Third Int. Conf. on Countermeasures to Urban Heat Island: Integration of Microclimate-Responsive Design in the Planning of Urban Outdoor Spaces - a Case Study in Athens, Greece

In the design of outdoor urban spaces microclimate consideration are often relegated in the background compared to other functional, aesthetic and economic design purposes. Even though the necessity of mitigating urban heat and improving thermal comfort is evident, urban microclimate is hardly addressed as design criteria in planning and design processes yet. However, as a consequence of urban expansion and densification and climate change, urban heat and thermal discomfort in urban environments are likely to increase. Therefore, climateresponsive designs should be integrated in on-going urban developments to ensure comfortable living conditions for cities’ inhabitants now and in the future. The landscape architecture and urban planning project “One-step beyond. Re-Think Athens, towards a new city centre” represents such an integrative approach. The study exemplarily describes the process of redesigning urban outdoor spaces in Athens by means of climate-responsive greenery.