The use of outdoor microclimate analysis to support decision making process: Case study of Bufalini square in Cesena

The study is aimed at evaluating the potential effects of alternative design solutions with different green elements on outdoor microclimate with relation to a real case study application. The study has been commissioned in the framework of the follow up of a design competition, launched by the Municipality of Cesena to reshape a square in the historic city center, when a public debate raised around the arrangement of trees and green surfaces envisaged by the architectural layout. Different options were considered and the design team and the public authorities sought for evidences on the deriving benefits in the respective configurations in order to properly drive the process. Thus the scientific research approach was applied to investigate the potential impacts according to a microclimate oriented perspective. The outcomes showed that green surfaces significantly improved the outdoor comfort conditions compared to original paved ones and that a minor contribution derived by the trees arrangement. The paper reports the applied methodology according to the specific context, the interpretation of results and how they have been translated into user friendly visualizations in order to make them understandable to a broader and non technical audience.