top solar shading, ii) side wind shielding, and/or iii) smart controller. Tests were performed in the summertime in the northern outskirts of Rome. The study shows that the median air temperature reduction between the misted zone and the undisturbed observation point is close to 3.5 °C in the reference scenario (misting + solar shading). The comfort-driven smart control realises a similar cooling profile with significantly attenuated humidification, narrower variability, and drastically reduced resource consumption (80% reduction in pump activation). As the cross-ventilation was blocked along the longitudinal axis through the installation of a wind shield, the cooling rose dramatically, hitting a median of -7.5 °C and a maximum close to -10 °C, with strong local humidification and pronounced thermal gradients. The cooling efficiency is investigated for all setups by dividing the actual temperature drop to the wet bulb depression. The role of wind (both speed and direction) is elucidated and conditions for enhanced evaporative cooling are defined considering all main environmental variables, also through Mutual Information analysis. The comparability and replicability of our results are discussed to inform future research strands. I wish you good reading! #cities, #heat, #urbanheatisland, #heatwaves, #misting, #water, #evaporation, #cooling, #temperature, #shelter, #solarshading, #wind, #radiation, #efficiency, #heatshelter

We're thrilled to announce our role in Northeastern University's ground-breaking new research project linking infrastructure decisions to urban air pollution impact. The deployment also means our home base of Greater Boston is host to one of the world's most comprehensive air quality networks! Part of the Impact Engine Program, the project is named Healthier Air and People: Intelligent Solutions to Urban Pollution for Equity and Resilience (iSUPER), and will ultimately see more than 150 QuantAQ sensors deployed across Brookline and Chelsea, Massachusetts. In time, the project aims to deliver predictive models and tools for municipal decision-makers, fundamentally changing our understanding of how air quality responds to shifting conditions like new bus or bike lanes, traffic patterns, building construction, and more. Read more here: https://hubs.ly/Q02rX9-b0 #AirQuality #UrbanPlanning #PublicHealth #Infrastructure #AirPollution #Research

Navigating Sea Level Rise: Adapting Infrastructure to Climate Change Challenges Rising sea levels present unprecedented challenges for infrastructure worldwide. As many as 410 million people could be vulnerable to rising sea levels by the end of the century according to World Economic Forum (Dec 2022). Here's how we can tackle them: 🌊Coastal Defense Systems: Implementing robust coastal defense mechanisms, such as sea walls, surge barriers, water pumps and overflow chambers to keep water out are among the coastal defences being used, to protect critical infrastructure from inundation and erosion. 🌊Elevation and Resilient Design: Designing infrastructure with elevation in mind and incorporating resilient features to withstand the impacts of sea level rise and extreme weather events. 🌊Infrastructure Redesign: Retrofitting existing infrastructure and incorporating climate resilience into new construction projects to enhance durability and longevity. 🌊Natural Solutions: Embracing nature-based solutions like wetland restoration and mangrove conservation to provide natural buffers against rising sea levels and storm surges. 🌊Integrated Planning: Adopting comprehensive planning approaches that consider the interconnectedness of infrastructure systems and their vulnerability to climate change impacts. 🌊Investment in Innovation: Investing in research and development of innovative technologies and solutions for climate-resilient infrastructure, such as floating infrastructure and adaptive building materials. Together, by prioritizing adaptation strategies and collaboration across sectors, we can build a more resilient future in the face of climate change-induced sea level rise. #ClimateChange #Infrastructure #Resilience #bnz #cleanenergy #verdianpower 🌍💡 Photo’s reference : Mataro (Barcelona,Spain) ‘s Sant Simo beach vanishes recently after storm Nelson (1/1/2024)

Paper alert! How to accelerate urban heat mitigation and adaptation implementation, institutional construction is very important. Apart from the initiative of #cool #cities #and #communities and #heat #resilient #infrastructure (https://lnkd.in/gkCTS8Rv), we also call for #innovating #green #building for urban heat mitigation and adaptation (please see our new #openaccess paper in PLOS Climate https://lnkd.in/gzyybaqj).

🚀 Kicking off 2024 with a 🆕 report from the UN Environment Programme, UNOPS and the University of Oxford. The report emphasises the contributions of #naturebased #infrastructure solutions to #sustainabledevelopment, #climateaction and #biodiversity. Sheila Aggarwal-Khan from the UN Environment Programme highlights the crucial role of natural infrastructure in delivering essential services and benefits for sustainable development and resilient societies. It can increase positive impacts on Sustainable Development Goals (#SDGs) by nearly 50% in some sectors. How can #NBS possibly reduce #waterpollution and protect from natural #disasters such as river and urban flooding phenomena? Find more info in the report 👉 https://lnkd.in/eeQz8ed9

Gravity is a smart campus led by a clean and inclusive growth strategy, that will house workspaces and residential dwellings. A link road was constructed connecting the site directly to the main highway so that development traffic avoids travelling through the local villages. The link road, which incorporates solar-powered lighting, a green bridge for biodiversity and the re-use of site-won materials, will improve flood prevention and enhance biodiversity and carbon sequestration.  ➡ See the full case study in Issue 1 of the Climate Resilient Infrastructure  Report: https://lnkd.in/e5bvRyPV     📣 Issue 2 of the Climate Resilient Infrastructure Report: A Focus on Nature is accepting calls for case studies now. Learn more and submit a case study here: https://lnkd.in/eJNmd-5u  #EngineeringChange Stantec