Quantifying the cooling effect of green spaces on urban heat island effect

The rapid development of urbanization has increasingly intensified the urban heat island (UHI) effect, becoming a global environmental issue. Urban green spaces (UGS) have a mitigating effect on the UHI. However, there has been limited analysis on how the spatial distribution pattern of UGS influences the UHI effect. Therefore, we combined spatial autocorrelation and buffer zone analysis to determine the cooling distance of UGS based on Google Earth Engine. It also explores the impact of the spatial distribution pattern of UGS on the UHI effect using landscape pattern indices. The results show that: (1) UGS have the most significant cooling effect on the UHI effect during summer, with evergreen coniferous forests providing the greatest cooling effect and grasslands the weakest. (2) The cooling distance of UGS is 300 meters, with the best cooling effect observed within the 200-meter buffer zone. (3) When the spatial aggregation of UGS exceeds the threshold range of 85–89, the cooling effect increases significantly, while below this threshold range, the cooling effect is not significant. This study provides a basis for future development planning that utilizes UGS to mitigate the UHI effect, thereby alleviating the negative impacts of UHI and enhancing the comfort of residents' lives.