TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of thermal comfort and adaptation on park attendance regarding different shading levels and activity types
AU - Lin, Tzu Ping
AU - Tsai, Kang Ting
AU - Liao, Chi Chang
AU - Huang, Ying Che
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank the National Science Council (NSC) of Taiwan, for financially supporting this research under Contract No. 100-2628-E-150-001 . Thanks to the additional support of Center for Environmental Restoration and Disaster Reduction (CERDR) and Research Center for the Humanities and Social Sciences of National Chung Hsing University.
PY - 2013/1
Y1 - 2013/1
N2 - Outdoor thermal environments influence thermal adaptation, thereby affecting the utilization of space. To determine the effects of thermal comfort and adaptation on attendance regarding different shading levels and activity types, this study conducted field investigations at a public park located in southern Taiwan, using micrometeorological measurements, estimations of park attendance, and questionnaire surveys on thermal comfort. The results indicate that participants' acceptable range of thermal comfort leads to substantial changes in overall park attendance during different seasons, whereas characteristics of thermal adaptations influence the individual differences of utilization in various ways within diverse spaces. In addition, this study reveals that in unshaded areas within parks, the number of visitors increases following rising thermal conditions during cool seasons, whereas the number of visitors decreases during hot seasons. However, the number of visitors to shaded areas increases with rising thermal conditions in both cool and hot seasons. Because of the possibility and effectiveness of personal behavior adjustments (e.g., decreases in the amount of clothing worn, the wearing of hats, or carrying of an umbrella) in decreasing thermal discomfort, people choose to seek adjustments in external environments. That is, they move from unshaded to shaded areas to relieve their perception of thermal discomfort. The results of this study reveal the importance of shading facilities within parks in the hot climate zone of Taiwan, and can be used as references in future park designs.
AB - Outdoor thermal environments influence thermal adaptation, thereby affecting the utilization of space. To determine the effects of thermal comfort and adaptation on attendance regarding different shading levels and activity types, this study conducted field investigations at a public park located in southern Taiwan, using micrometeorological measurements, estimations of park attendance, and questionnaire surveys on thermal comfort. The results indicate that participants' acceptable range of thermal comfort leads to substantial changes in overall park attendance during different seasons, whereas characteristics of thermal adaptations influence the individual differences of utilization in various ways within diverse spaces. In addition, this study reveals that in unshaded areas within parks, the number of visitors increases following rising thermal conditions during cool seasons, whereas the number of visitors decreases during hot seasons. However, the number of visitors to shaded areas increases with rising thermal conditions in both cool and hot seasons. Because of the possibility and effectiveness of personal behavior adjustments (e.g., decreases in the amount of clothing worn, the wearing of hats, or carrying of an umbrella) in decreasing thermal discomfort, people choose to seek adjustments in external environments. That is, they move from unshaded to shaded areas to relieve their perception of thermal discomfort. The results of this study reveal the importance of shading facilities within parks in the hot climate zone of Taiwan, and can be used as references in future park designs.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.buildenv.2012.10.005
DO - 10.1016/j.buildenv.2012.10.005
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84870404452
VL - 59
SP - 599
EP - 611
JO - Building and Environment
JF - Building and Environment
SN - 0360-1323
ER -