Toward Sustainable Buildings and Cities: Thermal Environment and Human Comfort

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid pace of urbanization has put significant strain on the environment, giving rise to pressing environmental challenges, notably urban overheating and its associated heatwaves. These phenomena not only result in substantial energy consumption but also degrade the quality of life and pose a threat to the sustainable development of human societies. Urban overheating primarily stems from unsound urban and architectural design practices and the widespread use of artificial construction materials. Passive technologies, guided by the principle of "natural harmony" and harnessing natural resources such as wind, solar radiation, and ambient temperature, offer a promising avenue for creating comfortable environments with minimal reliance on active energy sources.

Advanced passive techniques, including passive cooling and daytime radiative cooling, have shown considerable potential for mitigating urban overheating. By integrating more natural resources into the design of buildings and cities tailored to the specific geographical conditions, we can significantly enhance the urban thermal environment. However, achieving this goal necessitates a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach.

In this Special Issue, we aim to delve into the latest advancements in passive techniques, detection methodologies, and strategies for combating urban overheating.  The scope of topics includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Innovative passive materials and techniques;
• Impact of passive techniques on the performance on buildings and cities;
• Methods to design the local building and city environment;
• Sustainable urban–rural planning and design;
• Advanced methods to detect the urban thermal environment;
• Economic, low-carbon, and risk assessment for innovative passive techniques.

Prof. Dr. Yinghong Qin
Prof. Dr. Peng Ren
Dr. Kanghao Tan
Guest Editors

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• urban overheating
• advanced passive techniques
• passive evaporative cooling technologies
• radiative cooling techniques
• greenery for walls and roofs
• natural ventilation for buildings and the environment
• cooling potentials
• energy consumption
• low-carbon economics
• advanced methods to detect the urban thermal environment