Thermal Comfort Range and Influence Factor of Urban Pedestrian Streets in Severe Cold Regions

Abstract This study investigated thermal comfort on two urban pedestrian streets in Harbin, which is an extremely cold region with significant temperature variability, through an on-site survey to determine the thermal comfort range and influence factor. The results show that the ‘acceptable’ votes above 80% in Harbin are in the range of −3.8–23.0 °C universal thermal climate index (UTCI). The neutral temperatures in transition and hot seasons are 21.4 °C and 21.8 °C UTCI, respectively, and participants are more sensitive to the thermal environment during the hot season. The thermal sensation vote values of the preferred temperatures in transition and hot seasons are 0.48 and 0.65, respectively. This indicates that people expect a ‘neutral ∼ slightly warm’ thermal sensation. The modified UTCI range in Harbin is wider compared to those in Tianjin and the Mediterranean, whereas the UTCI for extreme cold stress reaches −30.2 °C. Thermal adaptation and demographic factors also have a significant impact on thermal comfort. Working people always feel colder than walking people, and in the cold season, people who have lived in Harbin longer feel more comfortable. Males feel more comfortable than females, whereas older people are more adaptable to extreme weather conditions.