Tavares, Silvia (2018) Public microclimates: thermal outdoor expectations in post-earthquake Christchurch (New Zealand). In: Roesler, Sascha, and Kobi, Madlen, (eds.) The Urban Microclimate as Artifact: towards an architectural theory of thermal diversity. Birkhäuser, Basel, Switzerland, pp. 82-100.

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Abstract

While indoors microclimates are readily controllable by air conditioning, urban outdoor microclimates are often accepted as public open spaces with innate characteristics. There are, however, psychological factors and cultural expectations that influence microclimate experience in open spaces (Lenzholzer 2015). As public open spaces are essentially congregational social spaces, social activity and accessibility influence adaptation to the thermal conditions of the urban environment. The challenge, therefore, is to identify the place-based and local sociocultural values that shape the use of public urban microclimates. Based upon the theory that physical and social landscapes co-constitute urban microclimates, this chapter approaches people’s response to outdoor microclimates as a product of regional context. Thus, I consider the landscape to be one of the variables integrated into regional identities and responses to climate. The general adaptive capacity concept refers to the ability of systems and people to cope with external stress factors (Denevan 1983). Adaptive capacity is used here as the capacity of humans to adjust to the existing thermal environment, even if the local conditions are outside of the scientifically-defined comfort zone (Olgyay 1963) . In addition to the physiological perceptions, microclimates are embedded in socio-cultural practices and meanings.

Item ID:	53954
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Research - B1)
ISBN:	9783035615159
Keywords:	microlimate, urban climate, liveability, ethnography, New Zealand, post-earthquake, Christchurch
Date Deposited:	06 Feb 2019 02:02
FoR Codes:	33 BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND DESIGN > 3304 Urban and regional planning > 330411 Urban design @ 50% 33 BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND DESIGN > 3301 Architecture > 330109 Landscape architecture @ 20% 33 BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND DESIGN > 3304 Urban and regional planning > 330404 Land use and environmental planning @ 30%
SEO Codes:	96 ENVIRONMENT > 9603 Climate and Climate Change > 960399 Climate and Climate Change not elsewhere classified @ 30% 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9610 Natural Hazards > 961010 Natural Hazards in Urban and Industrial Environments @ 35% 97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970112 Expanding Knowledge in Built Environment and Design @ 35%
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