College of Landscape Architecture & Arts, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China.
College of Landscape Architecture & Arts, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China.
Sci Total Environ. 2021 May 10;768:144985. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.144985. Epub 2021 Jan 8.
Elderly residents are prominent users of urban parks and comfortable open spaces in parks have been shown to improve their physical health and mental well-being. In this study, the thermal perceptions (thermal sensation, thermal comfort and thermal acceptability) of elderly visitors to an urban park in Xi'an, China was investigated using meteorological measurements, questionnaire surveys and activity records. Physiological equivalent temperature (PET) was used to determine thermal benchmarks. Spatial-temporal distributions of the elderly in open spaces were recorded and relationships among elderly residents' thermal perceptions, their age and chronic disease were analyzed. Finally, optimal design strategies for open spaces suitable for the elderly were proposed based on meteorological characteristics, elderly residents' attendance patterns and their thermal perceptions. Results showed that: 1) globe temperature (T) and air temperature (T) were the primary meteorological factors that influenced elderly residents' thermal sensation while clothing insulation and activity intensity were negatively correlated with their thermal sensation. 2) Attendance was significantly affected by the outdoor microclimate, space functionality and facilities in spaces. The elderly mainly participated in dynamic activities and social interaction. 3) The neutral PET (NPET) was 13.2 °C, with NPET range (NPETR) of 3.1-23.2 °C. The 90% thermal acceptable PET ranged between 10.9 and 25.9 °C, and the preferred PET was 14.4 °C. Compared with the ISO7730 standard, the predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD) elderly park users was lower than users of indoor spaces when -1 ≤ MTSV ≤ + 1, indicating that the elderly preferred to conduct activities outside when the environment was comfortable. Additionally, NPET for the elderly with respiratory disease was higher than those with cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. 4) Optimal design strategies for open spaces were proposed for elderly residents based on their physical, physiological and psychological preferences.
老年人是城市公园和舒适开放空间的主要使用者，这些场所已被证明可以改善他们的身体健康和心理健康。本研究通过气象测量、问卷调查和活动记录，调查了中国西安城市公园中老年人游客的热感觉（热感觉、热舒适和热可接受性）。生理等效温度（PET）用于确定热基准。记录了老年人在开放空间中的时空分布，并分析了老年人居民的热感觉、他们的年龄和慢性病之间的关系。最后，根据气象特征、老年人居民的出勤模式及其热感觉，提出了适合老年人的开放空间的优化设计策略。结果表明：1）地面温度（T）和空气温度（T）是影响老年人居民热感觉的主要气象因素，而服装隔热和活动强度与他们的热感觉呈负相关。2）出勤率受空间中的户外微气候、空间功能和设施显著影响。老年人主要参与动态活动和社会互动。3）中性 PET（NPET）为 13.2°C，NPET 范围（NPETR）为 3.1-23.2°C。90%热可接受的 PET 范围在 10.9 和 25.9°C 之间，首选 PET 为 14.4°C。与 ISO7730 标准相比，当-1≤MTSV≤+1 时，预测的不满意（PPD）老年公园使用者比例低于室内空间的使用者，这表明当环境舒适时，老年人更喜欢在户外进行活动。此外，患有呼吸道疾病的老年人的 NPET 高于患有心血管疾病和糖尿病的老年人。4）根据老年人的身体、生理和心理偏好，为老年人提出了开放空间的优化设计策略。
