Improving the Climate Resilience of Urban Road Networks: A Simulation of Microclimate and Air Quality Interventions in a Typology of Streets in Thessaloniki Historic Centre

The improvement of the urban microclimate in densely-built central areas Mediterranean cities should be a key objective integrated and transport planning design accordance with UN Sustainable Development Goals on energy, sustainable cities, climate action. warm regions, already burdened by heat island effect, is expected to worsen further due global crisis. This study investigates performance common environmental street strategies microclimate, thermal comfort, air quality under extreme conditions city Thessaloniki, Greece. A typology streets was selected using criteria such as road functional classification orientation, land uses, building height/street width ratio, sky view factor, continuity/discontinuity buildings. conservative scenario (use cool/photocatalytic porous materials for sidewalks, lighter pavements, additional tree planting, installations green roofs) radical (pedestrianization total traffic prohibition) interventions were simulated ENVI-met 5.1 software. research findings demonstrated that car-free combined use environmentally friendly public realm could significantly reduce effect mitigate gaseous pollutants. perceived temperature (Physiological Equivalent Temperature—PET index) can decrease up 15 °C well-shaded locations near corners, while nitrogen oxides reduced 87% when considering more pedestrianization scenario. standardization following support planners decision-makers detecting appropriate solutions improving microclimate.