Designing High-Density Cities: For Social and Environmental Sustainability

Contents......Page 6
List of Figures and Tables......Page 12
List of Contributors......Page 22
Foreword......Page 30
Preface......Page 32
Acknowledgements......Page 38
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations......Page 40
PART 1 An Understanding of High Density......Page 44
Physical density......Page 46
Building density and urban morphology......Page 52
Perceived density......Page 55
High density......Page 56
References......Page 59
The post-oil scenario......Page 62
The food equation......Page 63
Wastes and fertility......Page 66
Conclusions......Page 67
References......Page 68
Population and the people problem......Page 70
Resource depletion......Page 76
Pollution......Page 79
Conclusions: Avoid the Ozymandias syndrome......Page 80
References......Page 81
Sustainability and planning......Page 84
Historical review......Page 85
Density and sustainability......Page 86
Conclusions......Page 93
References......Page 94
PART 2 Climate and High-Density Design......Page 96
On climate changes brought about by urban living......Page 98
State of the sky......Page 100
Evaporation......Page 102
Thinking about people......Page 103
References......Page 104
Urban heat island (UHI) intensity......Page 106
Diurnal variation of UHI intensity......Page 107
Seasonal variation of UHI intensity......Page 109
Conclusions......Page 110
References......Page 111
Introduction......Page 114
Problems......Page 115
Urban climatic maps......Page 117
Urban climate and planning......Page 121
References......Page 126
PART 3 Environmental Aspects of High-Density Design......Page 128
Thermal comfort......Page 130
Recent research on comfort......Page 133
Conclusions: Implications for building design and urban planning......Page 147
References......Page 149
Introduction......Page 150
Monitoring outdoor comfort......Page 151
Conclusions......Page 159
References......Page 160
Urban ventilation in high-density cities......Page 162
Wind velocity ratio for urban ventilation......Page 163
Building and city morphology for urban ventilation......Page 164
Case study: Hong Kong......Page 167
Design guidelines......Page 173
Acknowledgements......Page 178
References......Page 179
Introduction......Page 180
Role of ventilation......Page 181
Cooling potential by ventilation in a dense urban environment......Page 184
Natural ventilation strategies in a dense urban environment......Page 199
References......Page 203
Sound distribution......Page 206
Sound perception......Page 211
Noise reduction......Page 220
References......Page 222
Context......Page 224
Graphical tools for design......Page 225
The need for daylight......Page 227
Towards high density......Page 229
A tool for high density......Page 231
The way forward......Page 233
References......Page 236
Definitions......Page 238
Designing for waste minimization......Page 243
References......Page 249
Introduction......Page 252
Possible fire hazards......Page 253
Fire safety provisions......Page 254
Performance-based design......Page 256
Structural members under substantial fires......Page 257
Super-tall buildings......Page 260
Application of performance-based design in Hong Kong......Page 262
Necessity of full-scale burning tests......Page 263
Fire engineering as a new profession......Page 264
Conclusions......Page 265
References......Page 266
Introduction......Page 270
Reducing ambient air temperature with plants......Page 272
Reducing surface temperature with plants......Page 286
Challenges in incorporating urban greenery in high-density cities......Page 300
References......Page 305
Energy demand......Page 306
Energy supply......Page 309
References......Page 314
Introduction......Page 316
Building environmental assessment methods......Page 317
Shifting scales......Page 320
Blurring boundaries......Page 322
High-density urban contexts......Page 323
References......Page 324
PART 4 High-Density Spaces and Living......Page 326
Introduction......Page 328
Privacy......Page 330
Public policy......Page 331
The city territory......Page 332
Evidence-based design......Page 333
What have we learned?......Page 334
References......Page 335
History and background......Page 336
Current status, direction and effect of high-rise buildings......Page 337
High-rise buildings – their trend and efficiency in terms of the sustainable compact city......Page 341
Conclusions......Page 350
References......Page 351
Introduction......Page 352
Community development: In pursuit of economic sustainability......Page 353
Community development: In pursuit of environmental sustainability......Page 354
Conclusions......Page 362
Reference......Page 363
High-density living: Best or worst?......Page 364
1993 – Hong Kong architecture: The aesthetics of density......Page 365
2003 – Hong Kong’s dark age: The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)......Page 366
2004 – Hong Kong’s turning point: The rise of ‘green sense’......Page 367
High-density living: Our dream city?......Page 370
References......Page 371
Index......Page 374