This paper introduces the interrelationships between urban form, microclimate and thermal comfort. It draws on recent research of monitoring, surveying and modelling urban thermal characteristics and proposes a method of mapping urban diversity. Because the urban context provides a rich and varied environment that influences the way we use urban spaces (movement, sequence, activity) and how we feel in them (stimulation, thermal comfort), the aim here is to highlight the notion of diversity. Thus thermal diversity is used as a measure of the urban environment, rather than more conventional spatially or temporally fixed average values.
Keywords. urban; comfort; microclimate; outdoor space
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How to cite this article
Steemers, K., Ramos, M. and Sinou, M. (2003). 'Urban thermal diversity'. SET Proceedings, 2(1), pp. 11-18. https://doi.org/10.65582/set.2003.003