Computing the Urban Block Local Climate Analysis and Design Strategies Elif Erdine 1 , Evan Greenberg 2 1,2 Architectural Association School of Architecture 1,2 aaschool.ac.uk 1 elif.erdine@aaschool.ac.uk 2 evan.greenberg@aaschool.ac.uk This research develops a method for the analysis, integration and visualisation of climatic parameters in a dense urban block. In order to test this method, a typical urban block in Manila, Philippines, is investigated and results are represented through computational simulation. The translation of latent spatial qualities into visual data with common tools and techniques allows designers to gain an understanding of how to design local microclimates, and inhabitants to gain greater knowledge of the environment. In this regard, this research proposes, contrary to conventional methodologies, the use of analytical tools as the impetus to, rather than the outcome of, architectural design. Keywords: Computation, Urban Design, Environmental Analysis, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Simulation INTRODUCTION According to the United Nations, the world's popula- tion will hit 9 billion by 2050 (United Nations 2009), with 60 million people per year moving to cities (The World Bank 2013) (Figure 1). This urban migration will put a huge strain on urban infrastructures, stressing transport networks, food production patterns, hous- ing and job availability. Furthermore, the flux in var- ious environmental conditions will create a change in the way urban space is used and perceived. A de- crease in air quality or water availability can lead to an increase in ambient air temperature and a lack of physical comfort. The misappropriation of devel- opable land will lead to the dissolution of public so- cial space, leaving behind the inherent cultural qual- ities of the city. As the world's population moves toward cities, urban density will only increase. In megacities like Dhaka, Manila, and Hong Kong where hyper-density exists, or Karachi, Lagos, and Beijing, where hyper-density is imminent, there must be an understanding of how to approach new urban en- vironments, allowing for both the required density of inhabitants at the scale of the city, but also pro- viding comfortable and productive spaces within the city block. In quickly developing nations such as China, rapid urban development has been highly un- successful, leaving entire new cities, designed on a purely formal basis, devoid of inhabitants (Banerji and Jackson 2012). Numerous cities, however, have evolved over a great number of years, dependent on environmental and cultural aspects in which they thrive. By understanding the current and future en- vironmental conditions of these 'Situated Cities' (We- instock with Gharleghi 2013, p.58), as well as the Towards Smarter Cities - Volume 1 - eCAADe 32 | 145