Studies have assessed the individual effects of global warming and urbanization on urban thermal stress, yet the synergistic effects of global warming interacting with both urban expansion and intensification in the urbanization process on surface urban heat island (SUHI) have not been clarified. To analyze these synergy effects, we propose an integrated predictive framework that couples an improved PLUS model for Local Climate Zone (LCZ) transitions and a machine learning-based land surface temperature (LST) prediction module incorporating the global warming signal. Applied to the Wuhan Metropolitan Area (WMA), the proposed framework simulated LCZ and LST patterns from 2020 to 2030 under five scenarios. Utilizing the summer mean LST, near-surface air temperature, and LCZ maps from 2005 to 2020 as training data, the prediction model achieved an R2 of 0.82 and RMSE of 0.70 degrees C. The contributions of urbanization and global warming to the increase of LST from 2020 to 2030 in the Natural Growth Scenario (NGS) are found to be 3.93 degrees C and 1.59 degrees C, respectively. The scenario analysis on the spatial variations on the SUHI changes via LCZ reveals that the environmental protection scenario (EPS) associated with the lowest SUHI increase, while the urban development scenario (UDS) corresponds to the highest warming with the spatial-average LST rising up to 0.82 degrees C in urban LCZ. Targeted strategies are then proposed to alleviate thermal risks and enhance climate resilience in the WMA. This study provides a scientific foundation for designing sustainable urban interventions and climate-resilient development policies amid compound environmental challenges.

The built environment has long been recognized as a key determinant of spatial vitality in public spaces. Yet, the joint and context-dependent influences of physical spatial attributes and localized microclimate on the dynamics of pedestrian trajectories and activity patterns remain insufficiently understood. To address this gap, this study applies multi-object tracking (MOT) across six neighborhood open spaces in Wuhan, spanning community-interior and community-extension settings with different degrees of openness and public accessibility, to develop an environment-informed trajectory–activity vitality framework. By integrating multi-source environmental sensing, and MOT-based trajectory extraction and behavior recognition, the framework quantifies five indicators, including pedestrian flow intensity and trajectory diversity to characterize trajectories, stay duration and behavior diversity to characterize activity patterns, and interpersonal distance as a cross-cutting indicator linking spatial proximity and social clustering. SHAP-enhanced XGBoost analysis was then used to interpret the nonlinear associations between environmental variables and trajectory–activity vitality indicators. Results reveal a structural differentiation in spatial vitality, with physical spatial attributes more closely associated with movement intensity, trajectory structure, and behavioral diversity, while localized microclimate was more closely associated with sustained activity engagement and optional behaviors. These associations varied across spatial contexts. This study advances the understanding of environment-informed vitality and provides a data-driven toolkit for targeted interventions in climate-resilient and vibrant community spaces.

Studies have explored roof retrofits under either current or projected climates. Yet, the critical interactions between roof retrofit technologies and urban transitions under future climate conditions remains poorly examined, hindering evidence-based investments for long-term climate resilience. To address this, we developed a multi-scenario simulation framework to evaluate the synergistic impacts of global warming and heterogeneous urbanization on near-surface air temperatures while identifying optimal spatiotemporal mitigation strategies across various roof retrofits. Taking Wuhan as an empirical case, the cooling efficacy of cool roofs (CR), green roofs (GR), and photovoltaic roofs (PV) were assessed through weather research and forecasting (WRF) model incorporated with predicted local climate zone (LCZ) maps and climatic forcing boundaries in 2060. The results reveal that non-linear synergies between climate and urbanization primarily function as thermodynamic catalysts that amplify warming, though localized negative interactions emerged. Warming intensities escalate from the Ecological Protection (EP) scenario with 0.17°C to Economic Development (ED) scenario with 0.34°C, underscoring that prioritizing sprawl containment and preserving mid-rise fabrics are essential for urban thermal resilience. CR merges as the most resilient long-term adaptation choice with increasing efficacy by 2060, whereas GR and PV exhibit diminishing performance under intensive urbanization. To maximize efficacy, CR and GR were suggested prioritized in high-density cores for peak cooling, while PV suits low-intensity peripheries to harmonize renewable energy generation with thermal management. This study provides a robust decision-support framework for urban planners by elucidating the integrated drivers of urban heat, offering a scalable methodology to navigate the complexities of long-term sustainable development.

World Urban Database and Access Portal Tools (WUDAPT) provides a prevailing workflow for mapping Local Climate Zones (LCZs) based on a supervised machine learning method. Yet, the low accuracy and numerous iterations caused by labelling uncertainty in heterogeneous urban context were still obstacles for its application. In this study, the cognitive experiments on labelling uncertainty for LCZ mapping were conducted over Wuhan, China. The multi-source geospatial data and LCZ subclasses cognition were introduced for pre-recognition on training areas (TAs). Sixty-four participants were randomly allocated into four equal-sized teams, with each team exclusively assessing the mapping accuracy of a designated scenario under a restricted protocol of nine iterations. Validated through randomized point sampling, the scenario set for mapping LCZ with subclass recognition show optimal performance, that it can achieve the overall accuracy (OA) of 83 % at five iterations, and reach up to OA of 89 %. This study highlights the critical role of LCZ subclasses cognition in improving mapping accuracy, and proposed an extended workflow of WUDAPT specific for heterogeneous megacities in China. The novel workflow improves LCZ classification accuracy while minimizing iterations in heterogeneous urban context, thereby supporting LCZ-based studies through reliable descriptions on the climate-related urban forms in Chinese megacities.

Many studies have been conducted on the effects of color, light, and signage location on the visual saliency of underground signage. However, few studies have investigated the influence of indoor visual environments on the saliency of pedestrian signage. To explore the factors that influence the visual saliency of signage in metro stations, we developed a novel analysis method using a combination of saliency and focus maps. Then, questionnaires were utilized to unify the various formats of results from the saliency and focus maps. The factors that influence the visual saliency of signage were explored using the proposed method at selected sites and validated through virtual reality experiments. Additionally, this study proposes an image-analysis-based method that reveals the multilevel factors affecting pedestrian attention to signage in underground metro stations, including spatial interfaces, crowd flow, and ambient light. The results indicate that crowd flow has the greatest impact on pedestrian attention to signage. The study’s findings underscore the significance of considering pedestrian dynamics in the design of railway stations, which is crucial for delivering a high-quality subway experience.

Studies have focused on evaluating and optimizing sponge city (SPC) performance, yet few have examined the cost efficiency of low-impact development (LID) layouts within SPCs at the project scale while considering varying storm frequencies and terrain slopes. This study investigated the hydrological response to storm events on a university campus in Wuhan, China. Using the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) 5.2, two distinct design variants were simulated: Variant A treats the study area as a single entity, whereas Variant B considers 20 subcatchments. Each variant was further subdivided into scenarios featuring 30

The Local Climate Zone (LCZ) classification has been widely applied to explore urban outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) patterns at the city scale. However, its applicability to represent microscale thermal conditions within individual LCZs remains underexplored. This study evaluates the applicability of LCZ morphological properties for microscale OTC assessment, using a typical open mid-rise residential area (LCZ5) in Wuhan, China, as a case study to assess the spatial variability of OTC within a LCZ. A hierarchical clustering method was used to classify different microscale spatial units, followed by correlation and multiple regression analyses to examine the relationships between LCZ morphological parameters and three objective thermal indices (PET, UTCI, SET*).. Results showed substantial spatial variability in OTC conditions within the LCZ, despite relatively uniform air temperatures. Among all parameters, the sky view factor showed the strongest correlation with thermal indices, underscoring the critical role of solar exposure. Building height and surface fraction were also significantly associated with shading effects, thus the OTC of LCZ5. The regression models explained up to 82% of the variance in mean OTC, with different LCZ parameters showing optimal influence at distinct spatial radii. Based on these findings, we propose suggestions for microscale OTC prediction using LCZ classifications, emphasizing careful site selection to ensure representative measurements, facilitating the practical application of LCZ concepts in climate-sensitive urban planning at street and block scales.

In hot-summer and cold-winter regions,high-rise office buildings exhibit high energy con-sumption intensity,and the design of photovoltaic facades holds significant energy-saving potential.However,many design parameters pose complexity in their impact on building energy consumption and power generation.Therefore,based on surveys of 43 high-rise office buildings in hot-summer and cold-winter regions(using Wuhan as an example),typical models of high-rise office building facades were established using ArchiCad software.Coupled with EcoDesigner and PVsyst software,energy consump-tion and power generation simulations were conducted to explore the influence of building morphology(orientation,standard floor area,floor height,planar aspect ratio),window-to-wall ratio,and three types of photovoltaic facade forms(vertical surface protrusion,triangular protrusion,and sunshade)on building energy consumption and power generation.The results indicated that:1)among the three types of design parameters considered in this study,the photovoltaic facade forms had the most significant impact on comprehensive energy consumption,with an energy-saving rate ranging from 23.86％to-2.15％,while building form design parameters had the least significant effect on comprehensive energy consumption,with variations of only 1.4％to-0.89％.;2)in the design of photovoltaic facades,more attention should be paid to increasing the area of the photovoltaic facade rather than enhancing the inten-sity of annual solar irradiation;3)on the premise of identical photovoltaic facade forms and satisfied ven-tilation/daylighting requirements,the energy-saving effect increased as the window-to-wall ratio decreased.

Street-facing Dwelling with Eaves Gallery (SDEG) was built for both commercial activities and residential needs. The Eaves Gallery (EG) and courtyards with small sky view factor (SVF) in those dwellings were shaped to prevent the residences or pedestrians from strong sun radiation, heavy rain, or snow. As a climate-adaptive vernacular architecture, it has lasted for hundreds of years in the large areas along the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) of China. Yet, few studies systematically investigate the thermal conditions of these dwellings and validate their climate resilience quantitatively under heat waves. Concerning the extreme weather caused by climate change, this study investigated indoor, semi-outdoor, and outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) of the SDEG in Xiaohe Town of Hubei province, China during the heatwave event in 2022. While mobile and fixed measurements were carried out to capture the data of thermal environments, the skin temperature measurements were implemented to understand the thermal responses of the households. The results found that SDEG was qualified to help indoor households avoid the heat risk with proper thermal behaviors but cannot provide a safe thermal environment for the pedestrians in the semi-outdoor or outdoor space of the EG street throughout the day. This study demonstrated the negative effects of heatwaves on not only the walking visitors but also the livelihood of the residents, which is an appeal to scholars to attention to the heat risks and thermal behaviors of marginalized groups living in various vernacular buildings within the context of high-temperature scenarios under the heatwave conditions.

Introduction: People with diabetes were among the populations that experienced the most profound impacts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors estimated changes in healthcare utilization and expenditures for commercially insured adults aged 18-64 years with diabetes during the pandemic. Methods: Medical claims data were from IQVIA PharMetrics Plus. Linear regressions were used to estimate the changes in utilization (per 1,000 individuals) for inpatient stays, emergency room visits, physician office visits, and ambulatory surgery center procedures. Changes in expenditures, in total and out of pocket, were estimated using generalized linear models. Expenditures were adjusted to 2021 U.S. dollars using the Consumer Price Index. Results: Utilization was reduced significantly for all service types during the pandemic. Although the largest reduction occurred between March 2020 and May 2020, the decrease persisted throughout 2021. During March 2020-May 2020, ambulatory surgery center procedures were reduced by 4.7 visits per 1,000 individuals. The reduction ranged between 0.4 and 1.3 visits per 1,000 individuals subsequently. Expenditures declined for all service types during March 2020-May 2020. However, after May 2020, the reduction remained statistically significant only for physician office visits for all months, with varying changes in expenditures for other service types. Conclusions: Healthcare utilization and expenditures reduced among commercially insured adults with diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic. AJPM Focus 2024;3(5):100254. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

The unbridled expansion of urban development in China has created unsustainable challenges in the management of urban rainwater. In response, the Chinese government has endorsed sponge city (SPC) theory as a sustainable urban development model that aims to enhance urban planning, construction, and sustainable wastewater management. However, despite the issuance of policies and regulations, the envisioned SPC goals remain difficult to achieve in current implementations. This review paper proposes an idealized SPC strategy model that can be adopted by pilot cities in China. This model was developed by thoroughly analyzing policy requirements and in-field achievements, evaluating diverse implementation scenarios, and contrasting the outcomes in three different pilot cities in China. The demonstrated success of city construction has highlighted the potential to simultaneously achieve multiple objectives, including conserving urban water resources, enhancing urban water quality, ensuring water safety, and revitalizing urban water ecosystems. This review supports the use of a planning approach that integrates the drainage division, aligns with project-specific conditions and emphasizes the importance of low-impact development (LID) facility placement within drainage zones. Consequently, this study calls for exploring the impact of catchment topography on LID performance. Finally, the results of this study highlight the necessity of investigating precipitation variations among LID facilities during rainfall events and exploring cost-effective material alternatives to improve the effectiveness of SPC implementations. Contribution to SPC, an idealized stratgy model was proposed.SPC implementation in three different pilot cities were assessed and compared.The groundwater depth affects strategy selection of LID.Integrated planning, LID placement, and the impact of topography on LID should be emphasized for effective SPCs.

Studies have been conducted on the mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) estimation methods using globe thermometers for measuring outdoor thermal environments in various climate regions. Yet, given the unique thermal environments of semi-outdoor spaces, these Tmrt estimation methods may not be appropriate for the spaces with shading effects. This study aims to assess the thermometric and radiative methods for Tmrt estimation in semioutdoor spaces in humid sub-tropical climates, taking data from six-directional radiation measurements as validations. During the typical summer and winter days in Wuhan, China, the measurements were carried out in semi-outdoor spaces facing south and west, with an open square for comparison, including air temperature, humidity, wind velocity, black-globe temperature, and long- and short-wavelength radiation fluxes obtained from four-component net radiometers. It was found the maximum mean deviation of diurnal Tmrt values estimated by the black-globe thermometer method in semi-outdoor spaces was 7.1 degrees C, which exceeded the threshold required by ISO7726, where the shortwave radiation was regarded as the dominant interference factor. To improve the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of Tmrt estimation, we proposed linear empirical equations to calibrate the Tmrt estimated by black-global thermometer method that the root mean square error (RMSE) of the Tmrt deviations can generally vary from 2.22 to 2.72 degrees C. Contributing to the thermal comfort research, this study proposed an empirical method for estimating Tmrt in semi-outdoor spaces in humid subtropical climates, which can generate satisfactory results in accordance with ISO7726 standards with cost-effective instrumentation.

Clarifying the factors that influence land surface temperature (LST) is crucial for proposing specific LST mitigation strategies. This article focuses on the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region and investigates the LST influencing factors of various local climate zone (LCZ) built types from perspectives of urban morphology, land cover, and human activity. The results suggest that the areas of urban LCZ built types vary across cities within the BTH region, attributed to differences in city size and gross domestic product (GDP). The area of urban LCZ built types in Beijing and Tianjin, cities with significantly high city sizes and GDP, exceeds 2000 km(2). In contrast, in Qinhuangdao, Zhangjiakou, and Chengde, which have relatively low GDP, this area is less than 500 km(2). However, the main LST influencing factors for the same LCZ built type across cities are highly consistent. Building coverage ratio (BCR), average building height (ABH), and pervious surface fraction (PSF) are the three most important factors. The correlation between BCR and LST is mainly concentrated on compact high-rise and open high-rise types, with Pearson correlation coefficient (r) ranging from 0.2 to 0.44; the correlation between ABH and LST is mainly concentrated on compact high-rise, compact mid-rise, open high-rise, and open mid-rise types, with r ranging from -0.2 to -0.52; the correlation between PSF and LST is concentrated on almost all LCZ built types in cities within the BTH region, with r ranging from -0.2 to -0.56. By integrating these findings with the features of each LCZ built type within the BTH region, the specific LST mitigation strategies were further proposed. This article can help to develop specific LST mitigation strategies within the context of coordinated development of the BTH region, thereby promoting healthy and sustainable development in the region.

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Microenvironment is critical for building thermal performance. Heat transfer through building envelope (such as roof and window) and mass transfer through building mechanical systems that are adjacent to building surfaces (such as roof-top unit) are influenced directly by the air conditions near the surfaces (e.g., within 1.5 m). These air environments are within the sublayer of the air thermal boundary layer around the buildings - here defined as ultra-microenvironments, to be distinct from the conventional microenvironment scale of 2-5 m from building surfaces. This study particularly investigates the vertical temperature profiles within the ultramicroenvironments above urban building roofs. Field tests were conducted on two roof tops in Wuhan, China and Boulder, US, respectively. Consistent vertical air temperature profiles above the roofs were observed for both days and nights. The study further identifies one recent above-roof air temperature model and validates it with the field test data, which can effectively predict the vertical air temperature at various heights within the ultramicroenvironment above the roof. Applications of this model using different local and climate data including weather station data are analyzed and discussed, along with their performance on prediction accuracy.

In China, high-rise residential communities have increasingly become the primary living mode in recent years. However, issues within the residential environment can still significantly impact mental health. The relationship between residential environment and subjective cognition towards elderly mental health is not well understood. This study conducted field interviews and questionnaire surveys in six typical high-rise residential communities in Wuhan. Structural equation models were used to analyse the overall effects and influence paths of elderly mental health, considering individual characteristics, high-rise residential environmental factors, and subjective cognition. The results showed that high-rise residential environment impacts mental health, mediated by subjective cognition. Multiple factors influence the subjective cognition of the elderly, and the accessibility to green spaces has been found to have a significant positive impact on their mental health. This impact includes both direct and indirect effects. The overall influence of green spaces on elderly mental health is the greatest, with a direct effect of 0.072 and an indirect effect of 0.242. This study provides information for decision-makers and individuals involved in developing inclusive high-rise residential neighbourhoods that support the social interaction and well-being of the ageing population.

Wayfinding signage is an intermediary public facility that coordinates the relationship between space and people, and it is crucial to help people find their way in complex indoor environments. In people’s cognitive behaviour towards wayfinding signs, the visual salience of the signs is the prerequisite and key to ensuring their effective operation. This paper aims to review published research articles on the effect of indoor environments on the saliency of wayfinding signs. The literature review was conducted by PICO methodology to formulate the research question and develop search strategies. Relevant research articles were identified by systematically searching electronic databases, including Web of Science, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, and EBSCO. This paper summarises two categories of factors influencing signage salience: (1) floor plan factors and (2) environmental factors. This study examined and condensed the attributes of wayfinding signage and their impact on how pedestrians perceive visuals while navigating. Exploring the elements that influence the visual prominence of indoor signs enhances our comprehension of how pedestrians engage with visually guided information indoors. Furthermore, this offers a theoretical foundation for the realm of indoor wayfinding.

Urban flooding is a major problem for large cities around the world. Rapid urbanization in China has tremendously increased, resulting in more frequent incidences of urban flooding. In 2013, China launched a program of 30 pilot sponge cities (SPCs) to establish integrated urban stormwater management. However, today, after several years of implementation, some sponge cities still experience flooding. This study provides answers and solutions to these problems, by evaluating the overall performance of SPC in China from a systematic perspective considering the variable climatic conditions. This paper also highlights the limitations associated with implementing the current SPC. The adoption of overseas models, before adhering them to Chinese catchment properties, has generated significant uncertainty for simulation outputs and material provision challenges at various stages of the implementation process. Furthermore, hydrological connectivity between neighboring catchments has been neglected in most SPC projects. Developing local models based on local conditions and needs would address these issues and open new research windows for exploring more effective stormwater management initiatives. That includes the advancement of cost-effective evaluation studies, modern optimum efficiency design studies, and the analysis of groundwater contamination due to high infiltration rates and so on.

铁路客站站域作为综合交通枢纽,是城市中重要的发展引擎,但目前缺乏对其演变的系统梳理和分析.以湖北地区铁路客站为研究对象,从建国前、建国后、改革开放时期和21世纪至今4个阶段梳理站域空间站房、站前广场和广场周边三个构成部分的演变历程,提取分析各阶段意象要素,归纳站域空间发展特征和影响因素,以期为站域空间未来建设提供建议和参考.