Proceedings of the 5th World Conference on Climate Change and Global Warming
Year: 2025
DOI:
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Automated Large-Scale Urban Modeling for Microclimate and Thermal Comfort Assessment
Julia Díaz-Borrego, Rocío Escandón, Alicia Alonso
ABSTRACT:
Urban microclimate modeling is essential for evaluating the heat island effect in urban areas, as well as outdoor and indoor thermal comfort, particularly in the face of climate change and increasing heat stress. However, traditional urban modeling approaches often require significant time for data collection and modeling, restricting their feasibility for large-scale applications. This research introduces an efficient and replicable methodology for high-detail urban modeling by integrating open-source programming tools and open access datasets. The proposed workflow enables the rapid generation of urban models, incorporating buildings, pavement variations, green spaces, and detailed tree canopy structures, including position, height, and species classification. Cadastral and tree inventory data are processed in RStudio for cleaning, filtering, and coordinate transformation before being exported as shapefiles. These files are then imported into Grasshopper, a parametric design tool and visual programming environment within Rhino, using the ShrimpGIS plugin for 3D modeling and extrusion. This methodology significantly reduces processing time, enabling the creation of high-fidelity urban models in under an hour—compared to traditional methods requiring days or weeks. By leveraging open data and open-source tools, this approach enhances accessibility and scalability of the proposed methodology, supporting climate resilience research and urban planning globally.
keywords: Climate adaptation, Data processing, GIS, Open-source modeling, Urban heat Island