Spatio-Temporal Evolution of Surface Urban Heat Island Distribution in Mountainous Urban Areas Based on Local Climate Zones: A Case Study of Tongren, China

Shaojun Lin, Jia Du () and Jinyu Fan
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Shaojun Lin: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Jia Du: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Jinyu Fan: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-26

Abstract: Against the backdrop of climate change and the accelerated process of urbanization, the risks of extreme weather and natural disasters that cities are facing are increasing day by day. Based on the framework of the local climate zone (LCZ), this paper studies the spatio-temporal evolution of the urban surface morphology and the heat island effect of Tongren City. Using the comprehensive mapping technology of remote sensing and GIS, combined with the inversion of surface temperature, the distribution of LCZs and the changes in heat island intensity were analyzed. The results show that: (1) The net increase in forest coverage area leads to a decrease in shrub and grassland area, resulting in an ecological deficit. (2) The built-up area expands along transportation routes, and industrial areas encroach upon natural space. (3) The urban heat island pattern has evolved from a single core to multiple cores and eventually becomes fragmented. (4) Among the seasonal dominant driving factors of urban heat islands, the impervious water surface is in summer, the terrain roughness and building height are in winter, and the building density is in spring and autumn. These findings provide feasible insights into mitigating the heat island effect through climate-sensitive urban planning.

Keywords: classification of local climate zones; land surface temperature; thermal environment effect; karst mountain city (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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