Outdoor thermal comfort in an urban park during winter in cold regions of China

Urban parks play significant roles in improving urban microclimate and reducing urban heat islands. Using microclimatic monitoring and a questionnaire survey of thermal comfort, this study investigated thermal comfort during winter in different urban park landscapes in Xi'an, China. Results indicated that 1) Human comfort was strongly related to their thermal sensation; 2) In winter, global radiation was the most important factor affecting human comfort, followed by air temperature and relative humidity, and wind speed was the least important factor; 3) Landscape type and components had significant impacts on the outdoor thermal environment and human thermal comfort; 4) Residents desired intense solar radiation and higher air temperature in winter, but were not sensitive to wind speed or relative humidity; 5) Psychological factors had particular effects on human thermal sensation, and 6) Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) was the most suitable index to evaluate outdoor human thermal comfort in Xi'an. The neutral Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) and the neutral UTCI ranged within 13.3-23.6 degrees C and 14.9-23.2 degrees C, respectively. These results could serve as theoretical baselines and technical references for urban park design when considering the construction of sustainable cities.