Enhancing Outdoor Thermal Comfort with Shade-giving Trees in Humid Tropical Public Spaces: A Case Study of Alun-alun Bandung

Public spaces in urban areas function as places for visitors to socialize. These spaces are vital to the success of urban public activities. Adjustments to the microclimate in outdoor spaces have a significant impact on the thermal comfort of visitors. This research aims to assess visitors’ level of thermal comfort experienced in public areas, specifically in Alun-alun Kota Bandung and its surroundings. The site is divided into four distinct locations: (1) the central area; (2) the tree-shaded area; (3) the building-shaded area; and (4) the area with small vegetation. This study uses tools and simulation to analyze the relationship between outdoor activities and thermal comfort in its existing public space using quantitative methods. The study’s findings show that, while respondent responses vary across typologies, an analysis of the ENVI-met simulation reveals that they are nearly identical, indicating that it is generally warm. Furthermore, the slightly cool (-1 > PMV > -0.5) and neutral (-0.5 > PMV > 0.5) categories in typologies 2 and 4 produce distinct results. More shade-giving trees and the use of environmentally friendly materials that don’t reflect sunlight are two suggestions for enhancing the microclimate conditions for pedestrians’ thermal comfort in Alun-alun Kota Bandung.