Abstract
Thermally comfortable outdoor spaces have contributed to high-quality urban living. In order to provide a further understanding of the influences of gender and long-term thermal history on outdoor thermal comfort, this study conducted field surveys at a university campus in Shanghai, China by carrying out microclimatic monitoring and subjective questionnaires from May to October, 2019. The analysis of collected data found that, during our survey, 57% of the occupants felt comfortable overall and 40–60% of them perceived the microclimate variables (air temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed) as “neutral”. The universal thermal climate index (UTCI) provided a better correlation with occupant thermal sensation than the physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). Females were more sensitive to the outdoor thermal environment than males. Older age led to lower thermal sensation, but the thermal sensitivities for age groups of <20, 20–50, and >50 were similar. Occupants who had resided in Shanghai for a longer period showed higher overall comfort rating and lower thermal sensation. Interviewees who came from hot summer and cold winter climate regions were less effected by the change of UTCI than those from severe cold or cold climate regions.
Highlights
With 56% of the global population living in cities in 2020 [1], thermal comfort in urban outdoor spaces has gained growing research attention worldwide
Many studies [14,15,16,17,18] have demonstrated that the physical environment parameters such as air temperature, wind, thermal radiation, and humidity are crucial because they determine the heat transfer between a human body and the outdoor thermal environment [19]
The contradictory findings regarding personal influences on outdoor thermal comfort and the insufficient research effort on the effect of long-term thermal history suggest that further investigation should be conducted
Summary
With 56% of the global population living in cities in 2020 [1], thermal comfort in urban outdoor spaces has gained growing research attention worldwide. According to the review by Lai et al [13], field studies concerning outdoor thermal comfort have been conducted in more than 100 cities globally to gain a better understanding of this topic. These studies have demonstrated that physical, physiological, and psychological factors are direct influencing factors of outdoor thermal comfort. The contradictory findings regarding personal influences on outdoor thermal comfort and the insufficient research effort on the effect of long-term thermal history suggest that further investigation should be conducted. One main focus of this study is to analyze the influences from a personal and long-term thermal history perspective
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
