Variations of Micro-climatic Conditions in Residential Neighbourhoods in Ho Chi Minh City

The 5-year cycle of residential planning in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) has underestimated population growth since 1991. This has resulted in the disruptive and uncontrolled expansion of settlement across the city. The outcome is a complicated mix of new spontaneous dwelling areas in the city featuring a number of distinct urban morphologies. Some previous studies have shown impacts of such urban morphologies on the comfort levels in outdoor environments. The paper examines the correlation of microclimatic conditions and constituents that create the urban spatial form of residential neighbourhoods in HCMC. A total of seven dwelling urban patterns were studied. Field measurements of physical variables were conducted in summer 2017 whilst the meteorological data were recorded. Furthermore, in studies of two urban types, the microclimatic characteristics were found to vary under different urban contexts. During warm months, the outdoor thermal conditions for pedestrians were found to have average air temperatures between 32-34°C; a range of wind flow at the occupied level from 0.1-0.9m/s, and average humidity level of 57-60% over all types surveyed. The occupants’ delight in outdoor comfort was found in formally planned dwelling blocks; meanwhile, the compact neighbourhoods were characterised by cooler temperatures but poor airflows and daylighting.