The outdoor thermal benchmarks in Melbourne urban climate

Outdoor thermal comfort significantly influences the users' experience in urban places; affecting their extent of usage. The paper aims to identify the outdoor thermal benchmarks for the temperate oceanic (Cfb) climate zones in Australia. It examines the perception of thermal comfort in two urban places in Melbourne city. Field measurements were conducted during summer and winter seasons along with 2123 valid questionnaires and observations in both contexts. Micrometeorological parameters were measured and used to calculate the mean radiant temperature and the physiological equivalent temperature (PET). The questionnaire provided information regarding the thermal sensations and preferences of the users using ASHRAE seven-point and McIntyre scales respectively. The quantitative analysis is used to calculate the range of outdoor thermal comfort in Melbourne. This was ranged between 20 degrees C and 25 degrees C PET. Additionally, the neutral and preferred temperature were found to be 20.4 degrees C and 19.2 degrees C respectively. Variations in different benchmarks were observed with different seasons and types of urban places. The results endorse the significant impact of thermal adaptation factors on the users' comfort levels and acceptability for micrometeorological environments. The findings also identify the different thermal benchmarks that help urban designers creating comfortable outdoor places within the oceanic temperate climatic zones.