Thermal Comfort Studies in Public Places and Analysis of Thermal Comfort Sensation of Johor Malaysia Urban Park

Abstract

The thermal comfort characteristics of various outside and semi-outdoor urban settings have received much scientific attention during the past two decades. Whereas, a thermally pleasant urban environment may let city dwellers interact with their surroundings while still satisfying their basic needs, unfavorable temperatures may make people less likely to engage in outdoor activities and use more energy for indoor cooling. The aim of this study is to evaluate outdoor thermal comfort studies carried out in the Malaysian environment. A systematic literature review was carried out to evaluate thermal comfort studies carried out in Malaysia environment. The study also employed the PET or UTCI as the thermal index to present thermal comfort data, subjective thermal comfort rating and objective meteorological field observation. Findings from the review indicates that depending on the site characteristics, thermal comfort requirements can vary even within the same climate zone within cities. The link between people's thermal perception and thermal comfort indices was also investigated through field investigations that were carried out in Johor Park Malaysia. Results suggests that the initial threshold values of these indices, did not accurately reflect the real thermal sensation patterns. In conclusion, variations in activity preferences reflect people's capacity for outdoor temperature adaptation. More research efforts on psychological thermal adaptation is suggested, particularly in shortterm heat situations.