A Tempelhofer Feld, Berlin Case Study

Join us for this #MembersHour on 28 March with Joshua Brook-Lawson, a PhD candidate at the University of Bath.

In an era where urban areas, home to over 4.2 billion individuals globally, are increasingly vulnerable to heat waves due to climate change, the urgency for effective heat mitigation strategies cannot be overstated. The phenomenon of urban heat islands (UHI) intensifies these events, rendering cities significantly warmer than their rural counterparts, largely because of the prevalence of impervious surfaces and human activities intrinsic to urban settings.

During this #MembersHour, Joshua will delve into the role of urban forests in counteracting the detrimental effects of UHIs. The presentation will offer an elementary overview of urban microclimates and their modelling, with a special focus on how trees are represented within these models. Highlighting initial findings from a numerical case study on Tempelhofer Feld in Berlin, Joshua will explore different hypothetical configurations of urban forests during heat wave conditions. The aim is to shed light on the microclimatic consequences of various urban forest planting strategies, thereby providing a scientifically grounded framework to support urban planners and practitioners in making informed decisions regarding urban forestry.

Speaker

Joshua Brook-Lawson – PhD Candidate, University of Bath

Joshua is a PhD candidate at the University of Bath’s Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering (ACE). His research concentrates on numerically exploring nature-based solutions (NBS) like urban forests and water bodies. These are investigated as viable means to alleviate the adverse thermal effects of heatwaves on a city-wide scale. Engaged in multiple research collaborations between the UK and Germany, Joshua works closely with experts from the Technical University of Berlin and the Institute of Meteorology and Climatology in Hannover (IMUK). Beyond his doctoral studies, Joshua contributes to the educational field as a creator and curator of SimBL3D.com, an online learning platform offering courses in urban microclimate simulation and geoscience data analysis, designed for students and professionals in urban and environmental planning sectors.