ABSTRACT
The investigation carried out by the Faculty of Environmental Meteorology at the University of Kassel on five existing stress areas in the City of Frankfurt am Main during the years 2010/2011 was intended to contribute to the future development of urban space. Microclimatic analyses and corresponding simulations of these areas provide references as to which mitigation measures offer the best solution to reduce heat load and which options for planning arise from the microclimatic condition of the city climate. The City of Frankfurt is characterised by an excessive overheating due to its dense urbanisation and a high degree of sealed surfaces. This cannot entirely be compensated by the functioning wind circulation. The existing wind circulation systems in the Frankfurt area, especially the wind of Wetterau, the air paths along the Nidda and Main rivers, as well as local slope lifts, are of great importance to the thermal and aerial ventilation quality components of the city climate (Magistrat der Stadt Frankfurt am Main, 2009). Due to the issue of global warming, it is assumed that thermal load in the affected areas will continue to rise. The impact of climate change will be more extreme in a densely built-up city than in rural areas (Kuttler, 2009). The number of hot days with peak temperatures higher than 30°C will increase. Local air exchange and the integration of green areas, are, as a result, particularly important since they can improve the city’s climatic potential even in areas with insufficient thermal comfort.
