Most studies addressing heat in urban environments focus on thermal conditions and neglect the mental component of thermal comfort. This study employs mental maps to analyse thermal (dis)comfort in the mediumsized Czech cities of Olomouc and Plzen in summer. Locations of mental hotspots are identified particularly on busy streets, at transport hubs, and in the city centres. The results reveal mental hotspots as highly-frequented locations in which people experience inferior thermal and environmental conditions. Slight variations in the spatial patterns of thermal discomfort for particular groups of persons are described. Mental hotspots overlap with surface temperature hotspots by less than half of their area; differences are statistically significant and spatially modulated. Overlap areas of mental and real hotspots show a promising approach towards indication of locations prone to development of heat stress in urban areas. These findings may contribute to adaptation to climate change and to urban planning, which should address not only the physical but also the subjectively-perceived issues of thermal comfort.
Lehnert, M; Geletic, J; Kopp, J; Brabec, M; Jurek, M; Panek, J
Comparison between mental mapping and land surface temperature in two Czech cities: A new perspective on indication of locations prone to heat stress
Building And Environment