Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 128564 |
| Journal | Urban Forestry and Urban Greening |
| Volume | 102 |
| Early online date | 5 Nov 2024 |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 2024 |
Abstract
The rising incidence of extreme heat in urban areas poses challenges to urban living, affecting thermal comfort and public health. Public green spaces (PGS), such as parks, play a crucial role in mitigating heat and acting as 'cooling oases' that enhance visitors' thermal comfort and offer various other ecosystem services. Despite their importance, the specific role of thermal comfort in motivating individuals to visit PGS remains unclear. This study aims to explore the connection between thermal comfort and PGS visits on hot days, with a focus on visitor motivations and the park features that promote comfort. We conducted systematic observations involving quantitative counts of PGS visitors and rapid questionnaires on summer days of varying temperature ranges in Bochum City Park, Germany. Results indicated that the motivation to achieve thermal comfort by visiting the park significantly increased from ‘slightly warm’ to ‘warm’ days, especially among older visitors, and was independent of other motivations for visiting. Furthermore, results showed that the perceived temperature has a limited impact on the use of PGS features, with sun exposure emerging as a decisive factor. The findings can inform the planning and design of PGS, with the aim of creating desirable and thermally comfortable environments as cooling oases for urban residents.
Keywords
- Climate adaption, Ecosystem services, Public green spaces, Thermal comfort
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Forestry
- Environmental Science(all)
- Ecology
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Soil Science
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, Vol. 102, 128564, 12.2024.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Visitor motivations and design feature use for thermal comfort on hot days in Bochum City Park, Germany
AU - Anderson, Carl Cyrus
AU - Uhr, Julia Sophie
AU - Schmidt, Stefan
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - The rising incidence of extreme heat in urban areas poses challenges to urban living, affecting thermal comfort and public health. Public green spaces (PGS), such as parks, play a crucial role in mitigating heat and acting as 'cooling oases' that enhance visitors' thermal comfort and offer various other ecosystem services. Despite their importance, the specific role of thermal comfort in motivating individuals to visit PGS remains unclear. This study aims to explore the connection between thermal comfort and PGS visits on hot days, with a focus on visitor motivations and the park features that promote comfort. We conducted systematic observations involving quantitative counts of PGS visitors and rapid questionnaires on summer days of varying temperature ranges in Bochum City Park, Germany. Results indicated that the motivation to achieve thermal comfort by visiting the park significantly increased from ‘slightly warm’ to ‘warm’ days, especially among older visitors, and was independent of other motivations for visiting. Furthermore, results showed that the perceived temperature has a limited impact on the use of PGS features, with sun exposure emerging as a decisive factor. The findings can inform the planning and design of PGS, with the aim of creating desirable and thermally comfortable environments as cooling oases for urban residents.
AB - The rising incidence of extreme heat in urban areas poses challenges to urban living, affecting thermal comfort and public health. Public green spaces (PGS), such as parks, play a crucial role in mitigating heat and acting as 'cooling oases' that enhance visitors' thermal comfort and offer various other ecosystem services. Despite their importance, the specific role of thermal comfort in motivating individuals to visit PGS remains unclear. This study aims to explore the connection between thermal comfort and PGS visits on hot days, with a focus on visitor motivations and the park features that promote comfort. We conducted systematic observations involving quantitative counts of PGS visitors and rapid questionnaires on summer days of varying temperature ranges in Bochum City Park, Germany. Results indicated that the motivation to achieve thermal comfort by visiting the park significantly increased from ‘slightly warm’ to ‘warm’ days, especially among older visitors, and was independent of other motivations for visiting. Furthermore, results showed that the perceived temperature has a limited impact on the use of PGS features, with sun exposure emerging as a decisive factor. The findings can inform the planning and design of PGS, with the aim of creating desirable and thermally comfortable environments as cooling oases for urban residents.
KW - Climate adaption
KW - Ecosystem services
KW - Public green spaces
KW - Thermal comfort
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85208461185&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128564
DO - 10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128564
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85208461185
VL - 102
JO - Urban Forestry and Urban Greening
JF - Urban Forestry and Urban Greening
SN - 1618-8667
M1 - 128564
ER -