%0 Journal Article
%T Human-Biometeorological Assessment of Urban Structures in Extreme Climate Conditions: The Example of Birobidzhan, Russian Far East
%A Jan Paul Bauche
%A Elena A. Grigorieva
%A Andreas Matzarakis
%J Advances in Meteorology
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/749270
%X The study shows the effect of urban structures on human thermal comfort indices in the extreme climate region of the Russian Far East, with an annual temperature range of . The study examines different urban zones in Birobidzhan, the capital city of the Jewish Autonomous Region (JAR). The climate of this region can be characterized as continental monsoon climate. The difference of thermal values for three zones with different vegetation and build-up density shows the influence of urban planning on the local microclimate. The moderating effect of dense build-up and inner city vegetation on extreme thermal conditions becomes clear when comparing all zones. Through the analysis of daily and monthly timelines it was possible to determine preferable times of the day for inner city outdoor activities. From the results derived from PET with a total of 170 days per year with PET values below Birobidzhan can be considered a region of extreme cold stress. This means that an adaptation based solely on behaviour and clothing is not sufficient, but an adaptation of the urban surroundings and therefore the identification and choice of preferable urban structures is necessary. 1. Introduction Since the last decades of the 20th century and due to the challenges of climate change, climatological and meteorological parameters have been in the focus of urban planning. Most of those studies assess the standard meteorological parameters associated with human thermal comfort such as air temperature, global radiation, wind velocity, relative humidity, or precipitation. However, if they are assessed just by themselves, the results are taken out of the human context and lose their original purpose. To put them into context, the application of complex and differentiated human bioclimate indices is needed. For the purpose of this study two of these indices haven been applied to the meteorological conditions and the urban structures of Birobidzhan, the capital city of the Jewish Autonomous Region (JAR), at the Russian Far East. In the course of a year this region experiences all facets of extreme meteorological conditions from arid cold to humid warm (Figure 1). This makes the region of the JAR extremely suitable for the purpose of analysing the impact of urban structures on the human thermal comfort assuming an intensification of extreme meteorological conditions in presently moderate climate areas, due to the global climate change. During the last 20 years the interest in the human thermal bioclimate has been rising due to great awareness of the influence of climate on our lives
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/amete/2013/749270/