The relationship between urban shade and people’s activities in outdoor spaces

Abstract

Pedestrian is one of the most important factors of an urban space. As one element of the street, pedestrian plays significant role of enhancing and sustaining the quality of an urban space. Climatic conditions at street level are most important for pedestrians and are certainly critical when people do their activity. This study described the pedestrians’ behavior during hot climate conditions. The main purpose was to test empirically the relationship between urban shade and people’s activities as preferences. It examined the impact of solar exposure (sun, shade) on the time people are willing to reside the outdoor areas. It also explores the influence of different shade pattern to the different people’s activities in certain interval time. The aim was to seek which activity has significant relationship to shade in terms of outdoors in commercial areas. People’s activities were recorded by using video cameras, which were set on outdoor spaces in five sample spaces and five activities categorization. Computer simulation was used to project the patterns of buildings and trees shade. Simple statistical correlation and regression analysis methods were used to identify relationships between shade and activity. Findings indicated that generally the willingness to utilize an outdoor in daytime was significantly influenced by the presence or the absence of shade. There was significant influence of shade to activity, which indicated by strong negative relationship between shade and chatting/talking activity, and positive relationship to the eating/drinking. Results could be applied to develop and to test, as well as refine the understanding of preferences and constraints that shape outdoor choices in different contexts, thus contributing towards street vitality.