An analysis of outdoor thermal comfort impact on pedestrian walking patterns at sub-hour timescales with agent-based modelling

Purpose This study aims to analyse the impact of outdoor climate, building configuration and locations of public amenities on pedestrians’ walking behaviour and their outdoor thermal comfort. As outdoor climate can rapidly change within minutes, this study maintains that outdoor thermal comfort should be analysed at the pedestrian scale and within a short period to understand people’s walking behaviour and how it may affect urban activities. Design/methodology/approach This research analyses the thermal stresses experienced by pedestrians and their walking patterns within a sub-hour timeframe in Darling Square, Sydney. The simulation incorporates multiple outdoor climate analyses with agent-based modelling (ABM) simulation; it runs on a parametric modelling platform to predict walking patterns according to the agents’ innate properties, goals and environmental constraints as the weather fluctuates. Findings This study demonstrates that mapping outdoor thermal comfort within a shorter timescale could reveal emergent walking patterns that inform pedestrians’ preferences of their surrounding environment and their walking behaviour. Practical implications The findings could inform planners and stakeholders on how outdoor climate and building configuration affect pedestrian walking patterns for improving outdoor space quality during the design process or post-occupancy evaluation. Originality/value This study integrates ABM that incorporates multiple agents’ goals and innate properties and a micro-climate analysis on diverse context geometries under sub-hour periods, compatible with the pedestrian walking speed and distances at the neighbourhood scale.