Outdoor Thermal and Acoustic Comfort in Autumn for Senior Citizens in Public Spaces in Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Abstract

Adapting to the ageing population is one of the biggest challenges for 21st-century cities. This research was focused on the thermal and acoustic comfort perception of older adults in two outdoor public spaces in the city of Newcastle Upon Tyne in the United Kingdom, through a mixed methodology including environmental measurements and questionnaire surveys to 73 people over 60 years old during the autumn of 2019. Results about thermal comfort showed that the range of the temperature where at least 80% of the older people felt the environment acceptable, was between 11.27 and 19.93 C°. While concerning acoustic comfort, although measured sound levels exceed the limits considered harmful to health (> 65 dB) 86.3% of the interviewees perceived the level of sound as "Pleasant" and 83.6% were not annoyed. Decreased thermal and auditory sensitivity makes older people vulnerable to climate and noise effects on health. It is important to consider those findings to achieve healthier spaces adapted to the needs of older adults, which encourage greater use and participation and improve their quality of life.