The main characteristics of the urban climate and the air quality in Greek cities

•The main characteristics of the built environment in Greek cities.•The main characteristics of the urban climate in Greek cities.•The main characteristics of the air quality in Greek cities.•Interaction between built environment, urban climate and urban air quality.

The factors that determine the extent to which an urban climate differs from the climate of the surrounding area are formed by the characteristics of the built environment and the activities that take place there. Greek cities, regardless of their difference in size, have similar town-planning characteristics. In addition, the buildings in them have similar and specific architectural and constructional features and operating characteristics. These facts produce similarities in the basic qualitative characteristics of the environments of Greek cities. This study identifies and describes the basic characteristics of the urban climate and air pollution conditions prevailing in Greek cities. It also identifies and describes the factors that help form these characteristics, the effects that these factors have and the consequences of these effects.