The Use of Newly Developed Public Transportation System in Relation to People’s Thermal Perception of Outdoor Climate

Abstract

In the past decade, Doha the capital city of Qatar has witnessed a massive shift in various fields including economy, education, and sports sector. This flux caused rapid population growth, and as a result have led to an increase in the number of private cars in the city, leading to significant traffic congestion. The Transport Master Plan for Qatar (TMPQ) 2006-2026 included the introduction of a metro and rail system aiming to (1) solve the problem of traffic congestion, (2) meet the goals of Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030, (3) and successfully sponsor the recently held FIFA World Cup 2022. Most of the people in Qatar have private cars, which they generally consider necessary for door-to-door trips. In addition, the existing public transportation system is mostly used by the lower class. Therefore, in order to develop a successful public transportation system, it is crucial to examine people’s thermal perception of outdoor spaces, particularly in terms of microclimate, and people’s adaptive actions in response to Qatar’s hot humid climate. In this research paper, the thermal comfort issue was explored by considering both, subjective and objective parameters. The outcomes of the research reveal that people are largely able to adapt successfully to the heat through behavioural adaptation, which improves people’s thermal tolerance to the outdoor climate in Qatar. However, the findings indicate that people’s thermal comfort could be further enhanced through minor modifications to the outdoor environment including a high Height/Width ratio, provision of vegetation, and shading street furniture.