Microclimate perception features of commercial street in severe cold cities

Abstract The perception of outdoor microclimate environment is mainly affected by four parameters: air temperature, air humidity, air velocity and thermal radiation. It is particularly important to take microclimate perception into consideration in the commercial district with large flow of people and intensive activities. However, the effect of microclimate on human perception has not been considered in commercial street. The aim of the study is to provide technical methods and quantitative basis from space design and microclimate perception to improve microclimate of the commercial area. Harbin Central Avenue is chosen as the severe cold city case study and 7 typical spaces are selected to conduct questionnaire survey and field test. Results from the comfort interval of microclimate perception shows that the upper limit of moderate interval of wind speed is around 1.25~1.81m/s and the average solar radiation is between 210~430W/m 2 . However, the moderate solar radiation need to be below 300W/m 2 , while the moderate wind speed to be over 0.65m/s from June to August.