What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to identify street designs and shading strategies that improve pedestrian thermal comfort in tropical urban areas.

January 22, 2026Open Access

Effective street geometry and shading strategies for pedestrian thermal comfort: A scenario based simulation approach

Key Points

This research aims to identify street designs and shading strategies that improve pedestrian thermal comfort in tropical urban areas.
Utilized scenario-based simulations to explore various street geometries and shading options.
Simulated 90 scenarios combining aspect ratio, building typology, and street orientation.
Employed ENVI-met software for environmental modeling of urban settings.
Calculated modified Physiological Equivalent Temperature (mPET) using a machine learning model.
Canopy shading emerged as the most effective method, lowering mPET by up to 7°C in east-west oriented streets.
The optimal street design was a north-south oriented street featuring a deep aspect ratio and linear building typology, achieving mPET values between 33.1-35.8°C.
Results led to a rating matrix for integrating shading designs with street geometry for improved thermal comfort.

Abstract

The development of urban heat issues poses significant challenges for pedestrians in tropical cities, necessitating climate-responsive street design. This study employs a scenario-based simulation approach to determine optimal combinations of street geometry and shading strategies that enhance Pedestrian Thermal Comfort (PTC). Using ENVI-met, this study simulated 90 scenarios by combining geometric variables, such as aspect ratio (AR), building typology (BT), and street orientation, with five shading strategies in Nagpur City, India. The modified Physiological Equivalent Temperature (mPET) index was calculated for each scenario using a pre-trained machine learning model. Results quantified that canopy shading was the most effective strategy, reducing mPET by up to 7°C in E-W streets. The effective street geometric combination was a N-S oriented street with a deep AR and linear BT, which consistently achieved the lowest mPET values (33.1-35.8°C). The study concludes with a rating matrix that guides the integration of shading design with street geometry to achieve thermally resilient streets.

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