Cooling effects of waterways on thermal comfort in urban districts during summer

This study assesses the extent of the cooling effects of waterways on the thermal environment of urban districts of Osaka by measurement and simulation. The thermal environments of districts with and without waterways were measured in summer. The effects of the change of configuration of the district near waterway were calculated using computer fluid dynamics simulation. Results show the following. 1) Measured daily mean air temperatures were 0.5–0.8 K lower and SET* was 1.4–2.9 K lower in the district with the waterway than those in the district without waterways in peak summer. Differences were also shown in thermal comfort surveys of passersby. 2) It was calculated that air temperatures in the district with waterways can be decreased about 1.0 K by changing the configuration of the buildings facing the waterway and by changing the waterway width.