The thermalscapes of urban consumption: informal shading practices in a hot Brazilian city centre

Urban scholarship has thoroughly demonstrated that the sensory atmosphere is a crucial element for the consumer experience in urban space. Despite this, the impact of extreme heat on urban consumption areas has thus far received little attention, despite recent studies on thermal comfort showing that heat can significantly affect the use of urban public space. With this in mind, this paper seeks to contribute to the emerging field of research on the thermalscapes of urban consumption areas by examining the impact of informal shading practices on the thermalscapes of hot urban consumption districts. Drawing upon a qualitative methodology which combined ethnography and participatory biosensing conducted in Cuiabá, Brazil, we explore the role of informal shading practices in mitigating heat-related discomfort. The findings of the study show that informal shading practices are pivotal in enhancing the consumption experience in hot urban areas, by modulating consumers’ experiences and fostering new relations between consumers and retail. We conclude the paper by suggesting new research avenues for studies on thermalscapes in the field of urban retail and consumption studies.