The effect of pavement characteristics on the thermal comfort in a new urban open space

Abstract

Urban heat island (UHI) has a significant effect on the thermal comfort of pedestrians. In particular, the materials used in urban spaces and sidewalks affect pedestrians’ comfort significantly. Dark materials store solar radiation during the day and re-radiate it overnight. Reversely, cool materials, given their high albedo, are often proposed as a solution for alleviating UHI issues. This research studies the effect of different materials used in a new main urban square on the outdoor thermal comfort in Toronto. The study is performed at the neighborhood scale, using the high resolution program ENVI-met. Simulations done for a summer heat wave allowed to predict the maximum effect of pavements with different albedo. The physiological equivalent temperature (PET) is then used to assess the outdoor thermal comfort. Heat wave mitigation showed the relative effectiveness of different pavement materials. Thermal comfort evaluations are finally reported to assess the microclimate benefits of bright marbles over the selected black granite.