Construction of Urban Ventilation Corridors in the Pingdingshan City Based on Wind- and Thermal-Environment Assessments

Urban ventilation corridors are constructed to introduce fresh air into cities, aiming to enhance air circulation, alleviate the urban thermal environment, and improve human comfort. These corridors have been widely used in cities all around the world. Based on meteorological-station observation data, satellite remote sensing data, basic geographic information, and Pingdingshan-city urban planning, we analyzed the wind environment, urban heat island (UHI), natural cold sources, and ventilation potential of the city by employing mathematical statistics, land surface temperature retrieval systems, geographic information systems, and remote sensing techniques. This analysis facilitated the construction of a preliminary urban ventilation corridor structure. The results of our study indicated the following: (1) the dominant winds in Pingdingshan City primarily originated from the northwest, northeast, and south. (2) The spatial distribution of UHI was multicentric, with its intensity diminishing from the center toward the outskirts. Urban natural cold sources, mainly distributed around the city, introduced fresh air into the urban center. (3) Based on a comprehensive assessment of urban ventilation potential, urban surface roughness, and sky view factor, we developed a corridor system comprising “six main and ten secondary corridors” in Pingdingshan City.