An empirical study on outdoor thermal environment of residential developments and street blocks in Hong Kong

Abstract

Majority of Hong Kong's population lives in high-rise high-density residential developments or mixed use street blocks. In such high-density living conditions, the provision of open space at neighborhood level is of vital importance to enable residents to enjoy better quality of life with the social, psychological and environmental benefits that open spaces can bring. However, when designing these public spaces, the effect of the overall build forms on the microclimate conditions need to be considered. Only when the conditions allow for human comfort would these spaces serve to promote sustainability. One significant factor having adverse effect on human comfort is heat stress. Heat stress in urban areas can be described by Urban Heat Island (UHI). This study investigates the impact of design-related variables on outdoor micro level heat island effect in residential developments and mixed use street blocks in Hong Kong. It hypothesizes that a significant part of the differences in outdoor temperatures within and between the studied areas can be explained by the impact of design-related variables. The findings of the study will lead to specific environmental design guidelines to help practitioners to make design decisions at micro-urban and urban scales for more sustainable communities.