Wisteria trellises and tents as tools for improved thermal comfort and heat stress mitigation: Meteorological, physiological, and psychological analyses considering the relaxation effect of greenery

Abstract

In this study, wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) was measured under wisteria trellises, under tents, and in direct sunlight. In addition, a subject experiment was conducted to consider the relaxation effect of the greenery. In terms of WBGT, the risk of heatstroke under the wisteria trellis was one level lower than that in direct sunlight. The mitigation effect of the wisteria trellis was greater than that of the tent. The difference in WBGT beneath the wisteria trellis and under the tent was primarily due to varied black-globe temperature (i.e., the difference in radiation environment). The wisteria trellis blocked most of the solar radiation, and its effect on the small aggregation of leaves reduced the increase in the leaf surface temperature and downward longwave radiation. The tent material allowed more solar radiation and increased the temperature of the tent surface. The questionnaire responses revealed that the subjects felt cooler and more comfortable under the wisteria trellis than under the tent, with or without a blindfold. K E Y W O R D Sheat stress mitigation, thermal comfort improvement, urban heat island mitigation, urban trees, wet-bulb globe temperature, wisteria trellises

Editorial: Atmospheric processes and applications in urban, coastal and mountainous terrain

“…As heat stress issues will become more and more frequent in the future, studies evaluating the effectiveness of climate adaptation strategies in urban areas are increasingly needed. In this regard, Kusaka et al (2022) compare the effects of wisteria trellises and tents in locally reducing overheating in urban areas, showing that the former can be an effective measure to adapt cities to climate change, significantly reducing the heat stress.…”