Outdoor Thermal Perception Characteristics and Influencing Factors Among Older Adults in Typical Old Residential Communities: A Case Study of Wuhan, China

Amid climate change and population aging, older adults’ thermal perception in old residential areas deserves attention. Existing studies have mainly focused on spatial morphology, while individual/social, activity-related, and behavioral preference factors remain underexplored. Taking Wuhan, China, as a case, this study links urban-scale heat exposure with community-scale thermal perception. Priority areas were identified by coupling elderly population potential with surface urban heat island intensity, and three representative community cases were selected for field measurements and questionnaire surveys. Based on physiological equivalent temperature (PET), neutral PET (NPET) and its range (NPETR) were calculated, and exposure backgrounds and subjective thermal responses were compared across cases. Logistic regressions were used to examine factors influencing thermal sensation and thermal comfort. The results show that the overall NPET was 20.9 °C, with an NPETR of 9.4–32.4 °C. The old urban fabric case had an NPET of 19.0 °C, lower than that of the old commodity housing case (23.3 °C) and courtyard case (24.0 °C), suggesting stronger adaptation to slightly cooler conditions. Centered PET and activity duration significantly influenced thermal sensation, while warmer PET conditions were associated with higher-level thermal comfort. These findings provide empirical evidence for climate-adaptive renewal of old residential public spaces to support older adults.