The effect of urban greenspace on land surface temperatures: a spatial analysis in Sheffield, UK

With the intensification of climate change and the urban heat island effect, there is growing awareness of the role of urban greening in improving the urban climate. The aim of this study is to explore how various characteristics of green spaces—including type, configuration (size and shape), location, and distance from the urban centre—affect their cooling effect. Landsat remote sensing land surface temperature data were analysed through Geographic Information Systems, using Sheffield as a case study. The results show that the cooling effect of woodland was significantly stronger than that of grassland and urban parks, with a cooling intensity reaching up to 2.93 °C, and a cooling extent that can reach up to 500 m beyond its boundary. When closer to the city centre, both the shape and size of green spaces show a positive correlation with their cooling effect, but this relationship becomes less evident as the distance from the city centre increases. The size of a woodland had a greater effect in terms of a reduction in land surface temperature than the shape of the woodland. The findings of this study can provide a better framework for landscape architects and urban planners to plan for climate change and propose stronger green strategies to mitigate the urban heat island effect.