Abstract
This study analyses effects of skin colour on pedestrians' thermal perception in outdoor spaces. The field study was carried out in downtown Rio de Janeiro, evaluating thermal sensation and thermal preference votes of passers-by. Responses from structured questionnaires were compared to data from the outdoor comfort index UTCI (Universal Thermal Climate Index), by means of data grouping according to skin colour categories provided by the Brazilian Statistical Institute IBGE. In this case, skin colour was informed by the interviewees. The monitoring took place during late spring/summer periods between 2012 and 2015, typically from 10am until 3pm. A Davis Vantage Pro2 weather station was used while, at the same time, the researchers administered a structured questionnaire based on the ISO 10551, to which a question regarding skin colour was added. The comparison between thermal sensation and thermal preference from the point of view of skin colour demonstrated that while the group with white skin showed greater tolerance to heat, they preferred cooler conditions to help neutralise heat stress. Statistical differences were only observed in the aspect of thermal preference between the groups analysed.
Keywords:
Urban climate; Thermal perception in outdoor spaces; UTCI; Skin colour
