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Perception of temperature and wind by users of public outdoor spaces: relationships with weather parameters and personal characteristics

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Abstract

We aim to understand the relationship between people’s declared bioclimatic comfort, their personal characteristics (age, origin, clothing, activity and motivation, etc.) and the atmospheric conditions. To attain this goal, questionnaire surveys were made concurrently with weather measurements (air temperature, relative humidity, solar and long-wave radiation and wind speed) in two open leisure areas of Lisbon (Portugal), during the years 2006 and 2007. We analysed the desire expressed by the interviewees to decrease, maintain or increase the values of air temperature and wind speed, in order to improve their level of comfort. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyse the quantitative relation between preference votes and environmental and personal parameters. The preference for a different temperature depends on the season and is strongly associated with wind speed. Furthermore, a general decrease of discomfort with increasing age was also found. Most people declared a preference for lower wind speed in all seasons; the perception of wind shows significant differences depending on gender, with women declaring a lower level of comfort with higher wind speed. It was also found that the tolerance of warmer conditions is higher than of cooler conditions, and that adaptive strategies are undertaken by people to improve their level of comfort outdoors.

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Acknowledgements

This study was developed in the framework of the project “URBKLIM: Climate and urban sustainability. Perception of comfort and climatic risks” (POCI/GEO/61148/2004), co-financed by FCT and FEDER (Operational Programme for Science and Innovation 2010).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre of Geographical Studies, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    Henrique Andrade, Maria-João Alcoforado & Sandra Oliveira

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  1. Henrique Andrade
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  2. Maria-João Alcoforado
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  3. Sandra Oliveira
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Correspondence to Henrique Andrade.

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Andrade, H., Alcoforado, MJ. & Oliveira, S. Perception of temperature and wind by users of public outdoor spaces: relationships with weather parameters and personal characteristics. Int J Biometeorol 55, 665–680 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-010-0379-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-010-0379-0

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