Land cover controls the land‐atmosphere exchange of water and energy through the partitioning of solar energy into latent and sensible heat. Observations over all land cover types at the regional scale are required to study these turbulent flux dynamics over a landscape. Here, we aim to study how the control of daily and midday latent and sensible heat fluxes over different land cover types is distributed along three axes: energy availability, water availability and exchange efficiency. To this end, observations from 19 eddy covariance flux tower sites in the Netherlands, covering six different land cover types located within the same climatic zone, were used in a regression analysis to explain the observed dynamics and find the principle drivers. The resulting relative position of these sites along the three axes suggests that land cover partly explains the variance of daily and midday turbulent fluxes. We found that evaporation dynamics from grassland, peatland swamp and cropland sites could mostly be explained by energy availability. Forest evaporation can mainly be explained by water availability, urban evaporation by water availability and exchange efficiency, and open water evaporation can almost entirely be explained by exchange efficiency. We found that the sensible heat flux is less sensitive to land cover type. This demonstrates that the land‐atmosphere interface plays an active role in the shedding of sensible heat. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of evaporation over different land cover types and may help to optimize, and potentially simplify, models to predict evaporation.

Distinct differences in surface characteristics between a water body and a land surface result in different drivers of evaporation and therefore its dynamics. It is essential to include and represent this difference in the parameterization of open water evaporation (Ewater) to improve operational hydrological models. Additionally, more accurate parameterization becomes even more crucial to predict potential changes in quantity and dynamics of Ewater in a changing climate in support of optimal water management now and in the future.For this purpose, we performed a long-term measurement campaign to measure Ewater and related meteorological variables over a large lowland reservoir in the Netherlands. During the summer seasons of 2019 and 2020 eddy-covariance systems were applied at two locations at the border of lake IJsselmeer in the Netherlands. These high temporal resolution measurements gave us the opportunity to explore the dynamics and identify the underlying driving mechanisms of Ewater. Using the data collected during the summer of 2019 we were able to develop a simple regression model for both measurement locations. Combinations, both sums and products, of the following independent variables were considered: global radiation, wind speed, water skin temperature, vapour pressure deficit, and vertical vapour pressure gradient. The product of wind speed and vertical vapour pressure gradient best explained the observed hourly Ewater rates, which is consistent with the commonly used aerodynamic approach. The model was validated using the data of 2020. Additionally, we compared measured Ewater to Ewater computed with Makkink’s equation, which is currently used in the Dutch operational hydrological models to estimate Ewater. Although a correction factor is applied to account for the difference between land evaporation and Ewater, Makkink is not able to capture the dynamics of Ewater. This was reflected in the timing and shape of the evaporation peak at both daily and monthly scales. The disagreement of Ewater dynamics found between the measured and simulated Ewater even more demonstrates the value and need of a correct parameterization of Ewater.

BACKGROUND:Pesticides can be transported from the site of application to homes via different routes and lead to exposure of residents, raising concerns regarding health effects. We built a deterministic model framework (OBOmod) to assess exposure of residents living near fields where pesticides are applied. METHODS:OBOmod connects five independent models operating on an hourly timescale and high spatial resolution (meters). Models include descriptions of spray drift, volatilization, atmospheric transport and dispersion, exchange between outdoor and indoor air and exchange between indoor air and dust. Fourteen bulb field applications under different weather conditions and comprising 12 pesticides were simulated. Each simulation included the first seven days after the application. The concentrations computed with OBOmod were compared with those measured in outdoor and indoor air and the amounts measured in indoor dust samples. RESULTS:Model evaluation indicated suitability of the developed framework to estimate outdoor and indoor air concentrations. For most pesticides, model accuracy was good. The framework explained about 30% to 95% of the temporal and spatial variability of air concentrations. For 20% of the simulations, the framework explained more than 35% of spatial variability of concentrations in dust. In general, OBOmod estimates remained within one order of magnitude from measured levels. Calculations showed that in addition to spray drift during application, volatilization from the field after spraying and pesticides in house dust are important routes for residents' exposure to pesticides. CONCLUSIONS:Our framework covers many processes needed to calculate exposure of residents to pesticides. The evaluation phase shows that, with the exception of the dust model, the framework can be used in support of health and epidemiological studies, and can serve as a tool to support development of regulations and policy making regarding pesticide use.

The amount and dynamics of urban water storage play an important role in mitigating urban flooding and heat. Assessment of the capacity of cities to store water remains challenging due to the extreme heterogeneity of the urban surface. Evapotranspiration (ET) recession after rainfall events during the period without precipitation, over which the amount of stored water gradually decreases, can provide insight on the water storage capacity of urban surfaces. Assuming ET is the only outgoing flux, the water storage capacity can be estimated based on the timescale and intercept of its recession. In this paper, we test the proposed approach to estimate the water storage capacity at neighborhood scale with latent heat flux data collected by eddy covariance flux towers in eleven contrasting urban sites with different local climate zones, vegetation cover and characteristics and background climates (Amsterdam, Arnhem, Basel, Berlin, Helsinki, Łódź, Melbourne, Mexico City, Seoul, Singapore, Vancouver). Water storage capacities ranging between 1 and 12 mm were found. These values correspond to e-folding timescales lasting from 2 to 10 days, which translate to half-lives of 1.5 to 7 days. We find ET at the start of a drydown to be positively related to vegetation fraction, and long timescales and large storage capacities to be associated with higher vegetation fractions. According to our results, urban water storage capacity is at least one order of magnitude smaller than the known water storage capacity in natural forests and grassland.

BackgroundApplication of pesticides in the vicinity of homes has caused concern regarding possible health effects in residents living nearby. However, the high spatiotemporal variation of pesticide levels and lack of knowledge regarding the contribution of exposure routes greatly complicates exposure assessment approaches. ObjectiveThe objective of this paper was to describe the study protocol of a large exposure survey in the Netherlands assessing pesticide exposure of residents living close (<250 m) to agricultural fields; to better understand possible routes of exposure; to develop an integrative exposure model for residential exposure; and to describe lessons learned. MethodsWe performed an observational study involving residents living in the vicinity of agricultural fields and residents living more than 500 m away from any agricultural fields (control subjects). Residential exposures were measured both during a pesticide use period after a specific application and during the nonuse period for 7 and 2 days, respectively. We collected environmental samples (outdoor and indoor air, dust, and garden and field soils) and personal samples (urine and hand wipes). We also collected data on spraying applications as well as on home characteristics, participants' demographics, and food habits via questionnaires and diaries. Environmental samples were analyzed for 46 prioritized pesticides. Urine samples were analyzed for biomarkers of a subset of 5 pesticides. Alongside the field study, and by taking spray events and environmental data into account, we developed a modeling framework to estimate environmental exposure of residents to pesticides. ResultsOur study was conducted between 2016 and 2019. We assessed 96 homes and 192 participants, including 7 growers and 28 control subjects. We followed 14 pesticide applications, applying 20 active ingredients. We collected 4416 samples: 1018 air, 445 dust (224 vacuumed floor, 221 doormat), 265 soil (238 garden, 27 fields), 2485 urine, 112 hand wipes, and 91 tank mixtures. ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first study on residents’ exposure to pesticides addressing all major nondietary exposure sources and routes (air, soil, dust). Our protocol provides insights on used sampling techniques, the wealth of data collected, developed methods, modeling framework, and lessons learned. Resources and data are open for future collaborations on this important topic. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR1-10.2196/27883

There are many initiatives to re-wet drained nature or former agricultural land. These young wetlands provide a natural habitat for a range of endangered species, while serving as a natural climate buffer by retaining water, regulating air temperature, and sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere. However, wetlands may also emit CH4, which has a global warming potential (GWP) of about 30. Thus, all carbon fluxes need to be quantified in order to assess if, from a climate perspective, CO2 uptake outweighs CH4 emission.To assess the net effect of young wetlands on Greenhouse Gas exchange, we study the CO2 and CH4 fluxes of two recently rewetted areas near Groningen, the Netherlands. The fluxes are measured directly using the Eddy Covariance (EC) technique on a moveable station, alternating between the two sites. Meteorological observations are performed at these stations as well, along with other supportive measurements such as soil/water temperature. The alternating time gaps are filled by interpolation based on observed ecosystem responses. Footprint analysis provides insight into the role of various vegetation types inside these swamps. The resulting carbon budgets provide insight into GHG exchange over typically small temporal and spatial scales.The study also examines the feasibility of these moveable stations, as they may reduce the relatively high research costs of EC measurements. The data from moveable stations is reliable if the data is regular, as the time gaps are filled by interpolation. At this stage, the timeseries is too short to draw any conclusions upon the reliability of the data. However, the moveable stations appear to be feasible from a practical point of view, as the station can be relocated relatively easy within the time span of a day.The first results suggest both substantial CO2 uptake and CH4 emissions but a full year of data was not collected yet. Observed exchange compares well to similar studies previously performed.Ultimately, annual budgets of the carbon exchange response will be correlated to weather conditions but also to hydrological measures such as water levels. This should allow extrapolation of the data, which may serve as a basis for policy makers to manage the carbon balance when re-wetting nature to achieve net mitigation of greenhouse warming potential.

Small urban water bodies, like ponds or canals, are often assumed to cool their surroundings during hot periods, when water bodies remain cooler than air during daytime. However, during the night they may be warmer. Sufficient fetch is required for thermal effects to reach a height of 1–2 m, relevant for humans. In the ‘Really cooling water bodies in cities’ (REALCOOL) project thermal effects of typical Dutch urban water bodies were explored, using ENVI-met 4.1.3. This model version enables users to specify intensity of turbulent mixing and light absorption of the water, offering improved water temperature simulations. Local thermal effects near individual water bodies were assessed as differences in air temperature and Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET). The simulations suggest that local thermal effects of small water bodies can be considered negligible in design practice. Afternoon air temperatures in surrounding spaces were reduced by typically 0.2 °C and the maximum cooling effect was 0.6 °C. Typical PET reduction was 0.6 °C, with a maximum of 1.9 °C. Night-time warming effects are even smaller. However, the immediate surroundings of small water bodies can become cooler by means of shading from trees, fountains or water mists, and natural ventilation. Such interventions induce favorable changes in daytime PET.

Het klimaat verandert. Het wordt natter en heter. Nederland moet zich aanpassen aan het veranderende klimaat. Daarom staan de gemeenten voor de uitdaging om er vanaf 2020 voor te zorgen dat een (her)inrichting van een straat of wijk klimaatbestendig is. Voor wateroverlast en waterveiligheid weten we ongeveer hoe dat moet. Voor hitte is eigenlijk nog niet duidelijk wat er moet gebeuren. En dat is zorgelijk, want hitte kan grote problemen geven. Hitte kan leiden tot extra sterfte en zal het leven in de stad bovendien steeds vaker onaangenaam maken. Duidelijk is dat er aandacht nodig is op het sociale vlak (o.a. in de zorg), voor gebouwen (koele binnenruimtes) en voor de buitenruimte. Dit rapport richt zich op dat laatste: op het hittebestendig inrichten van de buitenruimte, omdat daar nog veel kennis ontbreekt.

This article explores how the combination of research approaches in Research Through Design (RTD) can contribute to generating applicable urban design knowledge. The article is based on learnings from the 'Really cooling water bodies in cities' project, a pragmatist RTD combining post-positivist, constructivist and transformative/participatory approaches along six design iterations. The results indicate that the combination of research approaches in RTD can contribute to generating applicable urban design knowledge when the approaches are carefully chosen and combined as to provide feedback on each other, based on a coherent rationale driven by clear research questions and goals.

In het kader van het klimaatakkoord wordt overwogen om verdroogd veen weer te vernatten. Het idee is dat daarbij de door verdroging optredende aerobe omstandigheden, die leiden tot oxidatie van veen en de daarbij horende uitstoot (emissie) van CO2 naar de atmosfeer, grotendeels weer veranderen in anaerobe omstandigheden die verdere oxidatie en de uitstoot van CO2 voorkomen of zelfs leiden tot vastlegging. De mogelijkheid bestaat echter dat anaerobe omstandigheden bij veengronden leiden tot productie en uitstoot van CH4 (methaan). Methaan is - geevalueerd over een periode van 100 jaar - een ongeveer 28 maal sterker broeikasgas dan CO2 (IPCC, 2013). Daarom kan een eventuele extra methaanemissie de emissiereductie van CO2 deels of zelfs helemaal weer teniet doen - het “methaanlek”. Bestaat een dergelijk methaanlek ook voor weer vernatte veengebieden in Nederland en zo ja, hoe groot is dat dan?

In the past, most field studies on evaporation have focussed on land-atmosphere interactions, while the turbulent exchange above inland water surfaces have remained underexposed. However, due to the differences in characteristics of a land surface and a water body there are other driving mechanisms underlying the process of evaporation. This results in a difference in dynamics of surface evaporation between the land use types and consequently should lead to a different parameterization in hydrological models. Especially in a changing climate the importance of having an understanding of the driving mechanisms of open water evaporation (E­water) becomes more crucial to better predict to what extent the quantity and dynamics of Ewater could change in the future. This is essential to improve the parameterization of Ewater in operational hydrological models and therefore to optimize water management now and in the future. For this purpose, we set-up a long-term measurement campaign to measure Ewater and related meteorological variables over a large lowland reservoir in the Netherlands.During the hot summer of 2019 two eddy-covariance systems were operational around lake IJsselmeer in the Netherlands. These high-temporal measurements are used to study the dynamics and to identify the forcing mechanisms of Ewater. We present the turbulent heat flux dynamics at several temporal scales over the summer season of 2019 and show how they are related to potential drivers and parameters. From this we develop a simple data based model for estimating hourly Ewater rates. Additionally, we compare Ewater resulting from the direct measurements to Ewater derived from commonly used evaporation models. Furthermore, we investigate and discuss the effect of including spatial variability on the total water loss of the IJsselmeer through Ewater. We achieve this by using the skin water temperature, which is considered an important predictor in the estimation of Ewater. Therefore, we use satellite products containing this information to extrapolate the in-situ observations towards spatially distributed rates of Ewater.

Communication of climate-responsive urban design guidelines is becoming increasingly relevant in the light of climate adaptation challenges in cities. Widespread uptake in practice of such guidelines can be promoted by visualizations of the principles on which they are based. The “Really cooling water bodies in cities” research project developed and tested the required knowledge on visual communication. Evidence-based design guidelines assisting designers with creating cooler urban water environments were developed and communicated with 3D animations. The animations were shaped according to three core theoretical criteria about visual representations: “visual clarity”, “trust” and “interest”. We assessed in how far these criteria were met in an inquiry with design professionals, the target group of the design guidelines. The article concludes with recommendations for developing visual design guidelines in climate-responsive urban design: to weigh the level of detail, components and balance between site-specificity/abstraction (“visual clarity”); to make microclimatic processes visible without distorting them (“trust”); and to keep timing short and visual attractiveness high (“interest”). It is argued that taking these aspects into account and setting a clear correspondence between theoretical concepts, representation objectives and options, can largely benefit visual design guidelines communicating climate-responsive urban design knowledge.

With the increasing need to mitigate rising atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations more attention is being directed at the quantification of the GHG exchange characteristics of heterogenous landscape assemblages that vary in land cover and land use. Whilst emission-limiting or uptake-enhancing management actions are often being proposed for specific land use most remain to be experimentally tested and validated at the landscape scale. This is a challenge because the typical size of different landscape elements (fields, afforested areas and unmanaged land at hectare scale) or experimental fields where emission reduction measures are being tested, is at the lower limit of what micrometeorological techniques such as eddy covariance measurements can deal with. With large heterogeneity the use of chamber measurements is also limited. The investments to be made in equipment are a challenge for operational monitoring of GHG budgets.To address this we assess the feasibility of several options to acquire appropriate data in a way that is achievable for stakeholders, such as land managers and regional authorities. We use existing and new flux data from an agricultural landscape in the North of the Netherlands to: 1) compare paired eddy covariance (EC) data and automatic chamber (AC) data to test the representativity of small footprints. Results from a test site on drained meadows show almost identical CO2 fluxes. Future research should compare grass length and soil moisture of EC- and AC footprints; 2) test simplified alternatives to EC, such as those relying on concentration variances. Data from the peat meadow site suggest that time-averaged fluxes can be estimated in an empirical way with reasonable accuracy from concentration variances; 3) analyze the value of information gathered with mobile, roving/temporary EC approaches interpolated with gap filling models. The indications are that the values and variability of fluxes is largely conserved and predictable within seasons In all these analyses, we will consider the tradeoffs between the need for accuracy and pragmatism in operational practice.

The temperature is rising due to climate change, resulting in more heat waves and more hot days and nights. All government agencies (municipalities, provincial governments and water boards) in the Netherlands must therefore identify the bottlenecks relating to flooding, heat, drought and floods before 2020. RIVM has proposed standardising the ‘test for heat stress’. To this end, a guideline has been drawn up for municipalities to enable them to list 24 possible risks, divided into 5 themes: health, networks, water, quality of life and outdoor space.A new method has been developed for calculating heat maps, with the wind chill temperature as starting point, that can be used to assess heat stress. Using this new method, the standard heat map, with wind chill temperature, can be calculated on a hot day.There are currently a lot of heat maps available, all showing the heat in different ways. Urban areas are often warmer than rural ones, partly because of the use of dark materials, such as asphalt, and lower wind speeds (heat island). The standard calculation takes into account various weather parameters, the local spatial situation, the land use and the location of buildings and trees. In this study, standardised maps have been developed for the city of Wageningen. For the stress test to become more applicable, it is important that new heat maps are developed on a national scale and made available in the Climate Effect Atlas. A map with the number of hot nights has already been included in this digital atlas.Prolonged periods of heat can cause nuisance, varying from a lack of sleep to a life-threatening disturbance of bodily functions, as is the case with sunstroke. More people die than ‘normal’ when it is very hot; the elderly and people with chronic disorders, such as pulmonary and cardiac complaints, are particularly vulnerable. RIVM recommends theidentification of these health risks for the Netherlands. The most important parameters are the number of additional hospitalisations resulting from the heat and the number of deaths in excess of the ‘normal’ numbers.

Dit rapport bevat een erratum d.d. 19-02-2020 op pagina 123. Door klimaatverandering stijgt de temperatuur, waardoor er meer hittegolven zijn met meer hete dagen en nachten. Alle overheden (gemeenten, provincies en waterschappen) in Nederland moeten daarom voor 2020 knelpunten van wateroverlast, hitte, droogte en overstromingen in beeld brengen. Het RIVM doet een voorstel om deze 'test voor hittestress' te standaardiseren. Hiertoe is een leidraad opgesteld voor gemeenten waarmee zij 24 mogelijke risico's in kaart kunnen brengen, verdeeld over vijf thema's: gezondheid, netwerken, water, leefbaarheid en buitenruimte. Om de hittestress te beoordelen is een nieuwe methode ontwikkeld om hittekaarten te berekenen, met de gevoelstemperatuur als uitgangspunt. Met deze nieuwe methode kan de standaard hittekaart met gevoelstemperatuur op een hete dag berekend worden. Op dit moment zijn er veel hittekaarten beschikbaar die op uiteenlopende wijze de hitte in beeld brengen. In steden is het vaak warmer dan in landelijke gebieden, onder andere door het gebruik van donkere materialen zoals asfalt en door lagere windsnelheden (hitte-eiland). Bij de standaardberekening wordt rekening gehouden met verschillende weersomstandigheden en de plaatselijke ruimtelijke situatie, het landgebruik, en de ligging van gebouwen en bomen. De gestandaardiseerde kaarten zijn in dit onderzoek uitgewerkt voor de stad Wageningen. Om de stresstest beter toepasbaar te maken is het belangrijk dat de nieuwe hittekaarten op nationale schaal worden uitgewerkt en beschikbaar komen in de Klimaat Effect Atlas. In deze digitale atlas is nu al de kaart met het aantal warme nachten opgenomen. Langdurig aanhoudende hitte kan hinder veroorzaken, varierend van slecht slapen tot een levensbedreigende verstoring van lichamelijke functies zoals bij een zonnesteek. Als gevolg van hitte overlijden meer mensen dan 'normaal', vooral ouderen en mensen met een chronische aandoening als long- en hartklachten. Het RIVM beveelt aan deze gezondheidsrisico's voor Nederland in beeld te brengen. Het gaat daarbij vooral om het aantal extra ziekenhuisopnamen als gevolg van de hitte en het aantal mensen dat extra overlijdt.

Low socio-economic status has been widely recognized as a significant factor in enhancing a person's vulnerability to climate change including vulnerability to changes in temperature. Yet, little is known about exposure to heat within cities in developing countries, and even less about exposure within informal neighbourhoods in those countries. This paper presents an assessment of exposure to outdoor heat in the South Asian cities Delhi, Dhaka, and Faisalabad. The temporal evolution of exposure to heat is evaluated, as well as intra-urban differences, using meteorological measurements from mobile and stationary devices (April–September 2016). Exposure to heat is compared between low-income and other neighbourhoods in these cities. Results are expressed in terms of air temperature and in terms of the thermal indices Heat Index (HI), Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) at walking level. Conditions classified as dangerous to very dangerous, and likely to impede productivity, are observed almost every day of the measurement period during daytime, even when air temperature drops after the onset of the monsoon. It is recommended to cast heat warnings in terms of thermal indices instead of just temperature. Our results nuance the idea that people living in informal neighbourhoods are consistently more exposed to heat than people living in more prosperous neighbourhoods. During night-time, exposure does tend to be enhanced in densely-built informal neighbourhoods, but not if the low-income neighbourhoods are more open, or if they are embedded in green/blue areas.

For an assessment of the roles of soil and vegetation in the climate system, a further understanding of the flux components of H2O and CO2 (e.g., transpiration, soil respiration) and their interaction with physical conditions and physiological functioning of plants and ecosystems is necessary. To obtain magnitudes of these flux components, we applied source partitioning approaches after Scanlon and Kustas (2010; SK10) and after Thomas et al. (2008; TH08) to high-frequency eddy covariance measurements of 12 study sites covering different ecosystems (croplands, grasslands, and forests) in different climatic regions. Both partitioning methods are based on higher-order statistics of the H2O and CO2 fluctuations, but proceed differently to estimate transpiration, evaporation, net primary production, and soil respiration. We compared and evaluated the partitioning results obtained with SK10 and TH08, including slight modifications of both approaches. Further, we analyzed the interrelations among the performance of the partitioning methods, turbulence characteristics, and site characteristics (such as plant cover type, canopy height, canopy density, and measurement height). We were able to identify characteristics of a data set that are prerequisites for adequate performance of the partitioning methods. SK10 had the tendency to overestimate and TH08 to underestimate soil flux components. For both methods, the partitioning of CO2 fluxes was less robust than for H2O fluxes. Results derived with SK10 showed relatively large dependencies on estimated water use efficiency (WUE) at the leaf level, which is a required input. Measurements of outgoing longwave radiation used for the estimation of foliage temperature (used in WUE) could slightly increase the quality of the partitioning results. A modification of the TH08 approach, by applying a cluster analysis for the conditional sampling of respiration–evaporation events, performed satisfactorily, but did not result in significant advantages compared to the original method versions developed by Thomas et al. (2008). The performance of each partitioning approach was dependent on meteorological conditions, plant development, canopy height, canopy density, and measurement height. Foremost, the performance of SK10 correlated negatively with the ratio between measurement height and canopy height. The performance of TH08 was more dependent on canopy height and leaf area index. In general, all site characteristics that increase dissimilarities between scalars appeared to enhance partitioning performance for SK10 and TH08.

De warme en droge zomers van 2018 en 2019 braken allerlei records, en we zullen er nog veel vaker mee te maken krijgen. Ook korte hevige regen- en hagelbuien komen steeds vaker voor. De effecten van klimaatverandering hebben verschillende gevolgen. Zo moeten er meer mensen naar het ziekenhuis in hete zomers, kan er vaker water het gebouw in stromen en verzakken wegen en panden door droogte. De Klimaatschadeschatter (KSS) helpt om inzicht te krijgen in de schade door klimaatverandering met de focus op de stedelijke omgeving.

This paper presents five design prototypes for cool urban water environments developed in the 'Really cooling water bodies in cities' (REALCOOL) project. The REALCOOL prototypes address an urgent need: urban water bodies, such as ponds or canals, are often assumed to cool down their surroundings during days with heat stress, whereas recent research shows that this is not always the case and that urban water bodies may actually have warming effects too. There are, however, indications that shading, vaporising water, and proper ventilation can keep water bodies and their surroundings cooler. Yet, it is necessary to explore how these strategies can be optimally combined and how the resulting design guidelines can be communicated to design professionals. The REALCOOL prototypes communicate the spatial layout and biometeorological effects of such combinations and assist design decisions dealing with urban water environments. The micrometeorological simulations with Envi­met showed that the prototypes led to local reductions on daytime PET from 1 °C to 7 °C, upon introducing shade. Water mist and fountains were also cooling solutions. The important role of ventilation was confirmed. The paper discusses and concludes about the use of the prototypes as tools for urban design practice.