Evaluation of human thermal comfort near urban waterbody during summer

Urban waterbodies play important roles in the aesthetics, ecology and human interactions of city life. However, their effect on human comfort has rarely been evaluated. The conference center for the Shanghai World Expo 2010 is located along the waterfront of the Huangpu River. Over 25 days of high temperatures ≥35 °C are predicted during the conference period. Proper planning and construction of littoral zone environments near the waterbodies in the World Expo garden could improve the comfort of visitors. In this study, the effects of the waterbody, vegetation and wind conditions on temperature and humidity in littoral zones were analyzed using on-site measurements and a calculated heat index from the littoral zone of Huansha Lake in Huangxing Park, Shanghai on hot summer days. An index for evaluating human comfort in the littoral zone was then established for use at the Shanghai World Expo Garden. This index was tested at an artificial lake in Luxun Park, Shanghai and its effectiveness was demonstrated. The results showed that during the high temperature hours of a hot summer day, a waterbody can effectively improve human comfort in the littoral zone. The area 10–20 m from the water's edge shows the greatest improvement in thermal comfort. Appropriate landscaping in the littoral area can have a synergistic effect, further improving the effects of the waterbody on human comfort. The data from this study provide scientific guidance for the design of littoral zones near waterbodies in the garden of the Shanghai World Expo 2010.