Assessing Pedestrian Comfort in Dense Urban Areas Using CFD Simulations: A Study on Wind Angle and Building Height Variations

Pedestrian wind comfort is a critical factor in the design of sustainable and livable dense urban areas. This study systematically investigates the effects of surrounding building height and wind incidence angle on pedestrian-level wind conditions, analyzing a nine-building arrangement through validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. Scenarios included neighborhood heights varying from 0L to 6L and wind angles from 0° to 45°. The results reveal that wind angles aligned with urban canyons (0° case) induce a strong Venturi effect, creating hazardous conditions with Mean Velocity Ratio (MVR) peaks reaching 3.42. Conversely, an oblique 45° angle mitigates high speeds by promoting flow recirculation. While increasing neighborhood height generally intensifies channeling, the study also highlights that even an isolated building (0L case) can generate hazardous localized velocities due to flow separation around its corners. The Overall Mean Velocity Ratio (OMVR) analysis identifies that, among the studied cases, a 2L neighborhood height is the most tolerable configuration, striking a balance between sheltering and channeling effects. Ultimately, these findings highlight for urban planners the importance of analyzing diverse geometric configurations and wind scenarios, reinforcing the value of CFD as an essential tool for designing safer and more comfortable public spaces.