Investigation of outdoor pedestrian shading preference under several thermal environment using remote sensing images

Following advancement in urbanization, outdoor thermal comfort is receiving increasing attention, with radiation being an influencing factor. To determine the shading preference, instead of a subjective questionnaire survey, an objective foot vote approach was proposed using remote sensing images. Subsequently, the meteorological data of cities were obtained from the Bureau of Meteorology. From the results, the foot vote was approximately consistent with the PMV, and pedestrians tended to move to the shaded area if it was hot and to the non-shaded area if it was cold. However, people do not move if the foot vote value ranges from 1 to 2, and the thermal acceptance range of PET is 19.2-29 degrees C in Beijing when using the definitions of foot vote. The outdoor thermal acceptance differs significantly with the types of outdoor sites and climates, and pedestrians in Beijing are significantly more sensitive than those in Wuhan if the outdoor thermal environment changes. Compared to transportation hubs and shopping malls, pedestrians in public buildings are less sensitive, whereas those in scenic spots are more sensitive. Results from this study will be beneficial to policymakers in urban designing to renovate and improve thermally comfortable urban environments at the pedestrian level.