Analysis of Spatio-temporal patterns and related factors of thermal comfort in subtropical coastal cities based on local climate zones

Local Climate Zone (LCZ) is a land classification scheme for urban thermal environment, combined with the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) indicator that characterizes human perception of the thermal environment, which can effectively reflect human perception of the thermal environment. In order to evaluate the thermal comfort of Shenzhen in 2020, the hourly data of 65 weather stations covering 11 LCZ types are used to calculate UTCI, which is used to analyze the temporal and spatial patterns of thermal comfort and related factors. The results show that the thermal comfort of 11 types of LCZ in Shenzhen all year round conforms to the characteristics of Shenzhen's subtropical monsoon climate. The 11 types of LCZ thermal comfort are higher at night than during the day. The thermal comfort of different LCZ types is statistically significantly different. The Built type LCZ has a higher thermal comfort value than the Land cover type LCZ, and the time in the thermal level is longer. Summer thermal comfort in Shenzhen was found to be positively correlated with building surface fraction, building height, street aspect ratio, and distance to the sea, and negatively correlated with sky view factor and pervious surface fraction. In addition, the summer sea breeze has a cooling effect on the thermal comfort of the entire Shenzhen area, and the barrier-free ventilation corridor can observe a better cooling effect. The research results of this paper can provide reference for improving the thermal comfort in Shenzhen.

Automated summary

This paper evaluates the thermal comfort of Shenzhen using the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) classification and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). The study analyzes the spatial and temporal patterns of thermal comfort and identifies the factors influencing it. The results demonstrate the impact of building characteristics, land cover, sky view factor, and sea breeze on thermal comfort. The study findings provide valuable insights for improving thermal comfort in Shenzhen.