A Mobile Vehicle-Based Methodology for Dynamic Microclimate Analysis

Preferences of Young Adults concerning the Pocket Parks with Water Reservoirs in the Aspect of Willingness to Pay (WTP) in Warsaw City, Poland

The paper presents the results of a survey questionnaire conducted in order to determine the social preferences of young adults regarding their willingness to finance pocket parks in Warsaw (Poland). The preferences concerned the impact of the appearance and attractiveness of pocket parks for the inhabitants of the capital, the impact on the microclimate, the materials used to build water reservoirs, and the effect of the respondent’s income on their willingness to finance them. The data were analyzed statistically (Kruskal–Wallis test, Mann–Whitney U logistic regression). The results show that young respondents prefer parks with natural water reservoirs. Willingness to pay was the highest in the case of natural parks and parks containing the most anthropogenically modified water reservoirs. It has been shown that the willingness to finance increased with the need for more greenery of this type and greater awareness of their positive impact on the improvement of the microclimate in the city. The higher the attractiveness of pocket parks for leisure and the higher the level of respondents’ incomes, the greater the willingness to finance them. The level of financing also depended on the materials used to build water reservoirs in parks—the more elements made of hydrotechnical concrete, the higher the level of financing. This type of relationship was not found for natural materials, which is surprising given the already well-known threat of climate change and the decrease of biodiversity.

Applications of Models and Tools for Mesoscale and Microscale Thermal Analysis in Mid-Latitude Climate Regions—A Review

Urban analysis at different spatial scales (micro- and mesoscale) of local climate conditions is required to test typical artificial urban boundaries and related climate hazards such as high temperatures in built environments. The multitude of finishing materials and sheltering objects within built environments produce distinct patterns of different climate conditions, particularly during the daytime. The combination of high temperatures and intense solar radiation strongly perturb the environment by increasing the thermal heat stress at the pedestrian level. Therefore, it is becoming common practice to use numerical models and tools that enable multiple design and planning alternatives to be quantitatively and qualitatively tested to inform urban planners and decision-makers. These models and tools can be used to compare the relationships between the micro-climatic environment, the subjective thermal assessment, and the social behaviour, which can reveal the attractiveness and effectiveness of new urban spaces and lead to more sustainable and liveable public spaces. This review article presents the applications of selected environmental numerical models and tools to predict human thermal stress at the mesoscale (e.g., satellite thermal images and UrbClim) and the microscale (e.g., mobile measurements, ENVI-met, and UrbClim HR) focusing on case study cities in mid-latitude climate regions framed in two European research projects.

Social Preferences of Young Adults Regarding Urban Forest Recreation Management in Warsaw, Poland

The paper presents results of questionnaire research conducted to determine social preferences regarding leisure in Warsaw municipal forests (WMF) (Poland). The preferences pertained to frequency of visits and willingness to pay for recreational infrastructure in a forest depending on its appearance, level of development, and the respondent’s income. The data were processed using statistical analysis (ANOVA Friedman test, U Mann–Whitney test, logistic regression). The results show that the higher the development level of a forest, the more often young people choose it for leisure. Willingness to pay for a forest depends on its development level, with respondents more willing to fund forests with a higher development level. No such correlation with the respondents’ income was found. Preferences regarding the selection of a specific type of forest for leisure were dependent on per capita income of the respondents only in the case of forests at a lower level of development. A forest’s preference level affected the willingness to pay for it and varied depending on the development level.