Influence of Building-Height Variability on Urban Ventilation and Pollutant Dispersion Characteristics

Urban densification associated with rapid urbanization has weakened horizontal ventilation in cities. Previous studies point out that building-height variability can enhance vertical ventilation, while most of them rely on idealized models that overlook the complexity of real urban environments. This study analyzes 20 actual urban blocks using CFD simulations, considering average building height, building density, and height standard deviation. The results show that areas with low-rise, uniform buildings exhibit superior pollutant dispersion, while mid- and high-rise zones experience complex turbulence and pollutant accumulation. Ventilation performance peaks when the height standard deviation ranges between 35 and 40. These findings underscore that optimizing urban form for vertical ventilation requires a combined strategy of density control and height variation. Realistic building group models more accurately capture airflow dynamics and provide valuable insights for the design of effective vertical ventilation corridors and the enhancement of urban pollutant dispersion.