Variations of Urban Thermal Risk with Local Climate Zones

Area of Science:

• Urban climatology
• Environmental science
• Geographic information systems

Background:

• Urban areas exhibit diverse land cover, leading to varied thermal risks for residents.
• Local climate zones (LCZs) provide a framework for understanding urban environmental characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the relationship between urban heat risk and local climate zones (LCZs) in Shenyang.
• To evaluate thermal risk variations across different LCZ types within the urban landscape.

Main Methods:

• Integration of multi-source data for comprehensive analysis.
• Classification and mapping of local climate zones (LCZs).
• Assessment of thermal risk indices across different LCZs using high-resolution remote sensing data.

Main Results:

• Building-type LCZs, prevalent in urban centers, exhibited significantly higher thermal risks than natural-type LCZs found in suburbs.
• Urban centers displayed the highest heat risk, decreasing towards suburban areas.
• Specific LCZs like LCZ 8 (open middle high-rise) and LCZ 3 showed the highest thermal risks among building types, while LCZ E (bare rock and paved) and LCZ F (bare soil and sand) had the highest risks among natural types.

Conclusions:

• LCZ classification is a valuable tool for assessing urban thermal risk.
• Understanding LCZ-specific thermal risks can inform targeted urban planning and mitigation strategies.
• The study provides a data-driven reference for managing urban heat in Shenyang and similar cities.