ABSTRACT
Macro-climate, moderated by land form, vegetation and water, has, in various ways, influenced the location and nature of human settlement and uses of the land. Carter has observed that the role of the environment is determined primarily by culture rather than the other way around.18 There is no doubt, however, that humankind has responded in characteristic ways to climatic influences within its control. To be physically comfortable is a fundamental human need and a comfortable temperature lies in the range of 20 to 24°C. People are affected by climate and react to it automatically even though the response may not be conscious. There is a marked difference in the use of urban places at different seasons. On a winter’s day people crowd the sunny side of the street. They seek out spaces protected from the wind. On a hot summer’s day they gather where park seats and patches of lawn and trees provide shade or a cool breeze. The manipulation of natural and human-made elements of the environment and solar energy to create felicitous and healthy places to live and work in has preoccupied urban people since the beginning of recorded history.
