The effect of personal and microclimatic variables on outdoor thermal comfort: A field study in Tehran in cold season

Outdoor thermal comfort condition is examined through field surveys in Tehran, Iran, during five days of winter. Environmental monitoring has been carried out in parallel to human surveys using interviews and questionnaires with space users. Examining the climatic data in relation to subjective thermal sensation, this study confirms the significant effect of personal (age and gender) and climatic (air temperature, solar radiation, and air velocity) variables. It also determines the outdoor acceptable thermal range utilizing the index Ta, with the neutral air temperature of 14.2 °C for cold season, which is then compared and justified with its indoor associated study. Finally, this research endorses environmental stimulation and expectations as two major parameters of psychological adaptation influencing thermal perception in this study.