Yongling Zhao
Understanding urban heat, cooling cities with nature.

I am a Group Leader and Lecturer at the Chair of Building Physics, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zürich, where I lead research on urban climate. My work develops along two fronts: understanding the physics of urban overheating, and developing cooling solutions that can be accelerated at scale.

On the first front, I combine fluid-tunnel experiments, multiscale simulation from street canyons to whole urban regions, and machine learning to reveal how heat builds up, moves, and dissipates in cities — from buoyant flows in a single street to overheating patterns across thousands of cities worldwide.

On the second, I have established an emerging line of research on nature-inspired urban climate solutions, and work on prioritizing nature-based strategies and technological innovations so that urban heat mitigation can move faster.

Both fronts rest on a common foundation in fluid mechanics, with training that began with my PhD at the University of Sydney. Beyond ETH, I have been a visiting fellow at the University of Cambridge and, as an IPCC-invited expert, co-drafted the outline of the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities. Reflecting my interest in teaching in a broad context, I also lead the ABB–ETH Academy, a multi-year education initiative with ABB Group.