Coupling effects of building-vegetation-land on seasonal land surface temperature on street-level: A study from a campus in Beijing

Abstract

The land surface temperature (LST) of urban streets is significantly influenced by the surrounding urban environment. In the cold areas of northern China, this influence exhibits a seasonal pattern. Currently, in areas with noticeable seasonal variations, the coupling effects of urban elements on the annual stability of street LST remain unclear. This study developed a new metric, Normalized Winter-Summer Land Surface Temperature Difference, to measure the year-round LST stability of campus streets. Three key urban elements affecting street-level LST in winter and summer were identified: building, vegetation, and land. The influencing characteristics for winter and summer LST were quantified and ranked respectively. The study reveals that the green space ratio dominates summer LST, while fraction vegetation coverage, leaf area index and average building height dominate winter LST. We found that morphological characteristics of buildings and vegetation cannot fully explain the impact of the urban physical environment on street-level LST. For winter street LST studies, greater emphasis should be placed on non-morphological characteristics and land. Based on the impact mechanisms and critical thresholds of key features in winter and summer, this study establishes an interpretable spatial classification method. By assigning seasonal weights to influencing features, it provides comprehensive design strategies that consider both winter and summer features to enhance annual LST stability and climate resilience in urban spaces facing extreme meteorological conditions.