A street-level thermal resilience assessment framework for elderly residents in high-density aging neighborhoods

Extreme heat poses growing challenges to age-friendly renewal in older residential neighborhoods, where compact urban form, aging infrastructure and a large elderly population often coexist. Nearby streets frequently support daily mobility and access to local services, making their thermal usability particularly important for elderly. However, existing assessments often focus on environmental performance without fully translating behavioral and microclimatic evidence into renewal priorities. This study proposes and applies a behavior-informed street-level thermal resilience assessment framework as a pre-design screening tool. Using two aging neighborhoods in Xi'an, China, as empirical cases, the framework integrates questionnaire surveys, map-assisted route identification, 24-hour street-canyon monitoring, pedestrian-level micrometeorological measurements and multi-scale morphological analysis. Results show that neighborhood streets were the most frequently reported outdoor activity spaces, selected by 66% of respondents, while 78% regarded sidewalks as the hottest or most sun-exposed spaces. Street-canyon Temperature–Humidity Index (THI) exceeded the “very hot” threshold for 21–24 h, and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) remained above 32 °C throughout daytime monitoring and exceeded 38 °C for 8–9 h. Shaded microsites exhibited UTCI values up to 6.3 °C lower than the exposed microsites, primarily in association with lower mean radiant temperature. Morphological associations were generally context-sensitive, with the most robust relationships observed between surrounding green coverage and daytime humidity. The study provides an initial empirical application of a structured screening approach for identifying behaviorally relevant streets, critical periods, potential thermal protection gaps and directions for subsequent detailed assessment.