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Can spatial patterns mitigate the urban heat island effect? Evidence from German metropolitan regions

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  • Wenzheng Li
  • Stephan Schmidt

Abstract

This study examines the efficacy of urban spatial patterns at alleviating the urban heat island (UHI) effect in Germany’s city regions ( Großstadtregionen ) using multivariate and non-parametric regression methods. Urban spatial patterns are quantified using five landscape metrics that capture the spatial arrangement of urban footprints and greenspaces, along with a polycentricity index that measures the distribution of human activities. The results indicate that certain features of urban fabric, including fragmentation, mixed land use, and regular-shaped urban patches, have the potential to mitigate the UHI effect. Moreover, dispersing multiple smaller greenspaces throughout the urban area demonstrates a greater cooling effect compared to having a single large and more aggregated park. In addition, our analysis reveals that a doubling (100%) of the polycentricity degree corresponds to a significant decrease in both day- and night-time UHI effects, with reductions of 10.4% and 24.6%, respectively. This study confirms that polycentric development yields greater benefits in reducing urban heat for large-sized city regions compared to medium- and small-sized ones; and its effectiveness is mostly pronounced near urban center(s). These findings suggest that polycentric development represents an efficient and feasible strategy for urban thermal planning of large-sized city regions, surpassing other commonly discussed urban configurations, such as compact or dispersed urban development.

Suggested Citation

  • Wenzheng Li & Stephan Schmidt, 2024. "Can spatial patterns mitigate the urban heat island effect? Evidence from German metropolitan regions," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 51(8), pages 1948-1964, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirb:v:51:y:2024:i:8:p:1948-1964
    DOI: 10.1177/23998083241227500
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    1. You, Meizi & Guan, ChengHe, 2024. "Does self-containment of spatial scale and land use function contribute to mitigate urban heat island effects? Lessons from new towns in Shanghai," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).

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