Smith, P.; Henríquez, C. Microclimate Metrics Linked to the Use and Perception of Public Spaces: The Case of Chillán City, Chile. Atmosphere2018, 9, 186.
Smith, P.; Henríquez, C. Microclimate Metrics Linked to the Use and Perception of Public Spaces: The Case of Chillán City, Chile. Atmosphere 2018, 9, 186.
Smith, P.; Henríquez, C. Microclimate Metrics Linked to the Use and Perception of Public Spaces: The Case of Chillán City, Chile. Atmosphere2018, 9, 186.
Smith, P.; Henríquez, C. Microclimate Metrics Linked to the Use and Perception of Public Spaces: The Case of Chillán City, Chile. Atmosphere 2018, 9, 186.
Abstract
This paper presents a research carried out in the city of Chillan, a medium size city located on the southern limit of the Chilean Mediterranean domain, at 36º 36`s south latitude. Chillán provides a good representative example of warm summers in central and southern Chilean cities. Five public spaces were selected, representing different typologies and relating to different urban background conditions. Users in these public spaces were observed, counted and photographed five times a day (12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 hours, local time) during a heat wave event in the summer of 2016, while meteorological parameters were established at different points within the public space. The variables evaluated were impervious surfaces, Skyview factor, H/W, azimuth, shadow and radiation. Local public environmental management should pay attention to the complex relations between urban climate, public spaces and thermal comfort since they affect the quality of life of the most vulnerable sectors of the population. This is particularly important given the increasing episodes of high temperatures and intense heat waves occurred in the city of Chillán in recent summers, which are related to urban heat islands and climate change.
Keywords
thermal comfort; green spaces; South American city; urban morphology; climate perception
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Environmental Science
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
