Cooling Effect of Different Land Cover Types: A Case Study in Xi’an and Xianyang, China

Yuhe Ma, Mudan Zhao, Jianbo Li, Jian Wang and Lifa Hu
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Yuhe Ma: College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
Mudan Zhao: College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
Jianbo Li: College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
Jian Wang: College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
Lifa Hu: College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-16

Abstract: One of the climate problems caused by rapid urbanization is the urban heat island effect, which directly threatens the human survival environment. In general, some land cover types, such as vegetation and water, are generally considered to alleviate the urban heat island effect, because these landscapes can significantly reduce the temperature of the surrounding environment, known as the cold island effect. However, this phenomenon varies over different geographical locations, climates, and other environmental factors. Therefore, how to reasonably configure these land cover types with the cooling effect from the perspective of urban planning is a great challenge, and it is necessary to find the regularity of this effect by designing experiments in more cities. In this study, land cover (LC) classification and land surface temperature (LST) of Xi’an, Xianyang and its surrounding areas were obtained by Landsat-8 images. The land types with cooling effect were identified and their ideal configuration was discussed through grid analysis, distance analysis, landscape index analysis and correlation analysis. The results showed that an obvious cooling effect occurred in both woodland and water at different spatial scales. The cooling distance of woodland is 330 m, much more than that of water (180 m), but the land surface temperature around water decreased more than that around the woodland within the cooling distance. In the specific urban planning cases, woodland can be designed with a complex shape, high tree planting density and large planting areas while water bodies with large patch areas to cool the densely built-up areas. The results of this study have utility for researchers, urban planners and urban designers seeking how to efficiently and reasonably rearrange landscapes with cooling effect and in urban land design, which is of great significance to improve urban heat island problem.

Keywords: cooling effect; heat island effect; spatial analysis; land cover; land surface temperature (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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