Influence of urban geometry on outdoor thermal comfort in a hot dry climate: A study in Fez, Morocco [An article from: Building and Environment]

This digital document is a journal article from Building and Environment, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
There are few studies on the microclimate and human comfort of urban areas in hot dry climates. This study investigates the influence of urban geometry on outdoor thermal comfort by comparing an extremely deep and a shallow street canyon in Fez, Morocco. Continuous measurements during the hot summer and cool winter seasons show that, by day, the deep canyon was considerably cooler than the shallow one. In summer, the maximum difference was on average 6K and as great as 10K during the hottest days. Assessment of thermal comfort using the PET index suggests that, in summer, the deep canyon is fairly comfortable whereas the shallow is extremely uncomfortable. However, during winter, the shallow canyon is the more comfortable as solar access is possible. The results indicate that, in hot dry climates a compact urban design with very deep canyons is preferable. However, if there is a cold season as in Fez, the urban design should include some wider streets or open spaces or both to provide solar access.