ZEMCH 2019 International Conference Proceedings April.2020 | Page 49
geometry on the urban heat island phenomena and the outdoor thermal performance [5]. Increasing
and enhancing the sustainability of our developments is an urgent matter while facing global warning,
resources limitation, and pollution. Implementing the passive and active design elements on buildings
and at urban level represents a part of the solution [19].
Building design, orientation and block density are of significant effects in development
sustainability [20]. One of the rule of thumb in urban design is the belief that the energy consumption
decreases when the community or city density increases. This is a challenge to the urban designer to
find the best balance between the two variables in urban planning; density and energy [11, 15]. The
strong urban structure provides the less use or need for transportation and reduces the path, the cycling
transportation in the most preferred plan, and different types of transportation plays the significant
role in changing the traditional urban structure. The vehicle flow, parking areas, street width, public
transportation stations, and many of which related to transit system are the elements that should be
well designed to obtain a strong structure. Consequently, road planning affects the other urban factors
such as gardens and open areas, playground, which should be counted in during early design stages.
The sustainable land use planning is the significant factor in reducing the daily transporting cycle, and
increasing walkability as one of the sustainable neighborhood requirements [11]. Furthermore,
greenery and landscaped areas could be affective influence on increasing walkability from one side,
reducing air temperatures and enhancing outdoor and indoor thermal performances from the other
side [27].
Dubai is located in the north of the UAE, and extended along the Arabian Gulf with a climate that
is known with its humidity during summers due to its location of the city on Dubai Creek. Generally,
the weather in Dubai is sunny most days of the year, in winter, the average temperature is 25°C, while
in summer, the temperature may reach up to 38°C with a high percentage of humidity between 20‐60%,
and a low average of rainy days. The annual air temperature varied between 17°C in winter and 35°C
by Dubai weather file generated through the Integrated Environmental Solutions ‐ Virtual Environment
(IES‐VE) software [10].
2. Method and Materials
A case study method has been used to achieve the research aim and objectives in order to optimize
sustainability in one of Dubai’s neighborhoods. The study focused on exploring the urban sustainability
in a selected residential community in Dubai through analysis and evaluation using two separate
software packages; (i) IES‐VE [10], and (ii) CityCAD [6]. The following are the specific objectives of this
study:
Analyzing livability of the community through presenting quantity of each land use, services and
accessibility.
Calculating the number of units on the long axis within 15 degrees of the east‐west axis.
Presenting virtual images, plans and reports for the existing case study and the modified scenarios
that are suggested in order to optimize the community sustainability.
Simulating sun path and solar shading analysis using SunCast application.
Investigating the effect of the suggested modifications on solar gains of the community units in
percentage and hours.
Investigating the effect of the suggested modifications on air temperatures within the community
units using ApacheSim application.
In addition to the CityCAD and IES‐VE software packages, the community sustainability has been
evaluated with the use of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC)’s Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. In this study, LEED for Neighborhood and
Developments (ND), version 4 (2014), has been used [18]. The strategy for the modifications adopted
passive urban design solutions to the community master plan, which was also applicable to the existing
community. Five of the urban design parameters have been modified according to three scenarios in
Investigating Optimization of Sustainability at an Urban Level: A Case Study of Dubai Neighborhoods
38