Heat, Shade and Mood: Linking Thermal Comfort to Emotional Response in Urban Green Spaces.

Outdoor thermal comfort significantly shapes human experience in urban open spaces. This study examines the relationship between micrometeorological conditions, thermal perception and affective response in Chandigarh (30°44′11″N, 76°47′18″E), India, a city characterized by a humid subtropical climate. The study was conducted in Zakir Hussain Rose Garden and Shanti Kunj during summer 2022. Micrometeorological parameters, including dry-bulb temperature (Ta, °C), globe temperature (Tg, °C), relative humidity (RH), and air velocity (V, m/s), were measured while Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) and mean radiant temperature (T_mrt, °C) were computed. Affective responses were evaluated through the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), while thermal perception was examined through concurrent comfort surveys. A total of 393 respondents completed the PANAS questionnaire, reporting positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) scores, alongside thermal perception.

Results indicate a strong negative correlation between PET and PA scores, demonstrating diminishing positive emotions with increasing thermal discomfort. Conversely, NA exhibited a weak but significant positive correlation with PET, particularly in low-shade environments, suggesting a higher likelihood of negative emotions under extreme heat.

Landscape morphology and shading characteristics significantly influenced thermal perception and PA. Sky view factor (SVF) correlated negatively with PA, while visible green index (VGI) correlated positively, highlighting respondents' preference for shaded and vegetated spaces. Additionally, respondents perceiving the thermal environment as acceptable reported higher PA and lower NA scores, reinforcing the psychological benefits of thermally comfortable outdoor settings.

These findings highlight the psychological implications of urban heat exposure, emphasizing the role of green infrastructure, shading, and microclimate-sensitive landscape design in enhancing outdoor comfort and well-being. This study offers empirical insights into urban heat perception and emotional responses, informing the climate-responsive design of public spaces to enhance thermal equity and psychological well-being in Indian cities in the face of escalating heat stress.