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A ray of hope for the 'death-ray' building

Date:
September 11, 2013
Source:
Birmingham City University
Summary:
A London skyscraper -- nicknamed "The Walkie Talkie" -- that unwittingly projected scorching sunbeams onto the streets below has highlighted the need for city planners to use a more integrated approach to planning.
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A London skyscraper -- nicknamed 'The Walkie Talkie' -- that unwittingly projected scorching sunbeams onto the streets below has highlighted the need for city planners to use a more integrated approach being pioneered by a pan-European consortium led by Birmingham City University.

The KIC-Transitions (KIC-T) project will bring together data, modelling and visualisation tools to provide a comprehensive simulation framework that will assist urban strategic planning.

The integrated platform will allow cities to "plug-in" a wide range of information sets for analysis of key environmental impacts, including energy needs, noise pollution or carbon emissions. The research has been announced to coincide with the British Science Festival.

"Designers behind the Walkie Talkie building have cited climate change and even the lack of analytic tools as potential reasons for the so-called 'death-ray' effect," said Professor Keith Osman, Director of Research at Birmingham City University.

"This has highlighted just how important our project will be in helping urban planners to better assess the impact such ambitious buildings will have when built in real city environments."

Professor Osman said the enhanced modelling capability being developed through KIC-T will allow city planners, designers and city-dwellers to better understand the full implications of planning decisions.

He added: "KIC-T is defining standards and software to allow city data, models and visualisation tools to be readily plugged together, allowing more comprehensive models to be created which can be applied to cities around the world."


Story Source:

Materials provided by Birmingham City University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Cite This Page:

Birmingham City University. "A ray of hope for the 'death-ray' building." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 September 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130911092917.htm>.
Birmingham City University. (2013, September 11). A ray of hope for the 'death-ray' building. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 29, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130911092917.htm
Birmingham City University. "A ray of hope for the 'death-ray' building." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130911092917.htm (accessed March 29, 2024).

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