Exploring the spatial pattern of residential landscape structure and summer land surface temperature: a data-driven approach for Washington, D.C.

Urban heat exposure is shaped by the interaction of land cover, landscape configuration, and built-environment characteristics. In this paper, we explore how the spatial structure of the urban landscape and embedded built-environment characteristics relate to summer land surface temperature (LST) in Washington, D.C. We evaluated various landscape metrics, dominant housing types and socio-economic characteristics to examine the resulting patterns of heat exposure and their planning implications. We have found statistically significant relationships between land surface temperature and various urban landscape metrics, suggesting that green space, open space, and the spatial configuration of developed land are important factors in urban heat mitigation. We identified five prevalent built-environment housing types for Washington, D.C., and observed statistically significant differences in heat exposure across these types. Our findings indicate that housing type intersects with socioeconomic conditions and landscape patterns in influencing variations in summer land surface temperature (LST). Findings from our study point to the potential for integrating landscape planning, housing policy, and equitable climate adaptation strategies in future heat mitigation strategies.