International Journal of Environmental Science and Development

Abstract—Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), in the south of Vietnam, is undergoing rapid urbanization and is one of the world’s cities most affected by climate change. A comparative analysis among different scenarios for a case study located in are-development area in HCMC revealed how urban design can contribute to reduce heat and improve thermal comfort in urban areas. Isoline mappings made with the climate modelling software ENVI-met have provided evidence that enhanced street greenery has the most remarkable impact on urban thermal comfort.

Index Terms—Climate change, Ho Chi Minh City, urban heat island effects, urban design.

Chau Huynh is with the Department of Urban Planning and Spatial Design, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Germany (e-mail: huynh@tu-cottbus.de).
Ronald Eckert is an urban planner and a research associate at the Department of Urban Planning and Spatial Design. He is concerned with sustainable urban development and design in Vietnam since 2006 (email: reausb@arcor.de).

[PDF]

Cite: Chau Huynh and Ronald Eckert, "Reducing Heat and Improving Thermal Comfort through Urban Design – A Case Study in Ho Chi Minh City," International Journal of Environmental Science and Development vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 480-485, 2012.