Introduction

Buildings loom uniformly overhead. A gust of wind nearly throws a bicycle courier into traffic. Businessmen, pant legs billowing, inch down the sidewalk. A recent Toronto Star article describes this typical morning on University Avenue in the city’s downtown. Yet such blustery scenes are common in many cities throughout the world. Relatively high buildings surrounding relatively narrow streets—urban street canyons—can cause not only uncomfortable winds, but also high concentrations of air pollutants and uneven heating.

Determining how best to approach these problems will require climate-conscious design by architects and urban planners. Sometimes recommendations may seem contradictory; for example, attempts to calm uncomfortable winds can lead to stagnant air and an increased concentration of certain pollutants. Only by evaluating climate on a variety of scales and how alternatives can best meet social and cultural goals, can urban communities work towards comprehensive solutions.

By looking at a series of articles on heat, wind, and air pollution in urban street canyons, this project analyzes and explains the physical and meteorological phenomena of this urban landscape for a general audience. It will also outline researchers’ suggestions for mitigating ill effects, by purposeful location and design of buildings and streets.