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An initial assessment of the bioclimatic comfort in an outdoor public space in Lisbon

  • Climate and Perception
  • Published:
International Journal of Biometeorology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper describes the application of a methodology designed to analyse the relationship between climatic conditions and the perception of bioclimatic comfort. The experiment consisted of conducting simultaneous questionnaire surveys and weather measurements during 2 sunny spring days in an open urban area in Lisbon. The results showed that under outdoor conditions, thermal comfort can be maintained with temperatures well above the standard values defined for indoor conditions. There seems to be a spontaneous adaptation in terms of clothing whenever the physiological equivalent temperature threshold of 31°C is surpassed. The perception of air temperature is difficult to separate from the perception of the thermal environment and is modified by other parameters, particularly wind. The perception of solar radiation is related to the intensity of fluxes from various directions (i.e. falling upon both vertical and horizontal surfaces), weighted by the coefficients of incidence upon the human body. Wind was found to be the most intensely perceived variable, usually negatively. Wind perception depends largely on the extreme values of wind speed and wind variability. Women showed a stronger negative reaction to high wind speed than men. The experiment proved that this methodology is well-suited to achieving the proposed objectives and that it may be applied in other areas and in other seasons.

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Acknowledgements

The present research was financed by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal, through the Project “URBKLIM: Climate and urban sustainability. Perception of comfort and climatic risks” (POCI/GEO/61148/200). The authors are also grateful to Dr. Rosado Pinto for his assistance on the issue of the relationship between health conditions and climatic parameters, and to Prof. Maria João Alcoforado for her constructive comments and overall support.

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  1. Centre of Geographical Studies, University of Lisbon, Faculdade de Letras, Alameda da Universidade, 1600-214, Lisbon, Portugal

    Sandra Oliveira & Henrique Andrade

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  1. Sandra Oliveira
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  2. Henrique Andrade
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Correspondence to Sandra Oliveira.

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Oliveira, S., Andrade, H. An initial assessment of the bioclimatic comfort in an outdoor public space in Lisbon. Int J Biometeorol 52, 69–84 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-007-0100-0

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