An Analysis of the Influences of Human Thermal Comfort on the Attendance of Indoor Versus Outdoor Shopping Malls as a Result of Afternoon and Evening Meteorological Conditions

Abstract

The Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area is a top tourist destination with a climate that supports year-round outdoor and indoor activities even during periods of intense summer temperatures. This investigation provides an initial evaluation of the effects of the intense Southwest summer conditions on indoor versus outdoor shopping experiences as measured by human thermal comfort during afternoon and evening meteorological conditions. Both primary and secondary data were collected at four different shopping malls to calculate the heat index, discomfort index, and apparent temperature in addition to temperature, dew point, and relative humidity. Meteorological conditions account for more than 50% of the variance explained in the attendance of indoor malls during the afternoon, while attendance at outdoor malls was not significantly impacted by the weather. In the evening, the variance explained by meteorological conditions decreases to around 30% for the indoor mall locations, while 8% variance is explained at one of the outdoor malls. While attendance did increase in the evening at the outdoor locations and decreased at indoor locations, the choice of shopping location may have more to do with additional options after-hours, including dining and entertainment, at the outdoor locations. Although, human thermal comfort is a factor in recreational activities, specifically for shopping malls, a longer study period may be required, to determine decisions on shopping location and eating options.