Capability of LCZ Scheme to Differentiate Urban Thermal Environments in Five Megacities of China: Implications for Integrating LCZ System Into Heat-Resilient Planning and Design

The local climate zone (LCZ) classification scheme provides a standardized method to characterize urban morphological characteristics and urban thermal environments. However, its capability to differentiate urban temperatures has not been well examined. This article investigated the LCZ-based land surface temperature (LST) in five megacities, including Shenyang, Beijing, Xi'an, Nanjing, and Nanchang. The results indicate that the LCZ scheme might conceal areas with the most critical heat risks, if the maximum LST was not used. The built-dominated zones often contributed to urban temperature increase, but it was not always true. The nonbuilt-dominated zones, mostly lowered urban temperatures, while they could contribute to urban temperature increase depending on seasonal and urban context. Both hot and cold nonbuilt-dominated zones varied significantly with city and season. Some zones were the hottest in one season, but changed to be the coldest in another season. LCZ scheme showed good capability to differentiate the temperatures of built-dominated zones, while its capability to characterize nonbuilt-dominated zones was weaker. In Beijing, the LCZ capability to characterize the temperature of nonbuilt-dominated zones was below 70%, and was only 16.67% in summer. Therefore, urban planners, designers, and managers should prudently adopt LCZ scheme to rank the priorities for integrating cooling interventions in both built-dominated and nonbuilt-dominated zones. It is important to not copy the LCZ-based LST pattern of other cities or seasons when making decisions. Overall, this article provides a reference to understand LCZ capability and make proper decisions for urban heat mitigation, adaptation, and management.