Outdoor thermal comfort: Impact of the geometry of an urban street canyon in a Mediterranean subtropical climate - Case study Tunis, Tunisia

This paper discusses the impact of the geometry of an urban street canyon on outdoor thermal comfort. The study focuses on the Mediterranean subtropical climate of Tunis, Tunisia. The investigation was carried out by using the ENVI-met model, and run for a typical summer day in Tunis. We compared three fabrics whose streets have various H/W ratios and different orientations. The assessment of the outdoor thermal comfort was based on the UTCI. The results showed that the deepest streets are the most comfortable. This research demonstrated the importance of the prospect of the street and its orientation in the creation of a comfortable environment. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.