Assessing UHI Impacts of Land Use Changes in Urban Development Areas through LCZ Classification

Abstract The study investigates the impact of the land use changes on the urban heat island effect ratio (UHIER), focusing on the urban development fringe of Ankara, Türkiye. Initially characterized by rural land uses the areas has experienced significant transformations into residential estates, mostly including high-rise blocks and low-rise villas. Urban development patterns in 2013 and 2023 were compared with changes in UHIER and local climate zone classes (LCZCs) using RS and GIS techniques for UHIER calculation, and the World Urban Database and Access Portal Tools (WUDAPT) protocol for LCZ mapping. Overall, UHIER values have a tendency to rise, as areas with increaing UHIER are found to be twice as large as those with decreasing UHIER. Increasing UHIER is highly associated with increases in open high-rise and sparsely built areas, accompanied by decreases in low plants. UHIER, on the other hand, is mosly characterized by a reduction in large low-rise built-types. The parts where UHIER remains unchanged suggests that although compact high-rise, open high-rise, and sparsely built areas have increased, the reduction in other built types—particularly large low-rise areas—along with a rise in tree density, appears to balance these changes. Therefore, to prevent high UHI impact when the area is fully developed, more landscaping features, particularly trees, can be integrated and mid-rise and low-rise developments can be preferred over high-rises, ensuring the efficient land use.