Thermal Perception in Relation to Physical Characteristics of Urban Outdoor Spaces in Katsina, Katsina State, Nigeria
Keywords:
Thermal perception; thermal pleasure; thermal preference; thermal sensation.Abstract
Influence of urban spaces on quality of life in cities has been an issue of concern to researchers for decades. This
study investigated the effect of urban physical planning pattern on thermal perception amongst people in a semiarid town of Katsina, Nigeria during hot dry and cool dry seasons. The study also examined people’s awareness
of the microclimatic modification effects of some physical characteristics of urban outdoor spaces. Data used in
this study include average monthly maximum and minimum temperature, physical characteristics of outdoor
spaces (width and orientation of streets, amount of trees), thermal perception and satellite imagery. Data
collection involves temperature data from Katsina Airport, physical characteristics of outdoor spaces through
field study and using Google Earth software and thermal perception through structured interviews. Results
revealed that physical characteristics of urban outdoor spaces and background microclimatic condition influence
peoples’ thermal perception of their immediate environment. It also revealed a high level of awareness among
people as regard ways of enhancing the thermal quality of urban outdoor spaces. This study suggests that in the
tropics, minimizing the negative effects of microclimatic modifications of urban physical structures should
always be considered before aesthetic in urban planning and design schemes.