GUCG - Göteborg Urban Climate Group
Short description
During the last decades research has focused on projects related to the influence of the urban geometry, urban vegetation and land cover on radiation, temperature and wind. Projects also concern the relation between urban climate and air quality as well as outdoor thermal comfort. Integration of climate knowledge in urban design and planning is also an important research topic. Many of the projects are multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary, including scientists from atmospheric science, architecture, urban and regional planning, psychology, biology, and medicine. The studies have been carried out in urban areas in Sweden, Germany, UK, Japan, Botswana, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Kenya and the Netherlands.
Research
Our research focuses on measurements and modelling of:
- micro-scale processes and patterns associated with urban landscape elements (buildings, canyons, parks etc.)
- urban air quality
- biometeorology, including human comfort
- impacts of climate change on heat waves and urban tourism
Studies have mainly been carried out in Sweden in the Göteborg area, but also in cities in Japan, Germany, Burkina Faso and Kenya.
Software
The Göteborg Urban Climate Group has developed a number of different software which is freely available for download. Most of the tools are available from of the Urban Multi-scale Environmental Predictor (UMEP), a comprehensive open source climate planning tool available as an plugin in QGIS.
Older tools from our group are available from our software download webpage.