Zooming into climatic conditions to understand cities: A review and perspective on studies of Chinese winter cities

Abstract

Winter cities’ development faces numerous challenges, with one of the most fundamental being their harsh climatic conditions. Urban research plays a crucial role in guiding the healthy and systematic development of cities. It is tasked with addressing the challenges posed by harsh climate conditions, improving the living environment for humans, and promoting sustainable urban development. Firstly, we analyze the progress of planning research on winter cities in China and classify them into three main stages: starting attempt, stable growth, and rapid development. Secondly, studies are sorted out in terms of the optimization of the urban environment and the support for urban residents. The problems and challenges faced by urban planning research in winter cities are further condensed against the limitations of existing studies and the complexity of urban development. Finally, future research directions are proposed, including undertaking the requirements of national development strategies, strengthening the support of new technologies and methods, and building the multi-dimensional interaction mechanism. The review and outlook from this research will help promote theoretical development and application innovation in this field, which in turn better enhances the urban resilience of winter cities, promotes low-carbon construction, and facilitates the high-quality development of the human living environment.