Wind effects on urban planning and design; a case study of Duzce

Continuing throughout the history, one of the most important purposes of planning and design has been the enhancement of human comfort. In addition to the wishes of the human beings; long-term, nature-friendly planning and design approach is also seen as an important factor in sustainable environmental studies. In this study; the influence of wind, as one of the important climate elements, on human comfort was examined. In order to shape the landscape planning and design studies in cities, this study was influenced with the idea of how wind can be used and guided effectively. These proposals were aimed at providing corridors related to wind systems supported by sustainable urban models, especially in urban expansion directions. According to this framework, increasing the quality of living in urban habitats to an optimum level, and developing a planning perspective that considers ecological factors in cities constitute the primary objectives of this study. Thus, it will be possible to reduce the areas where the wind can not sustain continuity of urbanization and increase the quality of life for urban users in the long run. In this context, local wind measurements were used to determine the basis of the relationship between urban landscape planning and the wind, and it was statistically compared with the simultaneous data obtained from the Provincial Directorate of Meteorology. Basically, the hypotheses of "the effects of landscape features (open and green areas/corridors/building areas) on wind circulation" and "the effects of mass-gap ratios on the wind speed" have been adressed. Boundaries of the study area was determined as the Municipality Limits of the City of Duzce. Wind measurements obtained from various sampling locations across the city as well as the meteorological data and urban plans were used as main study materials; Vantage Pro2 meteorological stations and various computer programs were also included as auxiliary materials. As a result; It has been determined that the areas and axes of Düzce City are suitable for the planning and design criteria in terms of wind direction and speed, and have the most and least circulation characteristics. As a matter of fact, the mass-gap ratios in the neighborhoods are inversely proportional to the wind speed. As expressed in the aims of the European Landscape Convention; improving environmental protection, management and planning is the primary goal of a landscape architect's professional discipline. The results of this study will reveal how decisions made during the planning stage can be applied to city landscapes.