Abstract
Traditional alleys in China are mostly characterized by dense population, poor infrastructure, and narrow streets. The general renewal approaches of traditional alleys paid more attention to the physical space while they lack consideration for the thermal comfort of residents, which often results in declines in the rational design of the space and vitality of the community. This research takes Da Long Wang Xiang historical district in Zhenjiang as a case study to investigate the relationship between the morphology of street spaces (Alley Width (W), Sky View Factor (SVF), Height to Width Ratio (H/W), building height on both sides of alley) and microclimatic parameters, such as Potential Air Temperature (Ta), Relative Humidity (RH), Wind Speed (WS), Mean Radiation Temperature (Tmrt) and Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET). The results have shown that: 1) the peak temperature was found at 14:00, and the thermal comfort of all alleys is overheated during this period, particularly NW-SE alleys are hotter than NESW alleys; 2) the deviation of Ta, RH, WS, and Tmrt among the NW-SE alleys during 13:00 to 15:00 are smaller than those among the NE-SW alleys; and 3) set a shading device or higher buildings on the side of the afternoon solar incidence can help to create a more comfortable thermal comfort. The findings of this research will provide a new strategy for the renewal design of traditional alleys.
Highlights
Traditional alleys are important elements of the Chinese historical areas, and they are one of the main outdoor spaces for urban residents’ activities and residence
This study investigated the influence factors of the thermal environment in the Da Long Wang Xiang (DLWX) historical district, and the main findings are as follows: 1) Compared with NE-SW alleys, the overall thermal environment of NW-SE alleys is worse because its orientation is aligned to the sun's elevation angle, thereby receives more solar radiation
3) At NW-SE alleys, the H/W and WS have negative effects on PET value, and at the same time, at NE-SW alleys, the H/W and Hw have negative effects on PET value. It means that a high aspect ratio and taller buildings on the side of the afternoon solar incidence can block the solar radiation, thereby creating a more comfortable space
Summary
Traditional alleys are important elements of the Chinese historical areas, and they are one of the main outdoor spaces for urban residents’ activities and residence. With the rapid development of the urban areas, many Chinese traditional alleys have not been updated. It leads to many problems in these areas, such as dense population, poor infrastructure, and deterioration of the public spaces. Such alleys became an area of frequent high temperature in summer because of the narrow spaces and lack of greenery, which decreases the quality of life, and further threatening the health and wellbeing of building occupants [1]. Improving the thermal environment of traditional alleys is regarded as one of the most important research topics in urban renewal
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 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 callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
