Influence and Optimization of Landscape Elements on Outdoor Thermal Comfort in University Plazas in Severely Cold Regions
Universities in severely cold regions face the dual challenge of adapting to seasonal climate variations while enhancing outdoor thermal comfort in outdoor leisure plazas. This study takes a university in Hohhot as a case study. Through field investigations conducted in summer and winter, thermal be...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/14/2228 |
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| author | Zhiyi Tao Guoqiang Xu Guo Li Xiaochen Zhao Zhaokui Gao Xin Shen |
| author_facet | Zhiyi Tao Guoqiang Xu Guo Li Xiaochen Zhao Zhaokui Gao Xin Shen |
| author_sort | Zhiyi Tao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Universities in severely cold regions face the dual challenge of adapting to seasonal climate variations while enhancing outdoor thermal comfort in outdoor leisure plazas. This study takes a university in Hohhot as a case study. Through field investigations conducted in summer and winter, thermal benchmarks were established. Based on this, an orthogonal experimental design was developed considering greenery layout, plant types, and surface albedo. ENVI-met was used to simulate and analyze the seasonal regulatory effects of landscape elements on the microclimate. The results show that: (1) the lower limit of the neutral PET range in Hohhot in winter is −11.3 °C, and the upper limit in summer is 31.3 °C; (2) the seasonal contribution of landscape elements to PET ranks as follows: plant types > greenery layout > surface albedo; and (3) the proposed optimization plan achieved a weighted increase of 6.0% in the proportion of activity area within the neutral PET range in both summer and winter. This study is the first to construct outdoor thermal sensation categories for both summer and winter in Hohhot and to establish a thermal comfort optimization evaluation mechanism that considers both diurnal and seasonal weightings. It systematically reveals the comprehensive regulatory effects of landscape elements on the thermal environment in severely cold regions and provides a nature-based solution for the climate-responsive design of campus plazas in such areas. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-98de8e78956c445cb079567cbc41a60e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj-art-98de8e78956c445cb079567cbc41a60e2025-08-20T03:08:06ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-07-011414222810.3390/plants14142228Influence and Optimization of Landscape Elements on Outdoor Thermal Comfort in University Plazas in Severely Cold RegionsZhiyi Tao0Guoqiang Xu1Guo Li2Xiaochen Zhao3Zhaokui Gao4Xin Shen5Architecture College, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051, ChinaArchitecture College, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051, ChinaArchitecture College, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051, ChinaArchitecture College, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051, ChinaArchitecture College, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051, ChinaArchitecture College, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051, ChinaUniversities in severely cold regions face the dual challenge of adapting to seasonal climate variations while enhancing outdoor thermal comfort in outdoor leisure plazas. This study takes a university in Hohhot as a case study. Through field investigations conducted in summer and winter, thermal benchmarks were established. Based on this, an orthogonal experimental design was developed considering greenery layout, plant types, and surface albedo. ENVI-met was used to simulate and analyze the seasonal regulatory effects of landscape elements on the microclimate. The results show that: (1) the lower limit of the neutral PET range in Hohhot in winter is −11.3 °C, and the upper limit in summer is 31.3 °C; (2) the seasonal contribution of landscape elements to PET ranks as follows: plant types > greenery layout > surface albedo; and (3) the proposed optimization plan achieved a weighted increase of 6.0% in the proportion of activity area within the neutral PET range in both summer and winter. This study is the first to construct outdoor thermal sensation categories for both summer and winter in Hohhot and to establish a thermal comfort optimization evaluation mechanism that considers both diurnal and seasonal weightings. It systematically reveals the comprehensive regulatory effects of landscape elements on the thermal environment in severely cold regions and provides a nature-based solution for the climate-responsive design of campus plazas in such areas.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/14/2228severely cold regionslandscape elementsoutdoor thermal comfortorthogonal experimentnumerical simulationclimate-responsive design |
| spellingShingle | Zhiyi Tao Guoqiang Xu Guo Li Xiaochen Zhao Zhaokui Gao Xin Shen Influence and Optimization of Landscape Elements on Outdoor Thermal Comfort in University Plazas in Severely Cold Regions Plants severely cold regions landscape elements outdoor thermal comfort orthogonal experiment numerical simulation climate-responsive design |
| title | Influence and Optimization of Landscape Elements on Outdoor Thermal Comfort in University Plazas in Severely Cold Regions |
| title_full | Influence and Optimization of Landscape Elements on Outdoor Thermal Comfort in University Plazas in Severely Cold Regions |
| title_fullStr | Influence and Optimization of Landscape Elements on Outdoor Thermal Comfort in University Plazas in Severely Cold Regions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influence and Optimization of Landscape Elements on Outdoor Thermal Comfort in University Plazas in Severely Cold Regions |
| title_short | Influence and Optimization of Landscape Elements on Outdoor Thermal Comfort in University Plazas in Severely Cold Regions |
| title_sort | influence and optimization of landscape elements on outdoor thermal comfort in university plazas in severely cold regions |
| topic | severely cold regions landscape elements outdoor thermal comfort orthogonal experiment numerical simulation climate-responsive design |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/14/2228 |
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