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The Influence of Urban Form on Land Surface Temperature: A Comprehensive Investigation from 2D Urban Land Use and 3D Buildings

Author

Listed:
  • Jinlong Yan

    (School of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Chaohui Yin

    (School of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Zihao An

    (Institute for Transport Studies, Leeds University, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK)

  • Bo Mu

    (School of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Qian Wen

    (School of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Yingchao Li

    (School of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Yali Zhang

    (School of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Weiqiang Chen

    (School of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Ling Wang

    (Party Committee Student Work Department, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Yang Song

    (School of Humanities, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China)

Abstract

Urban form plays a critical role in shaping the spatial differentiation of land surface temperature (LST). However, limited research has investigated the underlying driving forces and interactions of multidimensional urban form, specifically considering two-dimensional (2D) urban land use and three-dimensional (3D) buildings, on LST. Furthermore, their multi-scale outcomes remain unclear. Taking the main urban area of Wuhan City as an example, a total of nine indicators—the proportion of administration land (PA), the proportion of commercial land (PB), the proportion of industrial land (PM), the proportion of residential land (PR), the proportion of water area (PE), the building density (BD), the building height (BH), the floor area ratio (FAR), and the sky view factor (SVF)—were selected; this paper used the geographic detector model to investigate the driving force of LST spatial differentiation in winter and summer, as well as the interaction of various influencing factors from a multi-scale perspective. The results showed that (1) the average LST in industrial land was higher than that in commercial land, both in summer and winter. The LST in administration land was higher than that in residential land, while in winter, it is the opposite. (2) The spatial differentiation of summer LST was mainly dominated by 3D buildings, while the spatial differentiation of winter LST was mainly dominated by 2D land use. (3) BD was the leading driving force of LST spatial differentiation in summer, and the interaction between BD and any other indicator showed the most significant explanatory power, which is the same for PM in winter. (4) As scale increased, the explanatory power of 2D urban land use for LST spatial differentiation gradually increased both in winter and summer, while the explanatory power of PE on LST spatial differentiation decreased. The explanatory power of BD, FAR, and SVF on LST spatial differentiation remains basically unchanged. The explanatory power of BH on summer LST spatial differentiation decreases with increasing scale, while the explanatory power of BH on winter LST spatial differentiation remains in a stable state. (5) The interaction among all urban form factors primarily increases as the scale increases, except for the interaction between BH and 2D urban land use in summer, and the interaction between PE and PR in winter. The research can provide scientific decision-making support for the collaborative optimization of multiscale urban forms to improve the urban thermal environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Jinlong Yan & Chaohui Yin & Zihao An & Bo Mu & Qian Wen & Yingchao Li & Yali Zhang & Weiqiang Chen & Ling Wang & Yang Song, 2023. "The Influence of Urban Form on Land Surface Temperature: A Comprehensive Investigation from 2D Urban Land Use and 3D Buildings," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-18, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:9:p:1802-:d:1242217
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Xinfei Zhao & Kangning Kong & Run Wang & Jiachen Liu & Yongpeng Deng & Le Yin & Baolei Zhang, 2025. "Assessing the Cooling Effects of Urban Parks and Their Potential Influencing Factors: Perspectives on Maximum Impact and Accumulation Effects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-22, August.
    3. Federica Isola & Sabrina Lai & Federica Leone & Corrado Zoppi, 2024. "Urban Green Infrastructure and Ecosystem Service Supply: A Study Concerning the Functional Urban Area of Cagliari, Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-37, October.
    4. Nadia Falah & Jaime Solis-Guzman & Nahid Falah, 2024. "Thermal Footprint of the Urbanization Process: Analyzing the Heat Effects of the Urbanization Index (UI) on the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) over Two Decades in Seville," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-27, November.
    5. Haochen Qian & Minqi Wang & Shurui Zheng & Bing Qiu & Fan Zhang, 2025. "Does Multidimensional Urban Morphology Affect Thermal Sensation? Evidence from Shanghai," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-21, April.

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