Urban microclimatic diversity and thermal comfort

Abstract

Urban microclimatic diversity is of significance to understanding outdoor thermal satisfaction, as it offers a degree of freedom of choice for comfort seeking behaviour, thermal stimulation and potential alliesthesia. The existing assessment of thermal diversity has shown a strong relation to urban 3D geometry. A new workflow is proposed based on previous methods for strengthening the reliability in mapping urban microclimatic diversity. Two new indicators, the gross sun-wind diversity (D%) and the net diversity (d%) have been tested in three urban district models via Envi-MET simulation. The results are segmented by 9 grades of physiological equivalent temperature (PET), showing the value of including the range and variety of thermal sensations in the assessment of urban comfort. The preliminary findings point to a stronger link between microclimatic diversity and thermal neutrality in transitional seasons than in summer or winter.