A micro-scale look into pedestrian thermophysiological comfort in an urban environment

• Autor(a) principal: Silva, Tiago
• Data de Publicação: 2024
• Outros Autores: Lopes, António, Vasconcelos, João
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/95790
• topic: Hotspots; Heat stress; Roving missions; Microclimate; Urban morphology; Universal Thermal Climate Index

Diferent spatial scales enable the analysis of thermophysiological conditions of pedestrians in an urban environment. A higher resolution hotspot analysis was conceived using GIS technology in some areas of Lisbon with diferent morphological conditions. Eleven hotspots were found across six study areas, located in high to moderate urban density conditions and in diferent types of urban spaces. So, six hotspots were found in avenues (high urban density conditions), three in streets, and two in general open spaces (moderate urban density conditions). These spaces are characterized by being busy areas with high anthropogenic infuence, with high-absorbing and refective materials, and with very poor green infrastructure. Environmental conditions, namely, radiation, mean radiant temperature, and air temperature, were the main cause of hotspot existence, and the main propellers for UTCI intensifcation. The urban density variable was also found to be important, especially in avenues and open spaces. In these areas, the adjusted component for environmental and urban density conditions can increase 0.60 to 1.35 °C in open spaces and 0.30 to 0.60 °C in avenues, each time there is a one-unit increase in the component. Trees, either in the street or in parks, have generally been found to decrease the UTCI.