Speaker
Description
Introduction and Research Problem
Climate change is increasing the frequency, duration, and intensity of extreme heat events, posing significant challenges for urban environments. The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect further amplifies these challenges by elevating temperatures in densely built areas where impervious surfaces, limited vegetation, and urban morphology influence local microclimatic conditions. Among urban populations, children are particularly vulnerable to heat exposure due to their physiological characteristics and daily dependence on active mobility, especially walking to and from school (UNICEF, 2021).
In recent years, the focus of sustainable mobility planning has increasingly shifted from the capacity and operational efficiency of transport systems toward the spatial quality of pedestrian environments that facilitate access to urban services (Brůhová Foltýnová et al., 2020). Within this shift, walkability has emerged as a key concept in planning and transport research, reflecting growing recognition of the role of pedestrian-friendly environments in promoting sustainable and healthy urban mobility. However, conventional walkability assessments often prioritize accessibility, connectivity, and pedestrian infrastructure while overlooking the thermal conditions that influence the usability and safety of urban public spaces. As climate change intensifies, thermally comfortable pedestrian environments are becoming increasingly important for maintaining active mobility and protecting vulnerable populations.
Despite growing research on urban heat and outdoor thermal comfort, limited attention has been given to the integration of walkability and thermal comfort assessments within planning practice. This gap is particularly evident in school environments, where children's daily routes may expose them to varying levels of thermal stress. Addressing this challenge requires planning approaches capable of identifying not only accessible routes but also thermally safe and climate-responsive pedestrian corridors.
This study proposes an integrated framework that combines walkability assessment and outdoor thermal comfort analysis to identify comfortable and uncomfortable school walking routes. By doing so, it seeks to support evidence-based climate adaptation and mitigation strategies that can guide local governments in creating healthier and more resilient urban environments.
The study aims to develop and test a spatial decision-support framework that integrates walkability indicators and outdoor thermal comfort analysis to:
• identify comfortable and high-risk school walking routes;
• evaluate the spatial relationship between pedestrian infrastructure and thermal exposure;
• support climate-responsive urban design and planning interventions;
• provide local governments with evidence-based adaptation strategies to mitigate heat-related risks in school environments.
Conceptual and Theoretical Framework
The study is situated at the intersection of climate adaptation, climate-sensitive urban planning, and children's active mobility. Climate adaptation in cities increasingly requires moving beyond large-scale policy objectives toward spatially explicit interventions capable of addressing local heat exposure and improving everyday urban experiences (Mills, 2016; Middel et al., 2015; Mills and Futcher, 2021).
The proposed framework builds upon three complementary concepts. First, walkability refers to the extent to which urban environments support pedestrian movement through accessibility, connectivity, safety, and infrastructure quality (Ewing & Cervero, 2010). Second, outdoor thermal comfort reflects the interaction between meteorological conditions, urban morphology, vegetation, and human thermal perception (Johansson et al., 2014). Third, climate-responsive urban planning emphasizes the integration of microclimatic knowledge into planning and design decisions to improve urban resilience and public health.
By combining these perspectives, the study conceptualizes climate-sensitive school routes as pedestrian networks that are not only physically accessible but also thermally comfortable. This integrated approach contributes to climate justice by prioritizing the needs of vulnerable populations, particularly children, whose exposure to heat-related risks is often overlooked in planning practice.
Methodology
The methodology consists of two complementary analytical stages conducted within a 500 m buffer surrounding a selected school, representing a realistic walking catchment area for school-aged children.
The first stage focuses on walkability assessment using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Spatial indicators related to pedestrian accessibility, street network characteristics, connectivity, and supporting physical infrastructure are analyzed in QGIS. These indicators are combined to evaluate the overall walkability of the study area and identify routes that facilitate active mobility.
The second stage evaluates outdoor thermal comfort conditions. Microclimatic analyses are performed using the Urban Multi-scale Environmental Predictor (UMEP) and the SOLWEIG model within QGIS. The simulations incorporate urban morphology, building configuration, vegetation patterns, solar radiation, and shading effects. Key outputs include Sky View Factor (SVF), Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT), and spatial distributions of thermal comfort conditions across the street network.
Following the separate analyses, walkability and thermal comfort outputs are integrated to classify streets according to both mobility and thermal performance. This process enables the identification of thermally comfortable walking routes, thermally stressful corridors, and priority intervention areas for climate-responsive planning. This integrated assessment is used to identify thermally vulnerable pedestrian corridors and priority areas for climate-responsive planning interventions.
Results
The analysis reveal significant spatial variations in both walkability and outdoor thermal comfort within the school catchment area. While some routes may exhibit high levels of accessibility and connectivity, they may simultaneously experience elevated thermal stress due to limited shading, low vegetation cover, and unfavorable urban morphology.
Conversely, certain streets may provide more favorable microclimatic conditions through tree cover, shading, or reduced solar exposure but offer lower levels of pedestrian accessibility. The integrated assessment is therefore expected to identify areas where mobility and thermal comfort objectives are aligned, as well as locations where planning interventions are required.
The resulting maps highlight thermally vulnerable streets and priority zones for intervention. These findings provide a spatial evidence base for evaluating existing pedestrian environments and developing targeted climate adaptation measures.
Discussion and Conclusion
The study demonstrates the importance of integrating thermal comfort considerations into walkability assessments and urban planning processes. Traditional mobility-oriented approaches may overlook the influence of heat exposure on pedestrian behavior and public health, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children.
The proposed framework contributes to climate-responsive planning by linking microclimate analysis with everyday mobility patterns. This integrated perspective enables planners and local governments to move beyond reactive responses to urban heat and instead develop proactive adaptation strategies embedded within routine planning practice.
The findings suggest that school walking routes can serve as a valuable entry point for climate adaptation policies because they directly connect public health, mobility, environmental quality, and social equity objectives. Planning interventions such as street tree planting, shading infrastructure, green corridors and nature-based solutions can simultaneously mitigate urban heat, improve thermal comfort and support active mobility.
By providing a transferable GIS-based decision-support framework, the study contributes to ongoing discussions on climate adaptation and urban resilience. It offers practical guidance for municipalities seeking to create thermally safer and more inclusive urban environments under increasing climate uncertainty.
Keywords: Walkability, outdoor thermal comfort, climate-responsive planning, UMEP/SOLWEIG
References
Brůhová Foltýnová, H., Vejchodská, E., Rybová, K., & Květoň, V. (2020). Sustainable urban mobility: One definition, different stakeholders’ opinions. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 87, 102465. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TRD.2020.102465
Ewing, R., & Cervero, R. (2010). Travel and the built environment. Journal of the American Planning Association, 76(3), 265–294.
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Johansson, E., Thorsson, S., Emmanuel, R., & Krüger, E. (2014). Instruments and methods in outdoor thermal comfort studies. Building and Environment, 73, 154–168.
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Middel, A., Chhetri, N., & Quay, R. (2015). Urban forestry and cool roofs: Assessment of heat mitigation strategies in Phoenix residential neighborhoods. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 14(1), 178-186.
Mills, G. (2016). Integration of climate knowledge in urban design and planning. In Urban Climate Challenges In The Tropics: Rethinking Planning And Design Opportunities (pp. 335-355).
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UNICEF. (2021). The Climate Crisis Is a Child Rights Crisis: Introducing the Children’s Climate Risk Index.
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