interpretive methods for urban comfort and microclimate research

Interpretive methods for urban microclimate research

An interpretive and integrating methodology for investigating urban comfort in a city undergoing post-

disaster transitions

Silvia G Tavares, Simon R Swaffield, Emma J StewartMarch 2014

QUESTION

Photo by Flickr user: Christopher Chan

How can we better understand the role of microclimate in shaping how people live in rapidly changing urban

environments?

CONTEXTClimate Change in an Urban World

São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Manhattan, NY, USA Photo by Flickr user: Christopher Chan

Photo by Flickr user: Fernando Stankuns

CONTEXTChristchurch – a post disaster city

Fieldwork

2:15pm: The sun is now gone, the wind increased and the temperature dropped. Today was a typical ‘four seasons in a day’. People who were using the public benches disappeared, people eating were doing it quickly. The environment looks very different from the warm and sunny morning.” (Field journal, 18 July 2012)

CONTEXTChristchurch – 4 seasons in one day

“We get all weather in one day (…). Even if they say it’s gonna

be sunny, it’s usually windy and cold, or it rains for a bit and

then the sun comes out.” (E60)

What theory and methods are both robust and flexible enough to enable to field investigation into social activity in a

constantly changing urban landscape?

CHALLENGE

WORKCURRENT RESEARCH

Microclimate theory and methods

Urban

microclimate

Thermal Comfort

INDIVIDUAL

Scienceand Urban

Microclimate

Quantitative, quasi-experimental

WORKCURRENTRESEARCH

Urban Theory and methods Comfort

Qualitative, descriptive, prescriptive

Urban life

Cultural Geography, Cultural Anthropology and Urban Studies

Regional identity

COLLECTIVE

Objective

RESEARCHFOCUS

Urban Comfort as a collective achievement

Urban life

Cultural Geography, Cultural Anthropology and Urban Studies

Regional identity

COLLECTIVE

Urban

microclimate

Thermal Comfort

INDIVIDUAL

Scienceand Urban

Microclimate

URBAN COMFORT

Interpretive, integrative, adaptive

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

What is urban comfort for Christchurch people?

How does the design of urban landscape shape urban comfort in Christchurch?

METHODOLOGYInterpretive case study settings

Urban Retreat SpaceUrban Social Space

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• Field work: October 2011 – April 2013• Multi-method, multi-site approach

METHODSParticipant Observation

METHODSMETHODSIn-Depth Interviews

86 in-depth interviews

METHODSMicroclimate Measurements

METHODSInterventions

“It’s cold, it’s a bit chilli to be comfortable, but they’ve got these kind of rugs which is cute, so it’s alright (…). If I was a little bit more unintimidated I’d just put it around and wear it probably, but is just it discreetly covering my knees.” (E51)

FIELDWORKFINDINGSFINDINGS

“Even though I don’t go up there [to the hills] as regularly as I used to, that’s still part of my life. The ‘being there’ is part of my landscape.” (E46)

Christchurch has a strong

outdoor culture which

encourages people to be outside in all

weathers

Regional culture shapes urban comfort

FIELDWORKFINDINGSFINDINGS

Social and Retreat spaces generate different adaptive practices

“To me as a Christchurch person, quality of life does include those things of having a bit of space, have a bit of peace and quiet when you want it (…)” (E79)

“There’s always the easterly winds that always

has a bit of ‘bite’ to it. So that’s why you always

need a jacket even in days like today.” (E69)

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSIONTHEORETICAL CONCLUSION

Urban comfort is a collective social achievement shaped by regional culture

Source: The Press

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSIONMETHODOLOGICALCONCLUSION

Urban design in face of instability requires robust, flexible research

24 May 2012 3 November 2012 14 November 2012

25 September 2012 31 January 2013 2 September 2013

Moving beyond conventional

techniques into qualitative

social science integrated

diverse data and revealed rich insights, but numbers

still count

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSIONMETHODOLOGICALCONCLUSION

Urban design in face of instability requires robust, flexible research

Source: Stuff.co.nz

Thank you!Silvia Garcia Tavares

SilviaGarcia.Tavares@lincolnuni.ac.nzSimon Swaffield

Simon.Swaffield@lincoln.ac.nz

Emma StewartEmma.Stewart@lincoln.ac.nz