Green design strategies for urban heat island mitigation in a solar optimized access Eixample via IMM® methodology

The cities are responsible up to 75% of energy consumptions and 80% of CO2 emissions. The European Performance of Buildings Directives and the urban regulations are going towards the reduction of the energy consumptions and the minimization of the land???s use. In this scenario the innovative methodology, IMM® (Integrated Modification Methodology), has been applied in order to achieve the energy standards of net zero energy districts of four Eixample courtyards in Barcelona. The city is considered as a complex system composed by heterogeneous parts influenced each other. The multi-criteria process aims to transform a consolidated urban context into a more efficient and sustainable one. The opmization of solar potential and the design of new green areas give relevant benefits in terms of energy efficiency and quality of urban environment.