Identifying the optimal travel path based on shading effect at pedestrian level in cool and hot climates

Abstract As shading affects thermal environments and intentions of outdoor activities, studying shaded areas is necessary to increase pedestrian travel choice. This study provided a new insight by calculating the shading length based on LiDAR data and then identifying the optimal pathway for demonstrating the shading effects at different times in summer and winter. The Kowloon Peninsula of Hong Kong was selected as the study area. Results revealed that streets oriented N-S and NE-SW before and at noon and N-S and E-W after noon are beneficial for strong shading effects in summer, and streets oriented NE-SW and NW-SE during 8:00–10:00 and 14:00–16:00 and streets oriented N-S and NW-SE at 12:00 are suitable for travel with intense solar radiation in winter. The area percentages of overlapping areas of pathways oriented E-W and N-S at different times in summer and winter demonstrated what times pedestrians can choose to go through the overlapping pathways (e.g. pathways oriented E-W during 8:00–10:00 and during 14:00–16:00) or stay in the overlapping open spaces. The more overlapping pathways based on the random points were found at different times in winter than summer. The study reflects when and in which public spaces individuals can walk or perform outdoor activities.