Marcia Lee Tjie Yi, Ong Jing Xiang, Tan Jia Yih Tiffany, Yeo Guo Hong, Zhang Ruichun
Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari
For thousands of pedestrians, undulating topography and less than ideal thermal conditions make walking along the roadside and sheltered walkways at NUS undesirable. Considering that the university is at a strategic phase in setting up a sustainable campus, increasing walkability would contribute significantly to that goal. Our project investigated thermal comfort on a variety of existing campus pathways. We measured airflow, temperature and humidity along the vehicle route and the ‘yellow corridor’. We mapped and compared this data to conditions in the Kent Ridge Forest to ascertain if the tree canopy significantly mitigates/changes the pedestrian experience with respect to thermal comfort. In our assessment, the forested ridge located lengthwise across the campus could provide a viable alternative walking solution, allowing users to travel on a route that significantly reduces walking distance and commute time. Based on our findings, we recommend that campus improvements for walkability should explore this potential solution in greater detail.
Keywords: Built Environment & Green Infrastructure, Walking, Car-lite, Green transport, Thermal comfort