Effect of street design on pedestrian thermal comfort

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe number of people living in urban areas is projected to increase significantly in most of the cities around the world. To address the future population increase, local governments develop new planning scenarios to increase the density in certain areas that can accommodate the growth. However, the potential threat to human health and pedestrian comfort will be exacerbated, if planning professionals exclude climatic conscious urban design in their practices. Increasing numbers of the hot days and frequent occurrence of heatwave events cause a serious threat to human life. This study investigates the effect of the future structural plans on pedestrian thermal comfort through numerical simulation using City North, Melbourne as a case study. The effect of street design towards the development of a comfortable microclimate at street level for pedestrians is investigated. To provide knowledge readily interpretable from the planning perspective, the existing and future scenarios for different street profiles are modelled and the consequences of microclimatic parameters and thermal comfort are assessed. A three-dimensional numerical modelling system, ENVI-met was used for the simulation. A clear reduction of average daytime temperature (T), mean radiant temperature (MRT) and Physiological Equivalent Temperatures (PET) were observed across the study area after implementing the ‘Plan Melbourne’ strategies. The outcomes of this study will assist urban planners in developing policies which can effectively decrease the vulnerability to the heat stress at the pedestrian level.