The Effect of Urban Greenspace on Land Surface Temperatures: A Spatial Analysis in Sheffield, UK

Rozanne Vallivattam, Zhixin Liu and Paul Brindley ()
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Rozanne Vallivattam: School of Architecture and Landscape, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
Zhixin Liu: School of Architecture and Landscape, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
Paul Brindley: School of Architecture and Landscape, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-29

Abstract: With the intensification of climate change and the urban heat island effect, there is growing awareness of the role of urban greening in improving the urban climate. The aim of this study is to explore how various characteristics of green spaces—including type, configuration (size and shape), location, and distance from the urban centre—affect their cooling effect. Landsat remote sensing land surface temperature data were analysed through Geographic Information Systems, using Sheffield as a case study. The results show that the cooling effect of woodland was significantly stronger than that of grassland and urban parks, with a cooling intensity reaching up to 2.93 °C, and a cooling extent that can reach up to 500 m beyond its boundary. When closer to the city centre, both the shape and size of green spaces show a positive correlation with their cooling effect, but this relationship becomes less evident as the distance from the city centre increases. The size of a woodland had a greater effect in terms of a reduction in land surface temperature than the shape of the woodland. The findings of this study can provide a better framework for landscape architects and urban planners to plan for climate change and propose stronger green strategies to mitigate the urban heat island effect.

Keywords: urban green spaces; vegetation cooling; urban heat island; land surface temperature; remote sensing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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