Quantifying the effects of 2D/3D urban landscape patterns on land surface temperature: A perspective from cities of different sizes

With the continuous development of urbanization, two-dimensional (2D) landscape pattern is insufficient to explain the complex urban thermal phenomenon, while three-dimensional (3D) urban composition directly affects the process of surface energy exchange and becomes an important influencing factor in regard to land surface temperature (LST). There have been some studies on the relationship between 2D/3D urban patterns and LST, however, there are relatively few studies on the effects of 2D/3D urban landscape on LST in cities of different sizes. In this research, the relationship of 2D/3D urban patterns and LST in three cities (Beijing, Shijiazhuang and Cangzhou) of different sizes were analyzed by using the boosted regression tree model. The results were as follows: 1) With the increase in city size, LST gradually increased in summer and decreased in winter. 2) The larger the size of the city was, the greater the number of factors that significantly affected LST (p < 0.05). 3) In spring, summer and autumn, volume of tree (TV), mean tree height (MTH) and the largest patch index of impervious surface (LPI_IS) had a high relative influence, and the average total relative influences of these three metrics were 80.08%, 78.99% and 45.14%, respectively. 4)There was a significant negative correlation between TV and LST, a positive correlation between LPI_IS and LST and a combination of positive and negative correlations between MTH and LST. The study of the effects of 2D and 3D urban morphology on LST could help urban planners and managers create more scientific urban planning and development management measures to mitigate urban thermal environment problems.