URBAN DESIGN AND CLIMATE MUTATION OF MEDITERRANEAN AREAS. Learning from hot regions

The study presented below, takes a cue from acknowledging the ongoing climate mutation and the transformations it generates, especially in the Mediterranean area which is liable to progressive and rapid phenomena of rising temperatures, reduction and intensification of rains, desertification; the final goal is to understand the innovation factors that are necessary for the development of a new “adaptive design approach”.
In this regard, it focuses on the contexts characterised by the above said climate conditions – in arid and warm-humid countries – analysing current and historicized settlement methods and approaches, to understand similarities, differences, opportunities and limits compared with the ones in mild climate contexts.
Starting from these considerations, this research wants to illustrate a pilot implementation in a neighbourhood located in a sub-tropical area in Dubai: the outcome of the work is represented by a methodology and a catalogue of design solutions based on the neighbourhood scale, to keep thinking critically on the adaptation and eco-systemic efficiency of existing urban systems.