Sometimes we face a tradeoff between energy efficiency and comfort.
Our Director, Dr. John Spengler, explores with his co-host the relationship between efficient energy use and levels of resident comfort in two urban micro-climates: Boston and Hong Kong. They also explore the psychological, health, and behavioral impact of living an urban lifestyle.
Dr. Spengler draws from the CityComfort+ Model, which measures thermal comfort in public places. The model assesses factors such as building massing, shading, vegetation, and the sensation of human comfort. Urban planners can use the model to assess the future condition of public places so they can evaluate ways to mitigate the effects of a warming world.
View a recording of this webinar presentation.
Download the PowerPoint slides from this webinar.
Related resource:
Jianxiang Huang, Jose Guillermo Cedeno-Laurent, and John D. Spengler. 2014. "CityComfort+: A simulation-based method for predicting mean radiant temperature in dense urban areas." Building and Environment. No. 80: 84-95.
