back to articles index

 

Author

Tay Kheng Soon
11 Jan 2001

2001
Notes on Tropical City Research

Given the necessity for dense human settlements in the hot humid tropics at this time of human history, many such cities have outgrown the basis of their plans. Their plans have been largely based on northern antecedents. As such, it is necessary and timely to re-conceptualise the city in the tropics to turn to advantage the sun and the rain even as we plan to cope with the intense heat and dampness. This research proposal is to identify the factors, which make for sustainable, liveable and lively, compact, mix use connectivity, energy conserving, bio-diversity protecting and economically vibrant environments considered regionally and in the urban clusters in the context of the climatic zone in which these cities are located.

 

1        Study comparatively urban patterns by 1km samples the floor space ratios in relation to road surface, botanical biota, open space and water bodies.

2                    Quantify several spontaneous 1 km. Sq. high-density, tropical urban settlements in terms of human occupancy, site coverage, building heights, quanta of indoor floor space, quanta of sheltered fringe floor space, open to sky public areas, biotic areas, water resources, sewerage facilities, transport facilities to obtain ratios of data at this extreme condition of liveability as an index.

3                    Quantify HDB, HK housing, new housing in Shenszen and new housing in Bombay in terms of FSR, Occupancy, energy and water use characteristics noting the income groups they accommodate.

4                    Quantify by local typological sampling, data on occupancy to floor space by different building types and their ratios in relation to income in relation to site area, neighbourhood area, district area, town area and regional area.

5                    Measurements of ventilation, light, in relation to use building type, size, occupancy and income.

6                    Measurement of energy use for building type, size, occupancy and income.

7                    Water consumption and waste discharge for building type, size, occupancy and income.

8                    Transportation study by samples of typical building users to quantify transportation energy use pattern.

9                    Quantification of communication patterns in terms of data bits per second by various means of communication. Data obtained by sample survey.

10                Quantify total existing biota versus predevelopment ratios derived from sampling of existing equivalent or relevant biotic environments.

11                Temperature sampling during mid day, sunset, 9pm, 12pm, 5am and 9am. To quantify and track temperature flow characteristics of different urban patterns and densities.

12                Energy use patterns by urban districts and types of users.

13                Water use patterns, collection, run off by quantified surface characteristics by samples and grossed up over a watershed area.

14                Fresh Food consumption and ratio of food production land in relation to urban footprint area.

15                Water consumption by catchment area in relation to urban footprint and population quantum.

16                Urban space and structure and architectural morphologies for high performance and high responsibility urban patterns and building designs.

17                Establishment of comfort criteria in terms of temperature, humidity for different human activities, walking, muscular activity, sedentary work, sleeping etc.

18                Measurement of attitudes in relation to different levels of crowdedness in various physical staple urban contexts.

19                Measurement of tolerance to noise levels in relation to density and spacings and uses.

20                Measurement of temperature differences between open and shaded temperatures.

21                Measurement of air movement patterns in different urban settings in relation to unimpeded ambient wind speed.

22                Measurement of air temperatures patterns in urban settings and in buildings under natural ventilation for different building and spacing typologies.

23                OTTV measurements against prescribed values.

24                Temperature index established over 24 hour by hourly measurements of a tropical rain forest at low level.

25                Measurement of heat penetration and retention of different construction systems measured over 24 hours period by surface temperature readings.

26                Measurement of night-time public space use patterns in relation to ambient temperature and humidity and location.

27                Public space use patterns in daytime over week by ranked locations.

28                Establish database methodology illustrated by the sample areas the data obtained above to serve as basis for projection of alternative space planning, urban design and architectural models with simulated performance readout according to database criteria and indices.

 

 

 

back to articles index