Summer mitigation strategies in an urban renovation area in the south of Italy

In urban regeneration process, one of the key components is the environmental and energetic improvement to contrast the negative effects of climate change in modern cities. In fact, temperature increase is exacerbated in more densely built-up urban areas by the phenomenon called "Urban Heat Island-UHI". The paper aims at evaluating the influence of buildings and urban interventions on microclimate, through a case study in an urban renovation area in the South of Italy with a particular focus on the effects at pedestrian level. In particular, this research analyses and compares seven urban scenarios that explore different technical choices involving both buildings and surrounding area, related to the influence on microclimate and outdoor thermal comfort. The considered options are about materials physical properties (albedo), urban fabric morphology, mitigating elements such as water bodies, vegetation and integrated green systems as Green Wall and Roof. The simulations are carried out using the holistic three-dimensional software ENVI-met for urban modelling. The comparative results analysis gives the possibility to individuate the optimal solution for the case study. The research goal is the definition of an integrated method to assess and compare mitigation strategies for heat stress at micro-urban scale, useful in city planning decision-making.