The Session “Integrated Urban Systems (IUS): Twin cities – GURME initiative” of the PACES 4th Open Science Meeting was organized jointly by the PACES WG2, WMO GURME and PEEX and chaired by Alexander Baklanov (WMO) and Pavel Konstantinov (MSU).
The session included the following presentations: Introduction (A. Baklanov/J. Schmale/R. Sokhi), Winter cities studies and plans (I. Esau), Apatity city studies (A. Mahura and P. Amosov), Observation network and campaigns in Russian Arctic cities (M. Varentsov), Social dimension for development of climate-smart Arctic cities (D. Chapman), Direct and Inverse Modeling of Air Quality in Siberian Cities (A. Penenko, A. Starchenko, V. Penenko), and the following Discussionfor Next steps, future plans for Working Group 2 (IUS: Twin Cities) (J. Schmale/R. Sokhi/P. Konstantinov).
The main outcomes of the session are the following:
- Complex multidisciplinary approach is needed for building climate and environmentally smart and sustainable cities
- It could be done under novel WMO concept of the Integrated Urban Hydro-Meteorological, Climate and Environmental Systems and Services (IUS). It is considered as important for further improvements and developments for Arctic and winter cities, which have a strong specifics and require further research.
- Session 2 decided to continue working with the proposal to a GURME project on Integrated Urban Systems for Northern Twin Cities.
- Key science focus will be on very stable boundary layers of winter and Arctic cities and their interactions with urban processes (like UHI, etc.), air pollution and climate change
- Cities in focus and corresponding twin cities have been discussed, one of ideas (see below)
- New members, new activities (common educational programs etc!)
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