Visitor motivations and design feature use for thermal comfort on hot days in Bochum City Park, Germany

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The rising incidence of extreme heat in urban areas poses challenges to urban living, affecting thermal comfort and public health. Public green spaces (PGS), such as parks, play a crucial role in mitigating heat and acting as 'cooling oases' that enhance visitors' thermal comfort and offer various other ecosystem services. Despite their importance, the specific role of thermal comfort in motivating individuals to visit PGS remains unclear. This study aims to explore the connection between thermal comfort and PGS visits on hot days, with a focus on visitor motivations and the park features that promote comfort. We conducted systematic observations involving quantitative counts of PGS visitors and rapid questionnaires on summer days of varying temperature ranges in Bochum City Park, Germany. Results indicated that the motivation to achieve thermal comfort by visiting the park significantly increased from ‘slightly warm’ to ‘warm’ days, especially among older visitors, and was independent of other motivations for visiting. Furthermore, results showed that the perceived temperature has a limited impact on the use of PGS features, with sun exposure emerging as a decisive factor. The findings can inform the planning and design of PGS, with the aim of creating desirable and thermally comfortable environments as cooling oases for urban residents.