A new approach of urban livability in Tehran: Thermal comfort as a primitive indicator. Case study, district 22

The concept of urban livability is defined as the quality of life and wellbeing of urban residents. That is the interpolation of people, environment and built environment. Among the components of natural environment, climate is playing the most important and significant role. Two types of data were measured for calculating the thermal comfort in the study area. Subjective and objective evaluations which present qualitative and quantitative data. Objective data incudes micrometeorological and site measurements. Subjective data evaluates perceptual sensation vote of thermal comfort by people using the urban open spaces in three hot days of August 2018. The physiologically equivalent temperature, mean radiant temperature, sky view factor and aspect ratio are selected in this research for evaluating thermal comfort in the urban areas. Results showed extreme heat stress for all measuring points. In the deep streets the lowest value of PET were seen and confirmed the geometry of canyons in thermal comfort. This research proved that the climatic consideration for improving the quality of life and livability is missing and urban designers and planners should rethink and review the comprehensive plan of Tehran to make a livable and sustainable city in the future. •The base of human well-being is climate as an environmental factor. The ignorance of climate will lead to citizens' dissatisfaction.•All of the social and economic livability measures will be processed upon qualified climate condition. Climatic comfort is a base factor to be considered in urban livability.•Citizens of Tehran suffer from high thermal comfort during summer time.