Spatial-temporal patterns of summer urban islands and their economic implications in Beijing

Urban heat island (UHI) has a great influence on human wellbeing in urban areas. Previous studies have investigated impact on environment, ecosystem, and human health of UHI. To investigate economic impact of UHI is a lack of research. In this study, spatial-econometric hedonic housing price models are developed for estimating the marginal value of summer UHI in Beijing, China. The results showed that UHI effects in Beijing became severe from 2015 to 2017. The heat islands showed a mix of high and sub-high land surface temperature (LST). The spatial Durbin model estimates that one-unit increase of UHI intensity (UHII) would lower the housing value by 3.91%. Regarding the different districts, households had different attitudes to the UHI effect. Specifically, households regarded UHI effect as amenity in the four suburban districts with hills and relatively low LSTs; however, in most urban districts and their surroundings, households were willing to pay to avoid UHI effects with 13.0 dollars to 826.3 dollars for one-degree UHII decrease. This study highlights the urgent need for planners and decision-makers to consider urban expansion, UHI effect, and their economic impact in future urban planning.