Variance of the impact of urban green space on the urban heat island effect among different urban functional zones: A case study in Wuhan

Abstract The urban heat island effect (UHI) is frequently observed in cities, and is associated with environmental effects. Urban green space (UGS) has been shown to play an important role in mitigating the UHI. However, impacts from the spatial pattern of UGS among different urban functional zones are largely ignored. This study established a spatial regression model to reveal the relationship between landscape metrics of UGS and land surface temperature (LST), in order to characterize the different effects of the spatial pattern of UGS on UHI among urban functional zones. The result shows that the proportion of UGS and shape complexity metric show a general negative impact on LST both overall and in individual urban functional zones; while none was found with aggregation, the fragmentation metric and connectivity. An area-related metric can be used to explain LST in public service zones and has a negative impact on LST. The research proves that UGS in different urban functional zones play different roles in mitigating the UHI effect. The cooling effects are related to the spatial pattern of UGS. Accordingly, it is recommended to consider the different roles of the spatial pattern of UGS in different urban functional zones in mitigating UHI for a liveable environment.