An Investigation of Microclimatic Influences on Pedestrian Perception and Walking Experience in Contrasting Urban Fabrics: The Case of the Old Town and the Lower City of Béjaïa, Algeria
This study explores the impact of microclimatic variations on thermal perception and walking experience in Béjaïa, Algeria, focusing on two contrasting urban areas: the compact historic medina and the modern lower city. A mixed-method approach combined microclimatic measurements (Ta, Ts, Va, RH) wit...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Urban Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/9/7/243 |
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| author | Yacine Mansouri Mohamed Elhadi Matallah Abdelghani Attar Waqas Ahmed Mahar Shady Attia |
| author_facet | Yacine Mansouri Mohamed Elhadi Matallah Abdelghani Attar Waqas Ahmed Mahar Shady Attia |
| author_sort | Yacine Mansouri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study explores the impact of microclimatic variations on thermal perception and walking experience in Béjaïa, Algeria, focusing on two contrasting urban areas: the compact historic medina and the modern lower city. A mixed-method approach combined microclimatic measurements (Ta, Ts, Va, RH) with subjective evaluations from 70 participants. After urban morphological analysis, walking itineraries were designed and studied through accompanied walks. Participants reported their thermal sensations and walking comfort via questionnaires and mental maps, while environmental data were simultaneously collected (21–28 July 2022). Results show that transitions between urban fabrics significantly affect thermal sensation and walking thermal comfort (WTC). Strong correlations were observed between surface temperature (Ts) and sky view factor (SVF), and between ASV and WTC (Kendall’s τᵦ = 0.79, 95% CI [0.70, 0.88]). Beyond physical factors, perceptual variables like vegetation (OR = 1.50), maintenance (OR = 1.40), and views (OR = 1.30) significantly increased WTC, while fatigue (OR = 0.70) and safety concerns (OR = 0.80) reduced it. The findings highlight strong contrasts between the two areas and support planning strategies emphasizing vegetation, spatial optimization, and the integration of perceptual thermal factors in urban design. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-648ec84be4404f708e229ecc1dd2f8e4 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2413-8851 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Urban Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-648ec84be4404f708e229ecc1dd2f8e42025-08-20T02:47:14ZengMDPI AGUrban Science2413-88512025-06-019724310.3390/urbansci9070243An Investigation of Microclimatic Influences on Pedestrian Perception and Walking Experience in Contrasting Urban Fabrics: The Case of the Old Town and the Lower City of Béjaïa, AlgeriaYacine Mansouri0Mohamed Elhadi Matallah1Abdelghani Attar2Waqas Ahmed Mahar3Shady Attia4Sustainable Building Design (SBD) Lab, Department of Urban & Environmental Engineering (UEE), Faculty of Applied Sciences, Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, BelgiumSustainable Building Design (SBD) Lab, Department of Urban & Environmental Engineering (UEE), Faculty of Applied Sciences, Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, BelgiumLaboratory of Construction, Engineering, and Architecture (LGCA), Faculty of Technology, University of Bejaia, Bejaia 6000, AlgeriaSustainable Building Design (SBD) Lab, Department of Urban & Environmental Engineering (UEE), Faculty of Applied Sciences, Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, BelgiumSustainable Building Design (SBD) Lab, Department of Urban & Environmental Engineering (UEE), Faculty of Applied Sciences, Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, BelgiumThis study explores the impact of microclimatic variations on thermal perception and walking experience in Béjaïa, Algeria, focusing on two contrasting urban areas: the compact historic medina and the modern lower city. A mixed-method approach combined microclimatic measurements (Ta, Ts, Va, RH) with subjective evaluations from 70 participants. After urban morphological analysis, walking itineraries were designed and studied through accompanied walks. Participants reported their thermal sensations and walking comfort via questionnaires and mental maps, while environmental data were simultaneously collected (21–28 July 2022). Results show that transitions between urban fabrics significantly affect thermal sensation and walking thermal comfort (WTC). Strong correlations were observed between surface temperature (Ts) and sky view factor (SVF), and between ASV and WTC (Kendall’s τᵦ = 0.79, 95% CI [0.70, 0.88]). Beyond physical factors, perceptual variables like vegetation (OR = 1.50), maintenance (OR = 1.40), and views (OR = 1.30) significantly increased WTC, while fatigue (OR = 0.70) and safety concerns (OR = 0.80) reduced it. The findings highlight strong contrasts between the two areas and support planning strategies emphasizing vegetation, spatial optimization, and the integration of perceptual thermal factors in urban design.https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/9/7/243walking comfortwalkabilitythermal perceptionthermal comfortvegetationurban morphology |
| spellingShingle | Yacine Mansouri Mohamed Elhadi Matallah Abdelghani Attar Waqas Ahmed Mahar Shady Attia An Investigation of Microclimatic Influences on Pedestrian Perception and Walking Experience in Contrasting Urban Fabrics: The Case of the Old Town and the Lower City of Béjaïa, Algeria Urban Science walking comfort walkability thermal perception thermal comfort vegetation urban morphology |
| title | An Investigation of Microclimatic Influences on Pedestrian Perception and Walking Experience in Contrasting Urban Fabrics: The Case of the Old Town and the Lower City of Béjaïa, Algeria |
| title_full | An Investigation of Microclimatic Influences on Pedestrian Perception and Walking Experience in Contrasting Urban Fabrics: The Case of the Old Town and the Lower City of Béjaïa, Algeria |
| title_fullStr | An Investigation of Microclimatic Influences on Pedestrian Perception and Walking Experience in Contrasting Urban Fabrics: The Case of the Old Town and the Lower City of Béjaïa, Algeria |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Investigation of Microclimatic Influences on Pedestrian Perception and Walking Experience in Contrasting Urban Fabrics: The Case of the Old Town and the Lower City of Béjaïa, Algeria |
| title_short | An Investigation of Microclimatic Influences on Pedestrian Perception and Walking Experience in Contrasting Urban Fabrics: The Case of the Old Town and the Lower City of Béjaïa, Algeria |
| title_sort | investigation of microclimatic influences on pedestrian perception and walking experience in contrasting urban fabrics the case of the old town and the lower city of bejaia algeria |
| topic | walking comfort walkability thermal perception thermal comfort vegetation urban morphology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/9/7/243 |
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