Overview:

Summary: Varying heights among adjacent buildings can improve ventilation and provide shading. Buildings designed around a central courtyard can also create an internal shaded area.

Implementation: Include in design guidelines. Applicable to high-density downtown areas because adjusting building height and shape will maximize ventilation and allow heat and pollutants to dissipate

Considerations for Use: This is most applicable to new developments, but can also be used for redevelopment and infill in existing, highly dense areas.

• Policy Levers:
  
  
  MandateMandates are government regulations that require stakeholders to meet standards through building codes, ordinances, zoning policies, or other regulatory tools.
• Trigger Points:
  
  
  City planning processesIncludes city initiatives such as the development of climate action plan, pathway to zero-energy, master plan, transit plan, energy mapping etc.
  Introducing new or updated zoning/codesIncludes codes, zoning requirements or by-laws pertaining to urban planning and building construction activity.
• Intervention Type:
  Buildings and Built Form
• Sectors:
  Buildings

Impact:

• Target Beneficiaries:
  Property owners
• Phase of Impact:
  Risk reduction and mitigation
• Metrics:
  Energy savings

Case Studies:

• Skysong in Scottsdale, AZ (UNEP, Pg 40)
• Cooling Singapore (UNEP, Pg 74)

Implementation:

• Intervention Scale:
  Building
• Authority and Governance:
  City government
• Implementation Timeline:
  Short-term (1-2 Years)
• Implementation Stakeholders:
  City government, Property owners and managers
• Funding Sources:
  private investment
• Capacity to Act:
  High, Medium

Benefits:

• Cost-Benefit:
  Low
• Public Good:
  N/A
• GHG Reduction:
  N/A
• Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
  N/A
• Co-benefits (Social):
  Save on utilities