Investigating wintertime pedestrian wind environment and user perception in dense residential neighbourhood in a city of hot-summer and cold-winter climate zone,China

Abstract

Urban wind environment could have an impact on pedestrian’s comfort and safety, as well as pollution dispersion and building energy consumption. For cities in the hot-summer and cold-winter climate zone of China, a proper design residential neighbourhoods is important to facilitate urban ventilation in hot and transient seasons and to protect users from strong winds in cold season. This paper reports the results of field measurements and a questionnaire survey in a large residential development with three different types of housings. Micrometeorology measurement was carried out at the pedestrian height level as well as at a rooftop reference station. Pedestrians’ subjective perception on wind and thermal comfort was recorded through a guided interview and questionnaire survey during the measurement. The measured wind velocity ratio is highest in the long-linear high-rise building layout, and is the lowest in the mid-rise linear building layout. Eight-seven per cent of respondents felt fairly comfortable living in the long-linear high-rise building layout, only 7% less than the mid-rise building layout. For similar housing forms in Shanghai, the wintertime wind shelter may not be critical compared with summertime ventilation requirement, and that the site planning and housing design should focus mainly on summertime wind channelling.