Thermal Comfort In Urban And Rural Outdoor Open Spaces:a Comparative Study In China’s Cold Region

Significant differences have been found between urban and rural thermal environments due to variation in building layout,building density,greening ratio,underlying surface types.There are significant differences in the thermal environment between urban and rural residents in the same climate zone.The factors that affect the thermal perception of urban and rural residents may also be different,but the impact of various factors such as physical,individual,social,and psychological factors on the thermal perception of urban and rural residents has not been comprehensively explored.To elucidate the differences in thermal perception between urban and rural residents in outdoor open spaces,a typical urban residential area and a village in Xi’an,China,was used as the research object.Four typical spaces in each of urban and rural areas(Road between Buildings = RB,Landscape Pavilion = LP,Exercise Plaza = EP,Waterfront Platform = WP)were selected for this study.Meteorological measurements and questionnaires were used to explore the various factors affecting thermal perception(thermal sensation,thermal comfort,thermal acceptability)of urban and rural residents.Physiological equivalent temperature(Physiological Equivalent Temperature,PET)was used to determine thermal benchmarks of urban and rural residents to the site.Factors(i.e.,physical,social,individual and psychological)that influence urban and rural residents’ thermal perception of were analyzed and compared using ordered logistic regression models and linear regression models.Finally,based on the current thermal environment and thermal perception influencing factors of urban and rural residents,a bioclimatic design strategy for outdoor open spaces in urban and rural areas was proposed.The results are as follows.1)The neutral PET(Neutral PET,NPET)and preferred PET of rural residents(NPET: 18.83℃;preferred PET: 27.6℃)were both higher than those of urban residents(NPET: 16.82℃;preferred PET: 22.1℃).The lower limit of the neutral PET range(Neutral PET rang,NPETR)and the thermally acceptable range(Thermal Acceptable Rang,TAR)for rural residents(NPETR: 8.97-28.70℃;TAR:-2.48-36.33℃)were both lower than the lower limit for urban residents,and the upper limit was both higher than the upper limit for urban residents(NPETR: 9.28-24.36℃;TAR:-1.75-34.58℃).2)In winter and summer,urban and rural residents were mainly influenced by physical factors.In spring,individual and psychological factors were primary influencers of urban residents’ thermal perception,while rural residents’ thermal perception was mainly influenced by physical factors.3)A mathematical model comparing thermal sensation and environmental factors was built using multiple linear regressions,proportions of influences of different factors were determined,and the models performed well.4)Based on the meteorological preferences and thermal perception influencing factors of urban and rural residents,the bioclimatic design strategy of urban and rural open spaces is proposed.The research could provide a theoretical basis for determining the thermal benchmark differences between urban and rural residents,and provide technical guidance for the design of urban and rural open spaces based on thermal comfort evaluation.