Abstract
In the process of rapid urbanization, urban heat island (UHI) effect has been showing more and more significant impacts on human well-being. Therefore, a more detailed understanding of the impact of three-dimensional (3D) building morphology on UHI effect across a continuum of spatial scales will be necessary to guide and improve the human settlement.This study selected 31 provincial capital cities of mainland China to analyze the impacts of the 3D building morphology, including the number, area, height, volume, and the surface area of the buildings, on the land surface temperature (LST). By exploring how the influence of 3D building morphology on LST changes with the increase of spatial scale (between 0 and 600 m radii), this study finally recognized which 3D building morphology index is the most significant index affecting LST in different cities, and which spatial scale these 3D building morphology indexes have the most significant impact on LST. The results showed that the building area is the most important 3D building morphology parameter affecting the LST, while the building height has the slightest influence on the LST. These effects are more significant in the spatial scale of 150 m–540 m, and the spatial scale increases with the increase of building areas in developed cities. These results highlight the necessity of considering fine-grained management in the governance and alleviating of the urban thermal environment through urban planning and urban renewal strategies.
Highlights
Urbanization is a popular trend in the development of all countries in the world and a symbol of human civilization and progress [1]. e urban heat island (UHI) effect, as the most representative urban climate problem accompanied by the urbanization, is the phenomenon that the land surface temperature (LST) in urban areas is higher than that in surrounding suburbs areas [2,3,4,5,6]. e UHI effect could have serious consequences for urban ecological environment, such as vegetation phenology, water, and air quality [7, 8]. ese anomalies will significantly affect human health and sustainable development, which is reflected in increased morbidity and mortality [9], energy consumption [10], and even violent crimes [11]
We further showed the thresholds of the spatial scale when 3D building morphology parameters are most related to the relative UHI intensity (Figure 5)
Because the influences of urban buildings on LST are constantly changing within a certain buffer zone, this study used the kernel density analysis method to analyze the effects of five 3D building morphology parameters on the relative UHI intensity under the continuous spatial scale of 30-meter interval by setting different bandwidths
Summary
Urbanization is a popular trend in the development of all countries in the world and a symbol of human civilization and progress [1]. e urban heat island (UHI) effect, as the most representative urban climate problem accompanied by the urbanization, is the phenomenon that the land surface temperature (LST) in urban areas is higher than that in surrounding suburbs areas [2,3,4,5,6]. e UHI effect could have serious consequences for urban ecological environment, such as vegetation phenology, water, and air quality [7, 8]. ese anomalies will significantly affect human health and sustainable development, which is reflected in increased morbidity and mortality [9], energy consumption [10], and even violent crimes [11]. E most representative scheme, local climate zone (LCZ), is to divide the urban underlying surface into 17 basic types (10 building types and 7 natural types) based on the refined land classifications, land surface structures, building surface materials, and human activities [27], and it is recommended to define the UHI intensity by the LST difference among the different types of LCZ, so as to determine the theoretical basis for accurate comparison in the UHI intensity at the regional or even global scale [28,29,30]. Erefore, studies that quantify the effects of urban 3D building morphology on the LST across the range of spatial scales (regional, national, and even global scales) that incorporate this heterogeneity can provide a strong foundation for developing urban climate adaptation strategies. Understanding of the magnitude and scale at which urban building affects the LST in cities is hampered by the paucity of data along continuous gradients and for combinations of high spatial resolution building data and LST data [31]. erefore, studies that quantify the effects of urban 3D building morphology on the LST across the range of spatial scales (regional, national, and even global scales) that incorporate this heterogeneity can provide a strong foundation for developing urban climate adaptation strategies. is study compares the correlations between multiple 3D building morphology parameters and the UHI intensity at the continuous spatial scale of 30-meter interval in 31 provincial capital cities of mainland China. is study will explore (1) how does variability in the multiple 3D building morphology parameters affect the UHI intensity? (2) How do these effects vary with the spatial scale at which high spatial resolution building data and LST data are analyzed? e conclusions may be of great practical significance for regulating the urban thermal environment through urban planning and urban renewal [32]
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