Evaluation of climate comfort based on the relationship between the structure and behavior of a block space in a winter city

This paper focuses on climate comfort degree evaluated from relationships between spatial characteristics and behaviors of a winter city.It is demonstrated that the influences of climatic factors on human comfort are remarkably different for different spatial characteristics and functions of the sites.An evaluation method of climatic comfort is propsed,in which attaining comfort is an adaptation process,and the dynamic changes in the process are according to the user’s subjective tendency to the variations of the spatial characteristics and functions of the space.The evaluation criteria are based on both physical and psychological hierarchy needs of a person,which include the spatial form for microclimatic conditions as well as the spatial social-economic characteristics of a site.To improve the local environment of a winter city by planning measurements,the Harbin Central Pedestrian Street is taken as an example in the application of the evaluation method,and different planning optimizing strategies are proposed accordingly.The results show that the pattern of climate comfort is characterized by reflecting the socialeconomic value and individual behavior characteristics.

Human Behavior in Downtown Public Spaces during Cooling Periods in Winter Cities

There is an urban design problem that outdoor public spaces are not used for long periods of time within a year due to coldness and snow cover in cities with severe winter climates （winter cities）. Therefore, an urban design that promotes activities in these spaces is required for winter cities. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the relationship between outdoor environmental conditions and the behaviors of people in outdoor public spaces. This six-month study conducted a field survey in six kinds of public spaces in downtown Sapporo and analyzed the changes of microclimates and sitting behaviors in these spaces. The analysis revealed that sitting behaviors decreased with temperature drops during the cooling period （20 ~C-8 ~C）, that sunlight could suppress the reduction in the number of sitting behaviors, and that wind speed could suppress the reduction in the duration of sitting behaviors.

Urban-Design Process with Snow and Wind Simulations： A Study on the Kitami City Hall

Regional climatic conditions should be considered while designing urban development plans, with special attention to the impact of snowfall on public spaces in cities with harsh winters. The Kitami-city-hall-renewal project in Hokkaido, Japan was studied as an environmental assessment of snow drifting. Assessments of the two site plans proposed during the architectural planning process （A-type and B-type） were conducted in terms of the following three items： （1） The two site plans indicate snow-drifting problems around the main entrance; （2） More number of local snowdrifts on the main-street sidewalks were suggested in the B-type design; （3） Less number of snowdrifts in the parking area beside the railroad were indicated in the A-type design. These results were reflected in the architectural planning process. On the basis of this study, a desirable design process incorporating environmental assessments has been identified for cities with harsh winters.