Research on summer outdoor thermal comfort based on COMFA model in an urban park of Fuzhou, China

Climate change and intensification of urban heat island are making the outdoor environment more uncomfortable during hot weather. Improving the outdoor thermal comfort of urban parks is crucial for residents’ health due to their significance for daily activities. Taking Hot Spring Park in Fuzhou, China, as an example, based on COMfort FormulA (COMFA) model, this study examined the outdoor thermal comfort and revealed related influencing factors, through questionnaires, field measurement of meteorological and landscape variables. The results show that (1) air temperature and solar radiation are the most important variables affecting outdoor thermal comfort while wind speed and relative humidity are less influential. (2) The results allow extending the neutral thermal comfort range from 50 W/m2 (value of literature) to 80 W/m2 in hot summer and warm winter areas. However, people will be unbearable when the value of COMFA model reaches 177 W/m2 or higher. (3) Increasing the green coverage and canopy density of the park can significantly improve outdoor thermal comfort, and open water surface has almost no positive effect. This study extended the understanding of outdoor thermal comfort in hot summer and warm winter areas and can provide the basis for the design of urban parks and the improvement of outdoor thermal environment.