Abstract
The thermal environment in residential areas is directly related to the living quality of residents. Therefore, it is important to understand thermal heterogeneity and ways to regulate temperature in residential neighborhoods. We investigated the spatial heterogeneity and temporal dynamics of air temperatures in 20 residential neighborhoods within the 5th ring road of Beijing, China. We further explored how the variations in air temperature were related to the patterns of the surrounding greenspace at different scales. We found that: (1) large air temperature differences existed among residential neighborhoods, with hourly maximum differences in air temperature reaching 5.30 °C on hot summer days; (2) not only the percentage but also the spatial configuration (e.g., edge density) of greenspace affected the local air temperature; and (3) the effects of spatial greenspace patterns on air temperature were scale dependent and varied by season. For example, increasing the proportion of greenspace in surrounding areas within a 100-m radius and increasing the edge density within radii from 500 to 1000 m could lower air temperatures in summer but not affect air temperatures in winter. In addition, decreasing the edge density of greenspaces within a 100-m radius of the surrounding areas would lead to an increase in air temperature in winter but not affect the air temperature in summer. These results extend our understanding of thermal environments and their relationships with greenspace patterns at the microscale (i.e., residential neighborhoods). They also provide useful information for urban planners to optimize greenspace patterns under better thermal conditions at the neighborhood scale.
Highlights
Urbanization has led to the phenomenon of urban heat islands (UHIs), which are defined by air temperatures in urban areas that are higher than those in the surrounding rural areas [1,2]
We investigated the spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of the air temperature in residential neighborhoods and their relationships with the surrounding greenspace
We further explored how these variations in air temperature were related to the spatial patterns of Urban greenspaces (UGSs) in surrounding areas by using different radii
Summary
Urbanization has led to the phenomenon of urban heat islands (UHIs), which are defined by air temperatures in urban areas that are higher than those in the surrounding rural areas [1,2]. Numerous studies have examined the spatial patterns and temporal variations in UHI and related risk and mitigation strategies based on field observations, satellite data and modeling [3,4,5]. Local cool islands exist within urban areas, which are caused by different landscape patterns [6]. Air temperatures in residential areas directly affect the health of urban dwellers and energy use [7,8,9]. Simulations have been conducted to model temperature and evaluate how green and cool roofs can mitigate UHI effects in urban areas [10,11], few field observations have been conducted to reveal the spatial and temporal variations in air temperature in residential areas and their associations with residential landscape patterns
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