A unified theory for the drag and dispersion over urban roughness elements

Abstract

In view of the rapid urbanization across the world, urban climate and pollutant transport are important research topics nowadays. While parameterizations are commonly adopted in city- or meso-scale meteorological models to handle different land surfaces, our understanding of how buildings affecting aerodynamic resistance and vertical fluxes is rather limited. This study is thus conceived, using mathematical modeling, to examine how building morphology modifies the drag against prevailing flows and the dispersion of gaseous pollutants over urban roughness elements. We are especially interested in the parameters that could represent the ventilation and pollutant removal of street canyons.