The Thermal Comfort Problem in Public Space during the Climate Change Era Based on the Case Study of Selected Area in Lublin City in Poland

Abstract

Noticeable climate change in recent years is reducing the comfort of public spaces in the urban environment, and is becoming an element of urban policies. The adaptation to climate change requires the development of new design guidelines for the development of public spaces. The appropriate definition of development density, choice of building materials, technologies, planting species, and the used directions is a challenge that depends on local conditions. A representative public space located in the area of a multi-family housing estate built in the second half of the 20th century in Lublin (Poland) was selected for the study. The space has undergone redevelopment twice in the last 10 years. The aim of the study was to determine to what extent the executed and designed changes actually improve the thermal comfort of users. Quantitative and qualitative indicators of the successive phases of the investment were analyzed in the context of projected climate change. The simulation was developed using the ENVI-met version 5.0 software. As a result of the changes made, there has been an improvement in usability and comfort. Five simulations were carried out for the warmest day of the year for one of the public spaces in the city of Lublin. The sensation of PET thermal comfort was investigated for people aged 35 and 75, as a particularly sensitive group. The obtained result proved that the elderly feel higher temperature rates than younger people. In one of the simulations, new plantings were proposed to improve the local microclimate. The material temperatures of paved surfaces were also investigated. The article shows how the local microclimate and people’s desire to stay in a given space can be improved with new tree planting.

Thermal stress comfort in a contemporary housing district in a moderate climate zone, Lublin as a case study

“…In the context of Poland, research on urban climate is becoming increasingly important due to climate change and growing urbanisation. Studies on thermal comfort have been conducted in Lublin, using the PET index for sensitive age groups, and assessing the potential reduction of air temperature through vegetation [34]. Research also focuses on the urban heat island effect and how to mitigate it using green infrastructure [35], [36].…”

Urban Building Thermal Comfort Research Based on ArcGIS and Building Parameters: Analyzing and Improving Measures

“…Thermal comfort significantly affects the quality of life and health status of urban residents [6][7][8][9][10][11]. Therefore, researching improvement measures for urban building thermal comfort and providing a scientific basis for urban planning and architectural design are of great importance for enhancing the quality of life of urban residents [12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. The method based on ArcGIS and building parameters can effectively evaluate and improve urban building thermal comfort.…”