Harnessing Smarter Wind Design to Mitigate Heat
Also today: NYC’s public transit agency to hike fares and tolls in January, and a US Department of Energy report downplays future global warming projections.
The low-rise layout of Stuttgart’s postwar city center can be seen from the top of Birkenkopf, an artificial hill made from the rubble of buildings destroyed in World War II bombings.
Photographer: Marijan Murat/picture alliance via Getty Images
Stuttgart made its name building fast cars; now it’s become a model for its novel approach to combating smog and heat. Since the 1950s, the German city has shaped its growth to preserve wind corridors and green spaces that serve as a natural ventilation system.
This decades-long effort has attracted international attention, especially in Asia, where heat and pollution are rising fast in urbanizing areas. In China, more than 40 cities are adopting similar strategies. Singapore is using digital models to predict how development will impact wind corridors.