Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research

Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research

Determining the Relationship Between Landscape Structure and Mental Components on Thermal Assessment

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Katayoun Afshon 1
Mohsen Taban 2, 3
Mostafa Masoudinejad 1
Reza Jalilzadeh Yengejeh 4
1 Department of Architecture, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran.
2 Department of Architecture, Visiting Professor, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran.
3 Jundishapur University of Technology, Dezful, Iran.
4 Department of Environmental Engineering, Jundishapur University of Technology, Dezful, Iran.
10.32598/JAEHR.9.3.1225
Abstract
Background: The urban open spaces and their effects on the physical and mental health highlights the attention on the quality of such spaces. Thermal comfort is an environmental component affecting the reactionary behavior of people in these spaces. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between mental components and landscape structure and its effects on the thermal assessment of individuals.
Methods: In this study, we used the descriptive method for explaining the mental components and landscape structure. Then, the survey method was employed for determining the correlations between research variables. Finally, we used the experimental method for testing the variables using specific tools. Thermal analysis was done by computer simulation method using ENVI-met software in the Karoon river area in Ahvaz City, Iran. UTCI (universal thermal climate index) is the index used for assessing thermal comfort. To find out the relationship between the research variables, the field data were randomly collected by questionnaires using the Cochran formula.
Results: The findings demonstrated the existence of a relationship between landscape structure and different mental states in individuals. The moods of the individuals in open spaces affect their perceptions of the landscape and thermal assessment of the environment.
Conclusions: Eventually, and based on the study findings, it was found that people’s mental states in different situations affect their perception of the landscape’s quality and structure and reactionary behavior. It also influences their thermal assessment.
Keywords
Urban open spaces
Mental components
Landscape structure
Thermal assessment
Karoon River
Subjects
  1. Taghvae SH. Landscape architecture: In introduction to definitions and theoretical foundations. Tehran: Shahid Beheshti University; 2012. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335777742_Landscape_Architecture_an_Introduction_to_Concepts_Theories
  2. Jalilzadeh Yengejeh R, Morshedi J, Yazdizadeh R. The study and zoning of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) of Dez river by GIS software. J Appl Res Water Wastewater. 2014; 1(1):23-7. https://arww.razi.ac.ir/article_47.html
  3. Mahan A, Mansoori SA. The concept of landscape with emphasis on the opinion of experts in various fields. Journal of Bagh-e Nazar. 2017; 14(47):17-25. http://www.bagh-sj.com/article_45081.html?lang=en
  4. Faizi M. [Urban landscape: A comparative study of three concepts in the city (Persain)]. Manzar Shahri. 2010; 9. http://ensani.ir/fa/article%B1
  5. Mansoori T, Jahanbakhsh H. [Exploring how to improve the urban landscape through the body and revive cultural values-Historic City (Persian)]. Q J Phys Dev Plann. 2013; 1(3):89-102. http://psp.journals.pnu.ac.ir/article_2172.html?lang=fa
  6. Berry LM, May J, Andrade J, Kavanagh D. Emotional and behavioral reaction to intrusive thoughts. Assessment. 2010; 17(1):126-37. [DOI:10.1177/1073191109344694] [PMID]
  7. Zabetiyan E, kheirodin R. [Assessment hierarchy model of the relationship between psychological adaptation for achieving thermal comfort and sense of place in urban spaces (Persian)]. Motaleate Shahri. 2018; 7(28):79-90. https://urbstudies.uok.ac.ir/article_60899.html?lang=en
  8. Heydari SH, Monam A. [Evaluation of thermal comfort indices in outdoor space (Persian)]. Geogr Reg Dev. 2013; 11(1):197-216. [DOI:10.22067/GEOGRAPHY.V11I20.30753]
  9. Parsons K. Human thermal environments: The effects of hot, moderate, and cold environments on human health, comfort, and performance. Boca Raton: CRC Press; 2014. [DOI:10.1201/b16750]
  10. Rabiatul AN, Sabarinah Sh A, Azni ZN. Psychological adaptation of outdoor thermal comfort in shaded green spaces in Malaysia. Procedia Soc Behav Sci. 2012; 68:865-78. [DOI:10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.12.273]
  11. Steiner F. Landscape ecological urbanism: Origins and trajectories. Landsc Urban Plan. 2011; 100(4):333-7. [DOI:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2011.01.020]
  12. Shavitt S, Cho YI, Johnson TP, Jiang D, Holbrook A, Stavrakantonaki M. Culture moderates the relation between perceived stress, social support, and mental and physical health. J Cross Cult Psychol. 2016; 47(7):956-80. [DOI:10.1177/0022022116656132]
  13. Bahrainy H, Khosravi H. [Comparative study of the impact of micro-climate features on urban behaviour patterns, the case of urban spaces of Yazd (warm and dry climate) and Fuman (moderate and humid climate) (Persian)]. J Environ Stud. 2015; 41(2):465-82. [DOI:10.22059/JES.2015.54994]
  14. Chappells H, Shove E. Comfort: A review of philosophies and paradigms [Internet]. 2004 [Updated 2004]. Available from: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/fass/projects/futcom/fc_litfinal1.pdf
  15. Nikolopoulou M, Steemers K. Thermal comfort and psychological adaptation as a guide for designing urban spaces. Energy Build. 2003; 35(1):95-101. [DOI:10.1016/S0378-7788(02)00084-1]
  16. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineer (ASHRAE). Thermal environmental conditions for human occupancy. New York: ASHRAE: 2010. http://arco-hvac.ir/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ASHRAE-55-2010.pdf
  17. Szűcs Á. Wind comfort in a public urban space-case study within Dublin Docklands. Front Archit Res. 2013; 2(1):50-66. [DOI:10.1016/j.foar.2012.12.002]
  18. Al-Kurdi N, Awadallah T. Role of street-level outdoor thermal comfort in minimizing urban heat island effect by using simulation program, Envi-Met: Case of Amman, Jordan. Res J Environ Earth Sci. 2015; 7(3):42-9. [DOI:10.19026/rjees.7.1694]
  19. Fallah Ghalhari GA, Mayvaneh F, Shakeri F. [Evaluation of thermal comfort and human health using Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) case study: Kurdistan province (Persian)]. Iran J Health Environ. 2015; 8(3):367-78. https://ijhe.tums.ac.ir/article-1-5479-en.html
  20. Mas’oudi-nejad M, Tahbaz M, Mofidi Shemirani SM. [The study of the thermal performance of Shavadoons, case study: The Souzangar house in Dezful, Iran (Persian)]. J Iran Archit Stud. 2018; 7(13):49-70. [DOI:10.22052/1.13.49]
  21. Rijal HB, Humphreys M, Nicol F. Adaptive thermal comfort in Japanese houses during the summer season: Behavioral adaptation and the effect of humidity. Buildings. 2015; 5(3):1037-54. [DOI:10.3390/buildings5031037]
Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research
Volume 9, Issue 3
Summer 2021
Pages 255-264