Open urban spaces allow less control of environmental variables than enclosed spaces, which present a higher degree of confinement. By contrast, the possibility of users' adaptation in open spaces is higher due to their predominant uses. The aim of this paper is to investigate possible means of thermal adaptation, such as activities, clothing, and acclimation, in order to propose adjustments in the Equivalent Globe Temperature, which is used in the assessment of outdoor urban spaces. Data collection involved the quantification of environmental variables and questionnaires, and a comparison of the results of predictive models and different empirical basis. The study considered different physical activities, different sets of clothing, and various conditions of acclimation. The results indicated the need to expand the empirical basis for the data on activities and clothing. With regards to acclimation, considering the average hourly temperature to which the interviewees were exposed in the 30 previous days, it was observed that within the limits of this investigation, the approach of proposing an adjustment to the equivalent globe temperature is appropriate. The results of the adjusted model considering acclimatization showed higher correlation with empirical data than those in the original proposed model.
Thermal comfort; Outdoors; Predictive models; Equivalent temperature
