Urban outdoor thermal perception in hot arid Beer Sheva, Israel: Methodological and gender aspects

Abstract

In the 21st century, examination of thermal indices by subjective perception has become methodical. Over 120 studies have assessed human thermal perception by investigating in-situ thermal conditions as compared to subjective thermal perception. The majority were conducted in temperate and tropical climates whereas the arid and semi-arid zones have drawn little attention. The aims of this study were: (a) to evaluate human thermal perception in various outdoor urban spaces during the summer and winter in an arid city (b) to analyze the role of gender in thermal perception in an arid zone (c) to modify the human thermal perception scale for PET index for the city of Beer Sheva, Israel and (d) to examine current assessment methods for subjective human thermal sensation. The study was conducted in Beer Sheva city in hot and arid Southern Israel. Climatic measurements were carried out during the winter, spring and summer between 2009 and 2018 in different locations in the city. A questionnaire survey was conducted during the field measurements, with 2,994 valid responses. Based on the questionnaire, the PET full scale was modified for arid climate. The findings show that the modified PET scale of Beer Sheva shows adaptation to low rather than high temperatures. The modified Neutral PET ranges between 17°C and 26°C which is wider than in Mediterranean and hot, humid climates. Females are more sensitive to high temperatures and during the winter are more tolerant to low temperatures, probably due to their higher clothing ratio.