Botanic Gardens used for thermal comfort case studies

Visitors to the Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG) in Melbourne and Cranbourne will help urban planners deal with future temperature rises through a survey designed by a CRC for Water Sensitive Cities PhD candidate.

Cho Kwong (Charlie) Lam, PhD candidate from the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, presented his research into human thermal comfort at the RBG Melbourne last November and will also share preliminary findings at a professional development seminar at the RBG Cranbourne on 12 February. He will also make a keynote presentation at the Researchers Workshop in Perth on 17 February.

Thermal comfort is the condition of mind that expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment (how warm or cold we feel) and is often influenced by cultural, physiological and psychological factors. Understanding the variability of temperature and thermal comfort in the RBG will contribute to an understanding of how different landscapes and microclimates can influence visitor’s experiences in hot or cold conditions.

It is expected that this project will help inform future RBG developments, including landscape succession plans to prepare for the projected climatic conditions of the 2070′s. Furthermore, the project’s findings will help address possible ways to accommodate visitors to the garden, in light of the likely decreased human thermal comfort due to increasing temperatures.

More information on the research presentations will be available at https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/whats-on