Outdoor Thermal Comfort Conditions Research Articles

Exploring thermal comfort and pleasure in outdoor shaded spaces: Inspiration for improving thermal index models

Engaging in outdoor activities offers numerous benefits for physical and mental well-being, highlighting the importance of prioritizing outdoor comfort and safety. Shaded spaces are sought after during hot summers due to their lower surface temperatures and improved thermal comfort. This study conducted group walking experiments in both overhead layers and tree-shaded areas to investigate variations in thermal comfort based on different thermal environments and activity levels. The findings reveal significant differences in the thermal environment between the two areas, with tree shading reducing mean radiant temperature by approximately 3 °C and wind speed by about 1 m/s. Regardless of the walking space, the lowest thermal pleasure and comfort are experienced at a speed of 1.80 m/s. Moreover, the study demonstrates that thermal pleasure (Tp) is influenced by both the objective thermal environment and the human body's thermoregulatory mechanisms. It is also affected by subjective psychological expectations, reflecting the combined outcome of metabolic heat production, external thermal stimuli, and psychological emotions. Thus, pedestrians experienced different levels of thermal pleasure based on their walking speeds and the type of shaded space. These findings underscore the importance of integrating physiological and psychological factors into thermal index models to accurately evaluate outdoor thermal comfort conditions. The study contributes to developing improved thermal index models by enhancing their correlation with the perceived thermal sensations and considering the emotional aspect of thermal pleasure. The implications of this research can guide urban planning efforts to provide more comfortable and enjoyable outdoor shaded spaces.

Impact of semi-private open spaces on outdoor thermal comfort in a residential neighbourhood in warm humid climate

ABSTRACT Semi-private open spaces are indispensable as they enhance society’s growth and contribute to individuals’ health and well-being, thereby improving the quality of life in residential neighbourhoods. However, at present, the integration of such open spaces into the planning of housing projects is often neglected and results in incidental open spaces in the built environment. These incidental open spaces, if designed and integrated carefully, can enhance thermal comfort and community activities significantly. Therefore, this study aims to assess the impact of semi-private open spaces on outdoor thermal comfort in a residential neighbourhood in Kochi, India. A low-rise residential neighbourhood was selected for the study, and the semi-private open spaces were categorized into six typologies based on location, shape, proportions, orientation, aspect ratio, sky view factor, and albedo. Further, the outdoor thermal comfort conditions of these typologies were assessed through simulations in Envi-Met software for a critical summer day. The comfort conditions were assessed through comfort indices namely physiological equivalent temperature and mean radiant temperature (MRT) and were compared to arrive at appropriate design recommendations for semi-private open spaces. The study found a significant correlation between orientation, aspect ratio, sky view factor, and shading with outdoor thermal comfort. The study found a sky view factor of 0.3–0.5, an aspect ratio greater than 1.5, orientation of open spaces in the N-S axis, and shading by trees with canopies above 2.5 m height as appropriate design strategies to reduce the heat stress in semi-private open spaces in low-rise residential neighbourhoods. The study recognizes the importance of integrating planned semi-private open spaces in the local building regulations which can improve the quality of open spaces and enhance public health and well-being while contributing to a better microclimate.

Outdoor thermal comfort in open transitional spaces with limited greenery in hot summer/cold winter climates

Regarding the constant use of transitional spaces, there is an intense interest in studies on the outdoor thermal comfort in transitional spaces, especially in regions with hot summers. This study aims to analyze the outdoor thermal comfort conditions of a transitional space focusing on vegetation cover change to distill findings into a set of design guidelines for landscape architects and urban planners to enhance the thermal comfort in open transitional spaces, especially in airport terminals with hot summer, and cold winter climate. The case study for this research is an open transitional area at the Mehr-Abad airport. Mehr-Abad airport experiences blistering summers and freezing winters. The environmental situation is analyzed using ENVI-met software. Subsequently, without-grass and without-tree scenarios were simulated to study the impact of greenery on transitional thermal comfort. The results were validated using the on-site collected data. In this study, results demonstrate that the average PET in the current situation is 39.81 ℃ in summer (hot sensation) and 5 ℃ in winter (cold sensation). Based on the results, removing the grass cover is the most suitable scenario for both summer with 35.80 ℃, and winter with 6.68 ℃. The best scenario consists of adding more deciduous trees to open transitional spaces to reduce solar shading in winter. This study provided a better understanding of the effects of vegetation in transient-oriented limited spaces on outdoor thermal comfort and looked deeper into vegetation characteristics concerning the transitional space requirements in hot summer/cold winter climates.

Simulating the effect of urban sprawl on air quality and outdoor human thermal comfort in a cold city, Erzurum, Turkey.

Research on climate-sensitive urban planning is important to improve the quality of city life. Cold climate cities should respect climatic characteristics to diversify outdoor uses and increase air quality to maximize the benefits of winter. This study is aimed to explore the impact of changing urban pattern on air pollution and outdoor human thermal comfort conditions (HTCCs) in a newly developed urban area in Şükrüpaşa neighbourhood, Erzurum, among the coldest cities in Turkey, with high PM10 and low HTCCs levels. Sensitivity of urban development pattern to climate conditions and its suitability to eliminate the winter disturbances caused by HTCCs and air pollution were investigated by producing maps for HTCCs and air pollution using morphological, meteorological and spatial data and ENVI-met model in winter period of 2017 and 2022. It was found that newly developed areas increase the unfavourable conditions in terms of air quality, temperature and HTCCs due to the reasons like improper land uses, urban sprawl, high urban density and ventilation problems. In high-elevated cold cities, spatial planning and design principles should strictly be followed by incorporating climate knowledge and without revising the spatial decisions.

Evaluation of outdoor thermal comfort conditions: evidence from the Serbian major ski resort over the last 30years.

The study aims to present reliable information about thermal conditions and their impacts on visitors to ski travel destinations. Mountain tourism areas are specific since high altitudes affect the ambient weather conditions which can affect different types of human activities. In this paper, the thermal comfort and its changes in Kopaonik Mountain, the most popular ski resort in Serbia over the last 30years, have been evaluated. Information about thermal comfort is presented by using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), physiologically equivalent temperature (PET), and modified physiologically equivalent temperature (mPET) in 3-h resolution for the period 1991-2020. The results indicate prevailing cold stress all year round. Days with moderate, strong, and very strong heat stress were not recorded. Strong and extreme cold stress prevailed during winter, while slight and moderate cold stress prevailed during summer. Transitional seasons were very cold, but autumn was more comfortable than spring. The occurrence of days with neutral and slightly warm/cool conditions is concentrated in the summer months. However, summer is not used enough for tourism because the choice of tourists to stay at Kopaonik is not primarily based on favorable bioclimatic conditions, but on resources for winter tourism. With global warming, the annual number of thermally favorable days has been increasing, while the number of days with extreme and strong cold stress is decreasing. Continuing this trend can significantly influence tourism in the future, and therefore, new strategies in ski resorts will be required to adapt to the changing climate.

Relevance of Urban Geometry and Outdoor Thermal Comfort in Urban Heat Island Mitigation – A Review

UHIs’ environmental and energy implications are well-known, but their significance in aggravating heat stress in populations is only recently being recognised. Planners, health managers, and public administrators now prioritise UHI prevention. Urban geometry, material finishes, and green and blue infrastructure are prominent UHI mitigation options. This paper examines urban geometry as a key parameter and reviews UHI research. This report also identifies information gaps and emphasizes the need for this type of research in key Indian metropolitan centers. The anticipated study will help public health planners and administrators. Methods: Authors compiled extensive literature on UHI and related concepts. The outcome intent was to understand the relevance of urban geometry parameters in UHI intensity and how it impacts outdoor thermal comfort. Various electronic databases were searched for publications meeting the criteria of outdoor thermal comfort and urban planning characters (urban geometry) as a mitigation strategy, ranging from 2000 to 2020. Summary: The impact of UHI on human comfort conditions cannot be ignored. Appropriate planning measures at the initial stages of city planning via urban geometry parameters can certainly yield encouraging results to reduce the intensity of UHI and improve outdoor thermal comfort conditions.

Analysing daytime summer thermal comfort conditions for Turkey's third largest tourism destination.

Tourism is one of the most vulnerable sectors to climate change since outdoor leisure activities are only possible in appropriate climate conditions for them. Among several climate or weather-related factors effective on tourist satisfaction, the concept of outdoor thermal comfort conditions gains importance with climate change because it is the combined effect of all atmospheric conditions on human body. Therefore, tourism-climate indices to reflect the favourability of destinations begin to include this parameter as a component. Mediterranean basin harbours world famous summer and cultural tourism destinations among others and climate change is expected to impact the region which covers the third largest primary destination of Turkey. The aim of this study is to analyse human thermal comfort conditions in the southwest part of Turkey, world-famous summer tourism region using Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) and Mean Radiant Temperature (Tmrt) values and Geographic Information System (GIS) as a tool to show their spatial distribution as a component of tourism climate indices. As the result of the study, the most influential factors on human thermal comfort conditions in the region are mean radiant temperature, moisture content, air movement and increasing dense urbanisation in 12 districts, where meteorological measurements were taken. As the result of the study, suggestions were proposed to reduce the effect of higher PET and Tmrt values on tourists in the study.

Dış Mekân Termal Konfor Koşullarının Zamansal ve Mekânsal Dağılımı: Konyaaltı-Antalya Örneği

Kentlerdeki dış mekân termal konfor, kentsel ortamlarda artan sıcaklıklar ile daha çok önem kazanmaya başlamıştır. Çalışmada Antalya ili Konyaaltı ilçesinin dış mekân termal konfor koşullarının zamansal ve mekansal dağılımının belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda ilk olarak Konyaaltı ilçesi ve yakın çevresindeki meteoroloji gözlem istasyonlarından iklim verileri (sıcaklık, nem, rüzgâr hızı ve bulutluluk) elde edildi. Çalışmada dış mekân termal konfor koşulları, iklim parametrelerinin yanı sıra insan enerji dengesini de hesaplamalarına dâhil eden ve en yaygın kullanılan termal konfor indekslerinden biri olan FES (Fizyolojik Eşdeğer Sıcaklık) ve RayMan modeli kullanılarak hesaplandı. RayMan Model'i kullanılarak üretilen aylık FES değerlerinin mekânsal dağılımı CBS ortamında IDW analizi kullanılarak elde edildi. Sonuç olarak, Konyaaltı kent merkezi ve yakın çevresinde termal konfor koşulları ilkbahar ve sonbahar mevsiminde kısmen oluşmakta ve diğer mevsimlerde sıcak ve soğuk stres nedeniyle termal konfor koşulları oluşmamaktadır.

Geospatial Assessment and Modeling of Outdoor Thermal Comfort at Urban Scale

Climate changes and urban population growth are increasing the heat island effects in cities, making the urban outdoor environment less comfortable for people. Consequently, improving the thermal comfort conditions of urban open spaces could be considered one important challenge that cities can pursue in the upcoming years. As a first step, this work aims to assess which GIS tools are most useful for evaluating place-based outdoor thermal comfort conditions at urban scale. The UMEP-SOLWEIG (QGIS) tool was described and compared with ENVI-met, to calculate the thermal comfort indexes in different outdoor spaces, during extreme summer and winter conditions, in the city of Turin. These tools can be easily implemented in platforms to represent the spatial distribution of thermal comfort conditions in cities for prioritizing strategies and defining effective actions within land-use plans. This type of representation is crucial as it provides very comprehensible results to urban or regional planners and policy-makers. In this study, UMEP-SOLWEIG appeared to be the most suitable tool since it is the best compromise between simulation time and accuracy at urban scale.

A comprehensive review of outdoor thermal comfort in urban areas: Effective parameters and approaches

Increased urban air temperature considerably affects the health, comfort and consequently the quality of life in urban spaces. Urban design and planning studies, therefore, face an increasing challenge as they aim to improve Outdoor Thermal Comfort (OTC) and microclimate conditions of urban environments. Analysing OTC is more challenging when compared to indoor thermal comfort since a wider range of interrelated parameters exists in outdoor environments. Therefore, this research aims to classify urban studies that investigate OTC by conducting a comprehensive review based on key metrics such as approaches taken, methodologies and spatial and temporal scales. By extracting the key findings, this research forms an integrated framework of these metrics that presents a thorough view of the OTC concept in the context of climate-sensitive studies. Furthermore, this research elaborates on the main two groups of parameters affecting OTC including environmental and human-based parameters. Exploring the intricate inter-relationships of these two groups of parameters clarifies their contribution to OTC. Results of this study help architects and urban planners to improve their climate-sensitive strategies and support the decision-making process by providing a comprehensive perspective about different aspects of OTC. Finally, recommendations for future research are outlined.

Urban Heat Island and Thermal Comfort Assessment in a Medium-Sized Mediterranean City

One of the greatest issues nowadays is that of the urban heat island effect on the thermal conditions inside cities. The air temperature inside the city core is warmer than that in suburbs, thus deteriorating the quality of life for citizens and making outdoor spaces uncomfortable in terms of thermal comfort. This phenomenon is usually assessed in large scale cities worldwide and less often in medium-sized towns. The current study aimed to investigate the urban heat island effect and, therefore, to assess the outdoor thermal comfort conditions in a medium-sized city. More specifically, the methodology of the current study includes: (i) the combination of different monitoring techniques to quantify the urban heat island effect in a medium-sized Mediterranean city. Both in situ measurements and remote sensing techniques were applied to assess the urban heat island effect in terms of both the canopy layer (CUHI) and the surface (SUHI); (ii) the identification of the parameters that affect thermal comfort and the identification of the most appropriate bioclimatic indices that determine outdoor thermal comfort in the city of interest. Both questionnaire survey and in situ measurements took place on a sidewalk in the city of Xanthi, Northern Greece, during the summer. The CUHI effect was obvious, especially in the morning and afternoon. Downscaled MODIS satellite images also showed that the intensity of SUHI was higher in the morning and afternoon. Apart from air temperature, important differences in the values of most microclimatic parameters were recorded between the meteorological station placed inside the urban area and those gathered from a nearby meteorological station. The narrow roads, the thermal properties of construction materials, and the absence of greenery characterized the area of interest and may be the key factors creating these differences in climate. Concerning the thermal comfort assessment, the most significant parameters were the air temperature and solar radiation, although, both empirical and direct indices were found to describe the comfort values well. According to the results, downscaling techniques are also important for the SUHI effect to be investigating in detail in medium-sized urban environments.

Numerical evaluation of pedestrian-level wind and indoor thermal comfort of a historical monument, Muğla, Turkey

PurposeThe study aims to analyze both thermal and wind comfort conditions of a historical mosque's interior and outdoor spaces for the planning of further conservation decisions.Design/methodology/approachThe method is composed of two steps. First, thermal comfort analyses are conducted via Design-Builder Software. The predicted mean vote (PMV) and predicted percentage of dissatisfied indices were calculated and evaluated using the ASHRAE 55–2010 standard. Thermal comfort conditions are analyzed with the proposed three operations. Second, wind comfort analyses are conducted via computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. Outdoor thermal comfort conditions are predicted by air temperature, mean radiant temperature, wind speed and relative humidity.FindingsThe (PMV) in the harim was calculated as −1.83 (cool) which corresponds to a predicted percentage of dissatisfaction (PPD) equal to 68.54%. Thermal comfort was provided by daytime and continuous operations; however, intermittent operations did not provide thermal comfort. The wind velocities around the mosque are well below the 5 m/s limit value for standing defined by NEN 8100 wind nuisance standard. Moreover, the limit value of 2.5 m/s for sitting was also satisfied with more than 80% of the semi-enclosed area around the entrance of the mosque. Last comer's hall remains in a slight cold stress range, the rest of the areas have no thermal stress.Originality/valueThis two-stage study creates a base for further improvements to provide comfort conditions in a historical building without interfering with its original features.

Effects of street orientation and tree species thermal comfort within urban canyons in a hot, dry climate

Urban valleys as a primary element of the urban environment have played an undeniable role in the intensification of urban heat islands as climate change has increased in the past century. However, appropriate solutions can help improve outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) in these areas. In the present study, parameters related to thermal comfort outdoors such as air temperature (Ta), wind speed (Ws), sky view factor (SVF), mean radiant temperature (MRT) and physiological equivalent temperature (PET) in an urban street were analyzed using ENVI-met simulation. Furthermore, the influence of tree species and street orientation in the study area was also examined to improve thermal comfort conditions. Similarly, with field measurements on site, a questionnaire was used to determine the OTC range of visitors to the urban valley. The study also integrates with ENVI-met microclimatic modeling to improve thermal comfort in the urban street canyon, which was used to simulate the current situation and validated with field measurements, showing a good correlation. The results have revealed that, although SVF has been extensively used in previous studies, it is not an exact indicator to determine the amount of radiation and OTC conditions. The simulation study expressed that orientations' effect on thermal comfort is less prominent than tree cover. However, significant changes in orientation have a remarkable effect on improving OTC in the urban valley.

Effect of outdoor thermal comfort condition on visit of tourists in historical urban plazas of Sevilla and Madrid.

The tourism plays a significant role in economics and development of any country through revenue generation from multiple sources. Spain has been tourist place and host million foreign tourist. The tourism is highly depended on climate and thermal comfortness of the visiting place. This present research aimed to analyze the outdoor thermal comfort conditions in microclimates of the urban ancient plazas of the two important cities of Spain, namely Sevilla and Madrid on a hot humid stress day of the year. The microclimatic measurement, questionnaire survey, and simulation results were examined to evaluate the thermal comfort condition of six different urban plazas in Sevilla and Madrid to distinguish the supreme time to visit each ancient site. The results have suggested that the outdoor thermal comfort range for the tourist in the historical plazas of Sevilla and Madrid varies from 28.42 to 30.87 °C and 24.5 to 29.82 °C in the hot summer. Despite the high heat stress condition, the result of questionnaires survey shows that about 38.11% and 28.09% of tourists in Sevilla and Madrid, respectively, were satisfied with the thermal conditions. As witnessed from the result of the Envi-met simulation, Plaza de Santa Ana of Madrid and Plaza Nueva of Sevilla is the best place for visitors in the early morning hours. Additionally, during the peak hours, the thermal comfort of Alameda de Hercules of Sevilla and Plaza de Santa Ana of Madrid is the most suitable historical places for visitors, whereas in the evening hours, Plaza Nueva of Sevilla and Plaza de Mayor of Madrid with wider semi-open spaces and relatively suitable vegetation bring more favorable conditions for visitors. The comparison of the simulation result with the questionnaire reveals that the urban plazas with relatively high thermal stresses have a higher rate of thermal dissatisfaction.

Analyzing outdoor thermal comfort conditions in a university campus in hot-arid climate: A case study in Birjand, Iran

Outdoor thermal comfort is an important factor in designing urban spaces influencing outdoor activities, social interactions, tourism, wellbeing, and health. Focusing on seasonal differences, this study investigates the thermal comfort conditions and the actual thermal sensation of subjects, and attempts to calibrate the scale of subjects' thermal sensation in a hot-arid climate. Experimental data were collected through a field questionnaire survey consisting of 1361 subjects and on-site monitoring in a university campus. The relationship between PMV and PET thermal indices and real thermal sensation of subjects was established. The evaluation of acceptable PMV range using the actual thermal sensation vote revealed that the common comfortable PMV range overestimated the thermal comfort with the comfortable PMV range being −0.1 to 0.9 in this climate. As a result, an extended PMV model was utilized to consider the effects of expectancy factor. The PET index has shown a stronger correlation with actual sensation vote where the neutral PET temperature range was determined as 16.4 °C to 25.3°C in the field study. Finally, the obtained correlations can be used for predicting actual thermal sensation in designing sustainable and appropriate urban spaces with a high frequency of use and improved comfort level in a campus in the hot-arid climate of Birjand.

Assessing the outdoor thermal comfort conditions of exercising people in the semi-arid region of India

● Field surveys were conducted for people exercising outdoor. ● Calibrated the ranges of thermal comfort indices for BSh climate ● Various ranges of microclimate parameters and thermal indices were determined. The present study investigated the thermal perceptions of people exercising outdoor during the late summer and monsoon season in the hot semi-arid region of India. The field surveys were conducted in parallel with onsite monitoring of microclimate parameters. Thermal comfort indices-Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), Physiological equivalent temperature (PET), and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) were applied to explore the outdoor thermal comfort conditions. The neutral temperature range of people exercising was found to be 23.8-28.1°C in WBGT,26-36.4°C for PET, and 27.7-35.7°C in UTCI. It was observed that with a unit change in Mean thermal sensation votes, there was an approximately 4°C increase in dry bulb temperature; wind speed increased by 1.24 m/s; mean radiant temperature was reported to rise by 25°C. Calibration of thermal stress categories of applied indices demonstrated that all the training should be stopped when WBGT ≥40.8°C, PET ≥67.3°C, and UTCI ≥ 59.2°C. In pleasant weather conditions, the median value of T a , RH, W s , T g , T mrt , WBGT, PET, UTCI were 29°C,67.2%,0.9m/s,29.2°C,27.4°C,25.6°C,28.1°C,30.3°C respectively. The findings could be helpful in developing the sports stadium or places dedicated to exercise and preparing schedules of the sports events in the arid regions to avoid overexposure in the hot thermal environment.

A Relationship between Micro-Meteorological and Personal Variables of Outdoor Thermal Comfort: A Case Study in Kitakyushu, Japan

Outdoor thermal comfort is an important indicator to create a quality and livable environment. This study examines a relationship between micro-meteorological and personal variables of outdoor thermal comfort conditions in an urban park. The data collection of outdoor thermal comfort is carried out using two methods in combination: micro-meteorological measurement and questionnaire survey. This finding shows that most of the respondents were comfortable with the thermal, wind, and humidity condition. The acceptability and satisfaction level of thermal comfort were positive. The most significant micro-meteorological variable for the physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) value is mean radiant temperature (Tmrt). As the Tmrt value is influenced by how much shading is produced from the presence of vegetation or buildings around the measurement location, this finding shows that the shadow was very important to the thermal comfort conditions in the Green Park Kitakyushu. The most influential micro-meteorological variable for the three different personal variables (TSV, WFSV, and HSV) is air temperature. The strongest relationship among the four variables is between TSV and PET. The findings will be the basis for the city authorities in preparing regional development plans, especially those related to the planning of city parks or tourist attractions.

Outdoor thermal comfort enhancement using various vegetation species and materials (case study: Delgosha Garden, Iran)

Urban gardens bring various benefits including environmental, social, and cultural values to citizens around the world. Since thermally comfortable these gardens promote the quality of urban living, a plethora of studies have been conducted to extend the existing knowledge of outdoor thermal comfort. The present study intended to evaluate outdoor thermal comfort conditions in the microclimate of the urban historic garden of Urmia, Iran, for both summer and winter. Along with performing field measurements at the site based on Taghvaei's model of “Fundamental Values and Factors of Landscape (FVFL)”, a questionnaire survey was used to determine the outdoor thermal comfort range of users. Then, the ENVI-met software was used to properly simulate the factors in summer and winter. The results of the questionnaire and simulation were compared with each other and necessary solutions were presented according to previous studies to improve outdoor thermal comfort in urban spaces. The results showed that the concrete with a high-albedo, trees with wide crowns and tall trunks (Platanus and Pine), and the use of sufficient water were proposed as the optimal solution for summer. Also, asphalt with the high-albedo, Cypress, and Populus trees in winter have been considered as a suitable solution to improve the outdoors thermal comfort of Urmia city. It is expected that future studies will evaluate the effects of the results in various green urban environments and provide a practical framework for landscape architects and urban planners.

Modelling mean radiant temperature in outdoor environments: contrasting the approaches of different simulation tools

Global warming and increasing urbanization are expected to threaten public health in cities, by increasing the heat stress perceived by the inhabitants. Outdoor thermal comfort conditions are influenced by the material and the geometric features of the surrounding urban fabric at both the urban and building scales. In built environments, performance-aware design choices related to street paving or building façade can enhance outdoor thermal comfort in their surroundings. Reliable estimations of outdoor thermal comfort conditions are required to evaluate and control the micro-bioclimatic influences of different design choices. The mean radiant temperature is the physical variable that has the greatest influence on outdoor thermal comfort conditions during summertime. Since its calculation is complex, the available simulation tools employ different approaches and assumptions to estimate it, and potential users need to be aware of their capabilities and simplifications. This research compares the calculation procedures and assumptions of different performance simulation tools (i.e. ENVI-met, TRNSYS, Ladybug/Honeybee, CitySim, and SOLENE-microclimat) to predict the mean radiant temperature in outdoor spaces, based on the available information in the scientific literature. Their ability to account for different radiative components in both the longwave and shortwave spectra is summarized, and practical information regarding the degree of interoperability with the modelling environments and the level of geometrical detail of the virtual model supported by the tools is provided. This work aims to help potential users in the selection of the most appropriate performance tool, based on the requirement of their projects.

Assessing outdoor thermal comfort conditions at an urban park during summer in the hot semi-arid region of India

Urban parks play an essential role in urban settings; significantly contribute to the health of every age group person. Parks provide opportunities for families to connect with nature and breathe in the fresh air. Due to global climate change and increased urbanisation in the past few decades, extreme heat can be experienced in urban areas. Mental and physical health issues arise primarily due to a sedentary lifestyle in cities. Staying at parks for a longer duration could promote stress reduction and perceived physical health. The present study aims to assess the thermal comfort conditions at an urban park in the hot semi-arid climate(BSh) of Haryana, India. The present study investigated the outdoor thermal comfort range and thermal sensations of visitors at a park during the summer season using the onsite monitoring of the microclimate parameters and questionnaire survey in the hot-semi arid region of India. Thermal comfort indices, Physiological equivalent temperature (PET) and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) and Wet bulb globe temperature(WBGT) have been applied to investigate the outdoor thermal comfort conditions. The seven-point sensation scale has been used to record the visitors' thermal sensations. The results indicated that:1) WBGT was found to be the most suitable index to investigate the OTC conditions. The neutral UTCI, PET, and WBGT ranged within 28.03 °C to 35.6 °C, 24.04 °C to 37.5 °C, and 23.5 °C to 26.1 °C, respectively. 2) The neutral PET ,UTCI, and WBGT were found to be 30.8 °C, 31.8 °C, and 24.8 °C, respectively.3) Dry bulb temperature is the most significant thermal comfort parameter affecting visitors' thermal sensations, followed by mean radiant temperature.4) Thermal comfort indices were found to be most significantly affected by globe temperature. The study's outcome could provide theoretical design reference to urban designers to develop new parks and existing parks, ultimately promoting public health.