Abstract

Herein, we introduce a novel methodology to generate urban morphometric parameters that takes advantage of deep neural networks and inverse modeling. We take the example of Chicago, USA, where the Urban Canopy Parameters (UCPs) available from the National Urban Database and Access Portal Tool (NUDAPT) are used as input to the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Next, the WRF simulations are carried out with Local Climate Zones (LCZs) as part of the World Urban Data Analysis and Portal Tools (WUDAPT) approach. Lastly, a third novel simulation, Digital Synthetic City (DSC), was undertaken where urban morphometry was generated using deep neural networks and inverse modeling, following which UCPs are re-calculated for the LCZs. the three experiments (NUDAPT, WUDAPT, and DSC) were compared against Mesowest observation stations. the results suggest that the introduction of LCZs improves the overall model simulation of urban air temperature. the DSC simulations yielded equal to or better results than the WUDAPT simulation. Furthermore, the change in the UCPs led to a notable difference in the simulated temperature gradients and wind speed within the urban region and the local convergence/divergence zones. These results provide the first successful implementation of the digital urban visualization dataset within an NWP system. This development now can lead the way for a more scalable and widespread ability to perform more accurate urban meteorological modeling and forecasting, especially in developing cities. Additionally, city planners will be able to generate synthetic cities and study their actual impact on the environment.

Department(s)

Biological Sciences

Publication Status

Open Access

Comments

National Science Foundation, Grant 1816514

Keywords and Phrases

deep neural network; urban boundary layer; urban canopy parameters; urban climate; weather research and forecasting model; WUDAPT

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2752-6542

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Final Version

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2025 Oxford University Press; National Academy of Sciences, All rights reserved.

Creative Commons Licensing

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Publication Date

01 Mar 2023

Included in

Biology Commons

Share

 
COinS