Thermal comfort Amsterdam

Introduction

This dataset presents meteorological data and field surveys carried out at 21 urban locations in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The data describe the thermal situation and the thermal experience of different urban environments. The experiments were carried out during 12 summer afternoons in 2015 and 2016. In total, 21 locations in Amsterdam (shaded and sunny locations in parks, streets, squares, and near water bodies) were measured with two mobile weather stations. The data can be used to evaluate the impact of shading, urban water and urban green on the microclimate and thermal perception of urban spaces during hot summer days.

Measurement locations

The urban sites are described in the file locations and dates of measurements.pdf. Nearly all measurement sites are located in the centre of Amsterdam. There are three types of locations: impervious areas such as streets and squares, green spaces such as parks existing of grass, shrubs and trees, and urban areas close to water bodies such as canals, rivers, ponds and fountains. Each location is either sunlit or in the shade of trees or buildings. During 2015, the weather station was often moved each hour between a sunlit and a shaded location. During 2016, each mobile weather station measured at only one location throughout the day.

Meteorological data

The meteorological data were measured with a Davis Vantage Pro2 weather station, including sensors for air temperature, air humidity, solar radiation and wind speed. The sensor station uses a fan-aspirated radiation shield. The accuracy of the sensors is 0.5 °C for air temperature, 3% for air humidity, 5% for wind speed and 5% for global radiation. Globe temperature was measured using an additional 38 mm flat grey globe thermometer, made of a grey painted table tennis ball using a flat grey paint (RAL 7001). A temperature probe of Davis (type 6372) was used inside this table tennis ball. The accuracy of this sensor is 0.5 °C. The time interval of the recorded meteorological variables is 1 minute. The height at which the sensors were installed is 1.1 m. Meteorological data are presented in the file meteorological data.xlsx.

Field surveys

The questions with respect to thermal perception are listed in a separate file survey.pdf, while the answers are listed in survey results.xlsx. People in the near environment of the weather stations were surveyed, ensuring that the interviewees were in the same thermal environment as the weather station.