Microclimatic measurements in tropical cities: Systematic review and proposed guidelines

Abstract

To tackle urban overheating induced by the combined effect of global warming and intensive urbanization, researchers have recommended assimilating microclimate-related strategies into urban design practices. Field measurements, playing a central role in urban climatology, have been widely applied worldwide. Reviewing the last five years' field measurement studies and existing guidelines and standards from WMO (World Meteorological Organization) and ISO (International Organization for Standardization), this study identified a gap between available guidelines and researchers' practical needs to ascertain the collection of high caliber data. Therefore, dedicated guidelines are required to explain the crucial conceptual and application issues and refine systematic field measurement methods. This demand is particularly acute for microscale and urban environments. This study proposed and explained integrated and comprehensive guidelines for systematic microclimate field measurements. The suggested workflow included four main steps: formulating field measurement plan, preparing for field measurements, sustaining measurement quality, and curating data. The complex and heterogeneous environment in urban areas was carefully evaluated to hone the data acquisition campaign and ascertain data quality. Relevant concepts and practices learned from existing guidelines and standards, experiences from actual field studies, and professional recommendations were distilled and incorporated into the guidelines. The significance of a complete report with full metadata was emphasized. Detailed hints, precautions, recommendations, examples, and a metadata checklist were provided as a helpful and actionable package of research procedures.