Urban Design to Reduce Air Pollution Exposure in High-rise and High-density Cities

High-rise and high-density urban design has been associated with severe air pollutionAir pollution and negative impacts on urban pedestrians’ healthHealth. However, proper urban design in such citiesCity has the potential to effectively enhance outdoor ventilationVentilation and reduce air pollution exposureAir pollution exposure while maintaining land use efficiency. By better understanding the ventilationVentilation mechanisms and air pollutionAir pollution exposure patterns in high-rise and high-density citiesHigh-rise and high-density cities, we proposed six design principles that can improve urban ventilationUrban ventilation in high-density cities and therefore reduce air pollution exposureAir pollution exposure. They include (a) “lift-up” buildings, (b) creating height variability, (c) taking advantage of open space and central high-rise buildings, (d) creating wind paths, (e) avoiding projecting obstructions in the street canyonStreet canyon, and (f) taking advantage of thermal buoyancy. By incorporating these climate-sensitive design strategiesDesign strategies, high-density citiesCity can potentially reduce both indoor and outdoor exposureExposure to air pollutionAir pollution, leading to improved sustainability and resilienceResilience.