Changing Effect of Urban Form on the Seasonal and Diurnal Variations of Surface Urban Heat Island Intensities (SUHIIs) in More Than 3000 Cities in China

Lin Ma, Yueyao Wang, Ze Liang, Jiaqi Ding, Jiashu Shen, Feili Wei and Shuangcheng Li
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Lin Ma: College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Yueyao Wang: College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Ze Liang: College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Jiaqi Ding: College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Jiashu Shen: College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Feili Wei: College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Shuangcheng Li: College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-17

Abstract: Based on the indicators of more than 3000 cities in China, this study shows that the relationship between the urban form and surface urban heat island intensity (SUHII) demonstrates seasonal and diurnal variations, and also changes along urban development and elevation gradients. SUHIIs show seasonal and diurnal change patterns along urban development and elevation gradients, but there is no obvious change trend along temperature and humidity gradients. Among them, the seasonal variation of the SUHII went up about 0.4 ℃ from the first level of urban development to the highest level, while the diurnal variation of the SUHII decreased by 0.4 °C. With urban development, the correlations between the anthropogenic heat flux (AHF), population density (POPDEN) and morphological continuity (CONTIG) with the SUHII of summer days, summer nights and winter nights continued to be enhanced, with the correlation coefficients (β) increased by about 0.3. The effect of area size (AREA) became more influential on the SUHII of summer days and nights, but its effect on the SUHII of winter nights increased first and then decreased along the urban development gradient. With the increase of elevation, the correlations of the AHF, POPDEN, AREA, CONTIG and summer day and night SUHII were gradually reduced (β decreased by about 0.4), but their impact on the SUHII of winter nights was gradually enhanced (β increased by about 0.2 to 0.3). Along temperature and humidity gradients, the positive effect of POPDEN on the summer SUHII decreased gradually (β decreased by about 0.3). However, the enhancement effects of the AHF, AREA, CONTIG and POPDEN on the SUHII of winter nights increased generally (β increased by about 0.2). According to the Random Forest model, for the SUHIIs at night, the relative importance (RI) of urban form factors was greater, while for the SUHIIs of daytime, the RIs of natural factors were greater. The contribution of the urban form to the seasonal variation of the SUHII is similar to that of natural factors, but their contribution to diurnal variation is lower. Our results suggest that it is more necessary to control the urban scale, avoid excessive urban agglomeration and reasonably control the anthropogenic heat emission in more developed and low altitude cities to reduce their summer heat exposure.

Keywords: urban heat island; urban form; seasonal and diurnal variations; urban development gradient; factor relative importance (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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