Improving Livability in Cities by Identifying Outdoor Thermal Risk Areas
Saghar Hashemi1, Amirhosein Ghaffarianhoseini1, Ali Ghaffarianhoseini1, Nicola Naismith1
- Auckland University of Technology
Published in Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024), edited by Ali GhaffarianHoseini, Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, Farzad Rahimian and Mahesh Babu Purushothaman. Springer Nature, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, volume 591, 2025, pages 1012 to 1023. DOI 10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_97.
Abstract
To encourage people to spend more time in outdoor spaces and enhance livability within cities, one of the key factors is increasing outdoor thermal comfort in these areas. It is crucial to first pinpoint the areas considered as risk areas within cities. These areas can be defined as locations with both high levels of thermal discomfort and high levels of human activity. In this study, we aimed to identify outdoor thermal risk areas within Auckland University of Technology (AUT), New Zealand. To achieve this, we defined three distinct layers—namely, the layer of hazard, layer of exposure, and layer of vulnerability—on specific summer days in 2023. By overlaying the results of these three layers, we identified high-risk outdoor thermal areas. The layer of hazard was identified as areas with Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) exceeding 23 ℃, simulated using Envi-met. The layer of exposure was identified based on areas with the highest spatial intensity distribution of individuals. The usage intensity of each zone was determined by dividing the number of people within that zone by the total number of people present in the entire selected locations during the same period through on-site observations. The layer of vulnerability was identified by pinpointing areas where people experienced discomfort based on meteorological conditions through field surveys. The methods and findings presented are expected to provide valuable insights for urban planners and architects in identifying thermal risk areas in various urban contexts.
Keywords
Session
Presented in Track L, Saturday 9 November 2024, 11:00 to 13:00, room WG 1020, Auckland University of Technology. Session chair Assoc. Prof. Timothy Adekunle.
How to Cite
Hashemi, S., Ghaffarianhoseini, A., Ghaffarianhoseini, A., & Naismith, N. (2025). Improving Livability in Cities by Identifying Outdoor Thermal Risk Areas. In A. GhaffarianHoseini, A. GhaffarianHoseini, F. Rahimian, & M. B. Purushothaman (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024) (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, Vol. 591, pp. 1012–1023). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_97
About the Conference
Presented at SASBE 2024, the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, held in Auckland from 7 to 9 November 2024 and chaired by Professors Ali and Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, founders of GDI Academy. The version of record is published by Springer Nature; this page is the conference archive record kept by GDI Academy.