Thermal Characteristics of Pocket Parks in Hot–Humid Cities Based on Usage Patterns

Pocket parks serve as vital everyday green spaces in high-density cities, yet many remain underused, especially in hot–humid regions where thermal discomfort restricts outdoor activities. Traditional pocket-park classification approaches overlook actual usage patterns of pocket parks, and existing studies have not examined whether thermal environments influence pocket park use, nor have they adequately addressed thermal comfort from the perspective of user needs. To address these gaps, this study investigates usage behavior, thermal environments, and thermal comfort demands in pocket parks in Guangzhou, a representative hot–humid city in southern China. Through a preliminary reconnaissance survey, this study selected three typical pocket parks for detailed case-study investigation, and the corresponding usage characteristics were systematically identified. Thermal environments and thermal comfort demands were collected separately through on-site thermal measurements and questionnaire surveys. Correlation and comparative analyses were then conducted to examine the relationships among usage characteristics, thermal environmental conditions, and thermal comfort. The findings reveal that (1) the usage rate of residential pocket parks showed the most sensitivity to WBGT, followed by business pocket parks, while the usage rate of traffic pocket parks showed no significant correlation with WBGT; and (2) business parks had the highest thermal sensitivity with PET, followed by residential and traffic types. A one-unit decrease in TSV corresponds to PET reductions of 11.1 °C, 12.5 °C, and 16.6 °C for business, residential, and traffic parks, respectively; (3) among thermal environmental parameters, wind speed exerted the greatest influence on the subjective thermal responses of users in both residential and business pocket parks. As for usage characteristics, activity type was the most significant factor affecting the thermal sensation of users in the traffic pocket park, while short-term thermal experience played the dominant role for users in the business pocket park. The results of this study offer a scientific basis for user-centered, climate-responsive design strategies for pocket parks in hot–humid regions.