Work

Spatial Differentiation of Thermal–Ecological Environmental Responses in High-Density Central Subway-Hub Blocks and Their Associations with Built-Environment Characteristics

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Subway-hub blocks are critical areas where the pressures of metropolitan populations and environmental quality are closely interconnected. This study constructs a “pressure–context–carrier–response” (PCRC) framework (F1–F7) to systematically reveal the correlations between built-environment characteristics and environmental performance. The results demonstrate that resource allocation (F7) and comprehensive response (F5) display notable “asymmetric differentiation”. The socio-economic environment (F2, F3) considerably influences the concentration of green-space resource allocations (F7) (p < 0.01), with affluent blocks demonstrating a clear advantage in resource distribution. The thermo-ecological composite response (F5), which includes NDVI and LST, demonstrates “statistical convergence” (p = 0.894) across various block types, indicating that resource inputs cannot be linearly transformed into environmental efficiency. This disconnection is ascribed to two physical limitations: firstly, the stochastic nature of spatial distribution (Global Moran’s I ≈ 0) restricts the scale effects of green spaces; secondly, the nonlinear limitations of the physical medium indicate that under conditions of high pressure load (F1) and elevated spatial capacity (F6), the regulatory effectiveness of greening demonstrates a significant diminishing marginal return effect. Therefore, intervention planning must shift from controlling macro-level indicators to optimising micro-level accuracy to address ecological performance constraints in densely populated metropolitan areas.

Source: Land

DOI: 10.3390/land15040658

Authors: Guohua Wang, Xu Cui, Yao Xu, Wen Song

Institution: Southwest Jiaotong University

Language: English

Topic: Urban Heat Island Mitigation

Subfield: Environmental Engineering

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137