Geographic inequalities in park visits to mitigate thermal discomfort: A novel approach based on thermal differences and cellular population data

Abstract

Climate change-intensified urban warming has brought attention to urban parks’ spatial allocation due to their cooling effects. However, conventional accessibility assessments of park cooling effects consider temperature and size, overlooking critical factors such as thermal comfort and supply and demand differences in thermal environments, which more accurately represent public thermal stress. We developed a multimode Gaussian-based Huff three-step floating catchment area method based on thermal stress differences between population locations and parks. This method integrates thermal comfort and cellular population data to assess the spatial mismatch between the supply and demand for park cooling services in Shanghai. Our findings show that most central and developing urban areas have excellent park cooling accessibility. However, considering population demand, central Shanghai requires improved internal park planning to enhance the cooling supply. In contrast, Shanghai's suburban areas exhibit significant supply-demand imbalances, especially in the south and southeast; they require an enhanced cooling supply through planning interventions. Incorporating thermal comfort differences into calculations shifts the highest per capita cooling supply area from the outer suburbs to the suburbs, substantially reducing areas with high demand but low supply. Our novel analytical approach to assessing park cooling accessibility can assist policymakers in developing precise climate adaptation strategies.