Characterizing Temporal Dynamics of Urban Heat Island in a Rapidly Expanding City: A 39 Years Study in Zhengzhou, China

Huawei Li, Sandor Jombach, Guohang Tian, Yuanzheng Li and Handong Meng ()
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Huawei Li: College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
Sandor Jombach: Department of Landscape Planning and Regional Development, Institute of Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning and Garden Art, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 1118 Budapest, Hungary
Guohang Tian: College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
Yuanzheng Li: School of Resources and Environment, Henan University of Economics and Law, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Handong Meng: Henan Provincial Climate Centre, Zhengzhou 450003, China

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-18

Abstract: Extreme heat wave weather phenomena have erupted worldwide in recent years. The urban heat island (UHI) effect has exacerbated urban heat waves with serious consequences for urban energy and residents’ health. Therefore, a better understanding of the dynamics of the UHI effect and the influencing factors is needed in the context of carbon neutrality and global warming. This study used long-term observation and statistical data to investigate the urban heat island intensity (UHII) over the past 39 years (1981–2019) and to analyze the temporal changes of the UHI effect and the relationship between the UHI effect and indicators of rapid urbanization in Zhengzhou, China. The results showed that Zhengzhou is warming 2.2-times faster than the global land warming trend of about +0.9 °C from 1981 to 2019. There is a clear phase characteristic of the heat island effect in Zhengzhou, and it offers a rapid upward trend after 2000 and a positive correlation with the urbanization process; it was found that the social and economic conditions of urban expansion in Zhengzhou have a significant relationship with UHII. We also found that the denser the urban built-up area, the more obvious the heat island effect. Compared with other countries, the influence of national policies on urban development is an indirect factor influencing the change of UHI specifically for Chinese cities. This research could provide a reference for understanding the temporal dynamics of UHI in an expanding large city for sustainable urban planning and mitigating urban warming and environmental problems.

Keywords: urban heat island; air temperature; urbanization; socioeconomic indicators; local climate change; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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